how do you get a bike seat to stop swiveling?

[nageov3t]

building my first bike (every other bike I've owned came already built) and I've basically got the thing together except some bells and whistles (reflectors, etc) but I'll be damned if I can figure out how to get the bike seat to stop swiveling :frown: everything's pretty much as tight as I can make it, but I can still swing the seat around and feel it move with me when I'm sitting on it.

 

[d33pt]

does it have the quick release post? you just need to turn that a few more times before you tighten it down.

 

[BlackTigers]

You either need a bigger seat stem, or a smaller seat clamp.

I'm going to bet it's the latter. Is the clamp as squeezed as it can possibly go?

 

[nageov3t]

Originally posted by: d33pt
does it have the quick release post? you just need to turn that a few more times before you tighten it down.

quick release... it's as tight as I can get it by hand and there are no edges/grooves to use a wrench or screw driver to get it any tighter with

 

[Cdubneeddeal]

Sounds like your seatpost is the wrong diameter.

 

[us3rnotfound]

Originally posted by: Cdubneeddeal
Sounds like your seatpost is the wrong diameter.

That's how it sounds to me, and I know very little about bike construction.

 

[SuperSix]

Remove the seat
Sit on the post
It won't matter anymore!

 

[nageov3t]

Originally posted by: SuperSix
Remove the seat
Sit on the post
It won't matter anymore!

:brokenheart:

 

[dman]

Is it turning at the frame or at the top where the seat adjustments are? Might be loose underneath the seat, there are some adjustments you can make there. Another possibility could be the seat post is extended too far out (maybe you bought too small of a bike).

You can always go back to the store and see how they tightened down their bikes. If so, I suggest calling as if you wish to exchange it, sometimes they insist that their assembler take a look at it first, in which case that person may only be there on certain days.

 

[KMc]

Originally posted by: loki8481

Originally posted by: d33pt
does it have the quick release post? you just need to turn that a few more times before you tighten it down.

quick release... it's as tight as I can get it by hand and there are no edges/grooves to use a wrench or screw driver to get it any tighter with

I don't mean to insult your intelligence, but do you realize how a quick release lever works? You don't just spin the lever around until it is "tight", you adjust it so that it tightens sufficiently when you clamp the lever into the closed position. Once adjusted, you can open the lever to make an adjustment, then just close it again to secure. Something about the way you worded your response makes me think you aren't adjusting it right.

 

[scott916]

Double check the diameter. Seatposts come in many different sizes, often only with variations in 1-1.5 mm.

 

[ObiDon]

Originally posted by: KMc

Originally posted by: loki8481

Originally posted by: d33pt
does it have the quick release post? you just need to turn that a few more times before you tighten it down.

quick release... it's as tight as I can get it by hand and there are no edges/grooves to use a wrench or screw driver to get it any tighter with

I don't mean to insult your intelligence, but do you realize how a quick release lever works? You don't just spin the lever around until it is "tight", you adjust it so that it tightens sufficiently when you clamp the lever into the closed position. Once adjusted, you can open the lever to make an adjustment, then just close it again to secure. Something about the way you worded your response makes me think you aren't adjusting it right.

same thing i was going to say...
try unlatching the quick release, tightening it a little more (maybe one or two revolutions), then re-latching it. that might work for you.

 

[Oyeve]

Does the post collapse? Is the seat post one of those post in a post or is it a single post? I had an old mountain bike the had a post that was in another post that had a plastic gasket, the plastic wore after a few years and when I rode it I could feel the seat move left and right. I would definately check the size of the post.

 

[darkxshade]

Just bypass all this technical stuff, take it to a shop and have it welded on.

 

[D1gger]

Back in the day when I worked in a bike shop, we had small sleeves we could insert into the down tube to reduce the size of the opening (or add the thickness of the seat post, depending on your point of view) the seat post fits into.

Looks like they are still available: Seat Post Shims

 

[keird]

how do you get a bike seat to stop spinning?

grap on to the handlebars

 

[alkemyst]

On a cheaper bike this is usually due to poor construction. On a decent bike you either are sizing the post wrong or simply not using the clamp right.

 

[LS21]

shim it with cutout from a soda bottle. no, im not kidding