[HowTo] Non-pivotal wedge mod!

[fluorescent]

OK, well the pivotal wedge mod is pretty popular, so I decided this might be too if people knew how to do it.
So...

What you need

Parts
Railed seat
Seatpost (must be the type that comes with most complete bikes where the guts are separable from the post)
1 1/8" headset wedge and bolt
Some form of washer which will fit the bolt or can be adapted to fit it. (I used an old top cap from a headset)

Tools
Hacksaw
File
14mm wrench (open ended)
6mm allen key

Step one

Right, lets start by flipping the seat post guts. When running this sort of seat post normally, the guts are sticking out below the seat and the rails are clamped at the top of the guts. This is ugly! So... Take the post out but leave the guts on the rails. Flip the guts so they are tucked into the seat. They will be a bit harder to access but the seat will be more slammed and the ugly guts will be hidden.
It should look like this:

Note that the guts may have a small piece of metal sticking out at the top of the bit where the post goes in to stop it from going too far into the guts. Cut this off and file it down if necessary.

Step two

Now we have the seat and guts ready, we need to do the actual wedge mod bit. First off, take your wedge and check that it fits into the seat tube on your frame. If not, you will need to file down the outside of the wedge until it fits perfectly into the tube, nice and flush, no wobble, and no forcing required either. If the diameter of your wedge is too small to start with and it jiggles about in the seat tube easily, then the chances are you have got a 1" wedge and you cannot use a 1" wedge for this mod as it will ovalize the the seat tube. So anyways, when the wedge is the perfect size, you may want to file some ridges into it to help prevent the seat from turning when you tighten it up (see pic below if you don't understand this).

Step three

Now you need to cut the seat tube at the correct angle and length to fit your wedge. This has to be perfect5, so try to get it right first time with the hacksaw. If you don't then you can file the post into shape afterward. So anyway, this is pretty straightforward: just clamp the seat tube in a vice and get sawing. Make sure that first you hold up the wedge by the seat post and mark the angle by scratching it in to the paint. Anyway after cutting it, file it down so that it's perfectly straight and smooth and at the perfect angle. Next you need to make the washer for the top. I used an old top cap from a headset, I cut it and filed it to the right shape. It needs to be no wider than the top of the seat post, but obviously not too small either. How you do this bit really depends on what you're going to use as a washer. After these two steps, you should have this: (but not as rusty )

Note the ridges filed longways into the wedge.

Step four

OK well it's pretty obvious where to go from here. You can choose to cut the top of the seat tube off your frame if you want to, or not - I did it for super slammability. So whatever, the next step is to put the seat post and wedge which you made in steps 2 and 3 into the frame with the thinner bit of the seat post protruding from the top of the seat tube and tighten down the allen key bolt on the top. When it's nice and tight and you know it's not going anywhere, put the seat on top and slide the guts over the top of the post protruding from the seat tube. Adjust the angle and positioning of the seat to however you want it then get the open-end 14mm wrench and tighten the bolts on either side of the guts to clamp the seat in position.
Now you have a super smooth railed seat setup!

Finished product:

Nice 'n' slammed The rails are literally 2 cm away from the top tube

You can see the chrome bolt sticking out of the top of the guts here just below the plastic of the seat.

I hope this helps some people!

[Marcus Poopy]

this would be soooo epic with an ECCD

[Chris]

Brilliant!

[Karl H. Marx]

Very clever.

[newrider3]

Nice How-To. I already did this a while back, works great.

[DopeReach]

and this is what i made
http://www.pinkbike.com/photo/2624745/
http://www.pinkbike.com/photo/2624744/

[newrider3]

Also, if you have access to a welder, a good way to do the washer in the top of the post is to weld in a large nut.

[HobosRck]

Nice how to. +rep

[B0N0]

You can buy one if these for a fiver

[fluorescent]

Serious? Where?
I thought I was so clever... hmph. lol