Picked up my Fuel x8 sans seatpost, shop guy put a really short old one in so I could ride off low rider style. Then went for a ride – impatience – with it up high. Didn’t get far. Half the top 2cm of the tube snapped off, other half bent. Alloy frame.

Could I jam a long seat post in, plus dropper I guess, or what?

(Longer versions of this tale are available).

you’ll need to have it cut square, a slot with a drilled hole at the bottom cut and a seat clamp fitted.

I’d send pic’s to bencooper etc and see what they say.

You’ve written off a brand new frame on its first ride?
Pics or it didn’t happen!

Not new but pretty much rebuilt round the frame… Lbs had an epic with it last year getting a jammed post out. Not sure there’s enough frame left to cut square.

I’ve edited out the swears or this post would be five times longer…

Send me pics – it might be possible to bodge something. ben@kinetics.bike

Thanks. I think bodging’s where it’s at. Will email this evening.

Without seeing it couldnt exactly say whats possible but one option would be to cut off the damaged area back to good metal.
Then bond(or TIG weld if your feeling spendy)a slightly smaller tube inside the damaged seat tube with a small amount protruding from the old seat tube,and then use a undersized seatpost with appropriate clamp.

Think it would need some pretty precise measuring to get it all right.

…which is pretty much what I did.

You’ve written off a brand new frame on its first ride?
Pics or it didn’t happen!

…so bodged for now, and back off the road again… Thanks Ben and unovolo for the advice.

Its threads like this that make me feel better about cutting a brand new steerer too short.. good work on a fix 8)

Good result that glad our advice helped you get back out riding.