Chinertown
Other Resources => Component Deals & Selection => Topic started by: amacal1 on September 21, 2025, 08:33:41 PM
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Originally titled "Elitaone Carbon Seatpost Crack During Install"
Edit: It has been brought to my attention (in posts below) that the install manual specifically points out that you shouldn't do exactly what I did to crack my posts. I'm an idiot because I didn't see that and cracked at least 2 posts because of it. Elitaone deserves a fair bit of credit for actually having that instruction noted in their manual (even if I'm too dumb to notice it).
I had one Elitaone post fail while riding a month or two back and I just got around to replacing it due to the difficulty in removing the broken seatpost from the frame. I didn't blame Elitaone for the first one because I'm 99% certain I had cracked it, initially, while adjusting the seat one day without a torque wrench. It seemed fine afterward, though, and I happily rode it for a couple months and just avoided adjusting the height again. Well, I was playing chicken with it and it failed while riding in about the worst time and location possible. I was practically in the middle of the swamp about 15-20miles outside of the city of New Orleans at about 2am. Yeah, it was not cool. I shoved what little remaining post I could back into the frame (I could only get about 3/4in or less into the frame) and tried to ride back on the road rather than the trail. It was 30mi back to my car. About 1-2mi away from my car the remaining bit failed and the seat fell off completely.
I had the damndest time removing the stuck post. First step was removing the Ltwoo battery pack, which I managed to do by putting a big wad of hot glue on a dowel rod and hot-gluing the battery pack to the dowel. Then I tried using a quill-stem but the one I had wouldn't work. I tried drilling a hole through the frame tightening slot and pulling out, but it just ripped through the carbon. My last attempt used a very, very long quill stem that managed to grab the bottom of the post and seemed to let me pull up from there.
Again... not really the seatposts fault and I can't believe I rode on it for months and under the conditions and places I did before it failed.
Today, though... I was DAMN sure to use a torque wrench, and even bought a newer, better torque wrench so that I wouldn't be tempted to make adjustments without it again. I was making some final tweaks to the seat height and, about the 2nd or 3rd time I adjusted it, I heard a sharp crack right about 4.5 Nm of torque. I pulled it off and cleaned it. Sure enough, it's cracked. I think I'm going to go with a different option this time, and I'm no longer so sure about Elitaone. Which is a little scary because I have one of these on 2 of my other bikes.
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Did you follow their recommendation about the seatpost collar orientaion? Also I would look if you frame has no sharp edges, I have been using their seatposts for years without any issues, but all are now in carbon frames.
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As for any carbon seatpost in a aluminium frame, don't ever orient the seat post collar facing backwards. The sharp tube relief corners will dig into your post, as you can see, and crack. I can see your crack is in exactly that spot.
The elita one manual that came with your seatpost even says this...
I've been riding an elita one seatpost in aluminium frame for 2 year no problem.
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The elita one manual that came with your seatpost
Never received a manual with any of my 3 seatposts from them
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I have received this manual and I have "looked at it" as I can't read it, but - damn - I can't believe I missed that detail. I'm dumb. So dumb.
I'll edit my original post to note that I am dumb and that - I suppose - Elitaone's reputation remains intact!
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I have received this manual and I have "looked at it" as I can't read it, but - damn - I can't believe I missed that detail. I'm dumb. So dumb.
I'll edit my original post to note that I am dumb and that - I suppose - Elitaone's reputation remains intact!
At least this wasn't a too expensive mistake ;) The manual I got, has both Chinese and English written.
I actually believe seeing exactly the same cracked seatpost, because of the same reason, on this forum 2 weeks ago. So don't worry you are not alone.
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At least this wasn't a too expensive mistake ;) The manual I got, has both Chinese and English written.
I actually believe seeing exactly the same cracked seatpost, because of the same reason, on this forum 2 weeks ago. So don't worry you are not alone.
I mean, cracking two 1/2 price posts is the same as cracking 1 expensive post. So, I got a great deal on this learning experience, lol.
Unfortunately, as far as "expensive mistake" goes, the expensive part was THEN ordering a titanium seatpost to replace it! So, yeah, there's a high price for ignorance.
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Ahh that's a good reminder to double check that. i think my seatpost collar is actually on incorrectly on my other bike.
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I mean, cracking two 1/2 price posts is the same as cracking 1 expensive post. So, I got a great deal on this learning experience, lol.
Unfortunately, as far as "expensive mistake" goes, the expensive part was THEN ordering a titanium seatpost to replace it! So, yeah, there's a high price for ignorance.
Well, now your bike has extra bling to it. :D
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I mean, cracking two 1/2 price posts is the same as cracking 1 expensive post. So, I got a great deal on this learning experience, lol.
Unfortunately, as far as "expensive mistake" goes, the expensive part was THEN ordering a titanium seatpost to replace it! So, yeah, there's a high price for ignorance.
Well that's interesting. Thanks amacal1 for owning up and drawing some more attention to this. I had no idea. I've just purchased an Elita One post for an Ican FL1. The FL1 frame has not one but two slots in the seat tube - one at the front and one at the back. Doh! Studying Bigbobby1482's photo of the manual above I need to mount the clamp sideways. That's going to mess with my OCD.
PS. Fancy box but no manual with my Elita One.
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Well that's interesting. Thanks amacal1 for owning up and drawing some more attention to this. I had no idea. I've just purchased an Elita One post for an Ican FL1. The FL1 frame has not one but two slots in the seat tube - one at the front and one at the back. Doh! Studying Bigbobby1482's photo of the manual above I need to mount the clamp sideways. That's going to mess with my OCD.
PS. Fancy box but no manual with my Elita One.
This is not required for carbon to carbon interface. You're safe as is.
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My Elitaone post developed some extra compliance.
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Must have been a softly suspended but stressful ride home!
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I've had/used about ten Elita posts between my own bikes and some friends' and have never had an issue with them, all installed @4.5-5 Nm with carbon paste, even on metal frames. They've all been on bikes with external seatpost clamps, most of which have the traditional orientation (bolt at the rear). Just adding this as another data point.
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My Elitaone post developed some extra compliance.
Were you seated while riding downhill? On my gravel bike, I'm always out of saddle on the downhills mainly for balance. Though it probably saves my seat posts from snapping as well.
I'm curious what amount of force is needed to snap a carbon seat post.
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Were you seated while riding downhill? On my gravel bike, I'm always out of saddle on the downhills mainly for balance. Though it probably saves my seat posts from snapping as well.
I'm curious what amount of force is needed to snap a carbon seat post.
From my original picture where I show my snapped seatpost (not the minor cracked one, the one I snapped fully), I can tell you that it's A LOT. And, I'm fairly certain, in hindsight, that one was already cracked a little. I was riding a rough patch of gravel/singletrack levee trail at night and there was a massive concrete step-up and step-down somewhere in the trail. I nailed it at about 16-18mph while on the seat and heard a massive "CRACK". It was so loud that one of the other guys in the group thought HIS seatpost had snapped, lol. I didn't notice how big it was at first, but when I had to turn around and leave the group I rode back over it and saw that it was a solid 6" (or more) concrete bump. I don't remember if it was on the step-up or the step-down, but I think it might have been the step-down that got it. All 180lbs of my fat ass + bike slamming down on it at that speed could not have been easy, and the sound that rang out as it gave up the ghost was impressive.
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From my original picture where I show my snapped seatpost (not the minor cracked one, the one I snapped fully), I can tell you that it's A LOT. And, I'm fairly certain, in hindsight, that one was already cracked a little. I was riding a rough patch of gravel/singletrack levee trail at night and there was a massive concrete step-up and step-down somewhere in the trail. I nailed it at about 16-18mph while on the seat and heard a massive "CRACK". It was so loud that one of the other guys in the group thought HIS seatpost had snapped, lol. I didn't notice how big it was at first, but when I had to turn around and leave the group I rode back over it and saw that it was a solid 6" (or more) concrete bump. I don't remember if it was on the step-up or the step-down, but I think it might have been the step-down that got it. All 180lbs of my fat ass + bike slamming down on it at that speed could not have been easy, and the sound that rang out as it gave up the ghost was impressive.
I have a buddy who's 250lbs.+ and he exclusively rides only steel and titanium because he knows he'll break something with all that weight! This is a guy who warped his 1x gravel chainring because of the all the torque he puts down!
Carbon is definitely not a friend of big boy descenders! It's probably a good idea to stay with alloy over a certain weight. I've even seen carbon saddle rails break with some bigger riders on the trail.
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My Elitaone post developed some extra compliance.
My Elita One post has been OK so far, but upon checking it two ish weeks ago, it had a light indented groove (as where the aluminum seat tube edges are). Seatpost is in the right orientation and the collar is installed as per instructions. Torqued below max spec - 3.9 nm with carbon grip paste. This is installed on a CAAD10.
I wonder if the QC is iffy? I'm still keeping a close eye on it, as it hasn't broke on me yet.
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Were you seated while riding downhill? On my gravel bike, I'm always out of saddle on the downhills mainly for balance. Though it probably saves my seat posts from snapping as well.
I'm curious what amount of force is needed to snap a carbon seat post.
I was actually riding uphill on a somewhat rocky trail when I heard the crack. I'm also usually out of the saddle when descending. I do take that bike on some bumpy trails - more easy singletrack than actual gravel. I'm also about 95 kg, so that's asking a lot of a seatpost.
No issues with the one on my road bike though, and I've had that one for longer.
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Mine broke as well. I had a hard time inserting it into my carbon frame at installation, I believe that the width of the seatpost was a bit wider than the specified 27.2 mm.
Installed it with carbon paste and torque wrench, and it developed a crack after a couple of weeks of road riding.
Bought a Newmen seatpost and it fits like a glove.