Oz seatpost tube

[Mark E Spruce]

Hi Guys (and Girls?),

it's Sprucey,your fair weather friend from the UK! Just logged on and you still have my name and email address registered - that's cool, what a community - even for a lost soul like me!

I need some help here. I know it's been done before,so if someone can point me in the right direction on the forum or to the old forum that would be a help.

I have sheared/torn off the top of the alloy seat tube that is bonded into my Oz frame. It's ripped just where the seat clamp collar is.

I need a new alloy tube and collar (the wider part that is bonded to the top of the tube that takes it to 31.8mm for the seatpost clamp)

Where is the best place to get this tube? Do K2 still do this as a spare? Has anyone got K2s contact details/email address?

Has anyone replaced this lately? Any tips, techniques orup to date improvements?

Any info you can give me will be gratefully received.

Apart from this recent problem the Oz is still going strong as well as the original Nr2 shock!

I have Hope Minis on it and would like to swap the Pace RC36 fork for a Marzocchi Marathon 120mm coil and new Hope MonoM4 calipers but will have to wait for some money to do that. It also now boasts an Oval carbon riser bar to replace the old Easton XC flat bar and Titec carbon bar ends. This has totally modernised the feel and the handling of the bike.

I guess the next upgrade will have to be one of the threshold damping style anti-bob rear air shocks (Manitou Swinger etc) - has anyone tried these yet - should work well on the single pivot Oz?

Thanks in advance for any help you can offer.

Best regards,

Sprucey

[kiwi]

hi sprucey!!!!The board was a bit slow just then ehhhhh took ages to upload my post re carbons risse..look in the links section lots of k2 stuff there.I beleive that CVI??? is still helping k2 people.Hass the metal insert broken or come out..or both!!!!!

[Mark E Spruce]

Hi Kiwi,

Great picture! Are you back riding?

The tube is still well bonded into the frame - the exposed top part has sheared off.

I will need a new tube/insert and will have to remove the old one. I guess, I will have to do a vertical cut with a hack saw and then peel/prize off the remaining tube from the inside of the carbon.
Sprucey

[Old Proflexer]

nice to have you back sprucey -

i thought about you recently when my wife and i visited london and toured the country side for 10 days.  
london has a lot of pubs.

we had some trouble on the seatpost issue a ways back and someone was able to get the post out i believe by doing the saw method then loosening the epoxy bond - possibly with an acetone - then working it out.  others have simply have the seatpost loosen and had to rebond it (similar to a loose dropout)  i should imagine a hacksaw, screwdriver, something to loosen the epoxy bond and some needle nose pliers will get you along way.

it seems that the older epoxy bonds in the carbons are starting to give way with time so maybe you'll be lucky and be able to get it out easily.  i believe k2 was able to ship a tube at one time and as i recall, others had simply made their own by bonding a new tube to the inside of the existing and going with a smaller diameter seat post and or using a shim to accomodate.  as kiwi mentioned, all the 800 numbers we have are in the links.

i had a bunch of email addresses for k2 people but when my other computer gave up the ghost, it took the emails down as well.  

my progressive 5th element is looking to go in for repairs and my fox talas r (pics in gallery) seems to do well.

OP

[proflexGB]

Hi Sprucey M8

Send Simon a PM, he has had two made by a local engineer he lives very near to you in Petersfield.

Nigel (B4SL s , etc)

[Simon]

Hi Sprucey,sent you an e-mail,as Nigel says had a couple made up, £15 each,if your stuck you can have my spare,also got some suitable adhesive you can use.Simon [smiley=nod.gif] P.s the old one's are relatively easy to remove with a little care.

[Carbon_Angus]

Hi Sprucey!  [smiley=beer.gif]



What's up with your Pace? just curious

[Mark Spruce]

Hi Guys,

what a great response - thank you all. It's great to be back.

So, here are some answers.

1) This is a warranty issue and Mark at K2 has come up (very promptly I might add) an offer regarding a 2003 Razorback frame. This is something I am considering.

First - any views on this frame - I know some people loved it!

2) Thanks guys - I have emailed Simon re: a repair job - I wil see what can be done as I like the Oz - it rides well, looks great and with a modern threshold type shock is still/could be a very up to date ride.

3) Angus - what's up with the Pace fork? Absolutely nothing. It's smooth, easily maintained and gives me 100mm of plush travel. It is also a short axle to crown length which makes it an ideal 100mm travel fork for older geometry frames (doesn't push the front end up so much). Why am I looking at the Marzocchi 120mm? Well, I have fitted risers, done a lot of Alpine riding (on this and a Santa Cruz copy frame) and I think the frame will take the extra travel and convert into more of an XC/free ride style bike rather than pure nose down/arse up XC machine. I have a long upper body (and short legs!) so the long top tube on the Oz suits me well.

Also, I part own a bike business and can get the stuff at trade which makes things easier!

4) Simon, thanks mate - I have already sent you an email. We should hook up some time? I went to school in Petersfield so I know it well!

5) Is IFO still around? Have missed his posts - always entertaining and always worth a read for little nuggets of very valuable information.

Best regards,

Sprucey

[mark spruce]

Oh, and I should ay guys, that I visted Kiwi this time last year in New Zealand! I stayed at his place for a few days and was very well looked after by he and Mary his wife.

I was treated to fantastic Kiwi hospitality and it goes to show that through this forum the world is a very small place!

Thanks Kiwi - Wellington always sticks in my mind as a a great place (despite the rain and the wind!) - especially having just seen pictures today of the Lord of the Rings premiere which was in Wellington last night!

Sprucey

[kiwi]

well sprucey thanks for your kind words....i am about to try to start riding again..have a new pair of gel shorts from performance bike in the usa so i am gonna give that a go.....on me old risse /crosslinked 756.....what is that other bike you have...the one you had out here be pretty much like the oz wouldnt it??? cept wrong brand of course!!!!
IFO departed the board because he felt that he was no longer qualified to remain...didnt own a k2 or proflex.....i miss his wit too     and teh spelling skills [smiley=laughing.gif]

[Matno]

You can still keep up with IFO's spelling errors, blunt opinions, and ornery nature by clicking on "Host site" in the bar to the left (aka the idriders forum).  

(Ian, no offense! I miss you here too, even if all you ever did was bash Noleen and praise Fox...)  

[Phillip]

Matno,
He also bashed OZ frames and dogs on the trail, but I took his advice on Vanilla RC's and EVO frames!  [smiley=beer.gif]