[ire]

During a SS cross race yesterday my saddle had one of the rails pop out in the back. How do I put the rail back in?? I tried using a screwdriver as a lever to pry it back onto the rail, but I couldn't even come close.

 

[Bicyclist]

Usually you can't make them go back in unless you have gorilla-like strength. Maybe someone has a good technique for it but I haven't ever seen it work unfortunately.

 

[ire]

Usually you can't make them go back in unless you have gorilla-like strength. Maybe someone has a good technique for it but I haven't ever seen it work unfortunately.

Not what I wanted to hear

 

[-dustin]

i've failed numerous times.

 

[crohnsy]

It is definitely doable. I have fixed numerous saddles with popped rails at work.

A couple tricks that work are bolting on 2 seatposts to the rails to get enough leverage to slide it in.

The last saddle i fixed didnt have enough room for the extra post so I used a large flathead screwdriver like a shoe horn to fit the rail back into its socket. This did require an extra person to help hold the saddle and also flexing the shell.

Hopefully your saddle doesnt have a carbon shell,. that would increase the difficulty quite a bit

 

[loco-gringo]

<snip> How do I put the rail back in??<snap>

Take the cost of a new saddle with you and purchase a new one. Voila.

 

[Sghost]

On everything except the road bikes.

 

[BikeMike]

Brainstorming for i-beam saddles: Hey, let's make the center of the saddle the most rigid part! That way, when the shell flexes, there will still be pressure on the most sensitive areas! (And this was supposed to be the wave of the future.)

Regarding the saddle rail...good luck. You could try warming the shell with a hair dryer-like device to make it more flexible. Mounting seatposts for leverage sounded like a good idea.

 

[Sghost]

Brainstorming for i-beam saddles: Hey, let's make the center of the saddle the most rigid part! That way, when the shell flexes, there will still be pressure on the most sensitive areas! (And this was supposed to be the wave of the future.)

Regarding the saddle rail...good luck. You could try warming the shell with a hair dryer-like device to make it more flexible. Mounting seatposts for leverage sounded like a good idea.

Someone needs to look closer.

 

[golgiaparatus]

I like the 2 seat post idea... I'm going to try that next time I pop one.

I've done it twice BTW... both times nearly broke my thumbs trying to get the rail back in.

 

[oldfart]

I think the one time I managed to do it, I removed the shell from the rails and then put the rear ends of the rails in and levered in the nose with a big effin' screwdriver. IIRC the plastic of the shell got a little chewed and maybe heat would help. I know a different time things got bent and the rails ended up loose.

 

[ire]

Here is what I did:

1. Pop out the other rail so the rails were detached from the saddle
2. Put the rear rails in their slot
3. Attach two seatposts
4. Use a heat gun to soften the shell and soften the plastic that holds the front of the rails in place
5. Slightly pry up the softened plastic hole to make the hole larger
6. Use heat gun again to soften up the shell
7. Pry the nose of the rail into place using the seatposts
8. Use the heat gun on the previous hole and use a screw driver to push the plastic down
9. I used epoxy in the hole just to be on the safe side
10. Drink a beer (or in my case, a cup of decaf coffee)