Time VXRS seatpost clamp breakage.

[mvotre]

hi folks, got a MINT Time VXRS Ulteam frame, with the ISP and all.

But, changing seat height, at 4Nm (with 5Nm max on written on the piece) the damn collar snapped!

After a quick google search, i found that I'm not the only one, and it's a kind of faulty piece. The alu wall are SO thin it's amazing. For the moment, i just used a nice Campy clamp i had laying aroud. 4Nm, and everything seens nice and solid.

I emailed Time, and found a replacemente in CRC. But for 50 bucks, would I be in a bad position buying any other reliable clamp? The only difference I can see in the Time one is a little notch so the clamp stays in place. Found a thread here linking to the BTP one, but I'm not buying that one....

I believe it would NOT be a problem, but since I'm not a expert, better safe than sorry. I just don't want to buy another original one, and have that one snap in my face again.

[HammerTime2]

As another option,

Supposedly, you can cut off the ISP (translink) on a VXRS Ulteam and use a conventional 27.2 seatpost.

[mvotre]

i would like to keep the ISP, at least for a time. Looks damn nice.

But if the replacemente piece stay the same (the picture of the one for sale at CRC its identical), i iwill try to use my Campy clamp. Picture time



In a mm graduated ruler, the broken piece sits on top. You can see how the porous material goes REALLY thin in the size of the piece, and it's a variable thickness. A bad done part, in my humble opinion. I contacted Time and if they never care to answer (since it's a old model), I will send them this photo. Might be worthless, but I don't care anymore.

[ultimobici]

Check your torque wrench. Has it been calibrated since you bought it? Is it always returned to zero after use? If not your indicated 4nm may have been higher.

You bought this frame new or used? From the way you describe it, I presume it was used but in mint condition? If that collar has been over tightened in the past it is perfectly possible for it to have failed by chance at you hands.

The VXRS clamp is not just a collar, it is a clamp for both the frame and post. There is no slot to compress on the frame so it grips both, hence the larger contact points. The diameter is 30.0, so your Campagnolo collar is not suitable for the job, nor is any other regular collar.

Take it from a long-time VXRS owner that the collar is fine unless it is abused. That's how mine snapped 2 days before flying out on holiday. Time sent a fresh collar out to my destination by express post. But I know that the torque wrench I used had not been returned to zero for a while as the owner only used it for one setting. Needless to say when it was checked it was reading 2nm over. I set it to 5nm but was actually tightening to 7nm!