Ok to use 7x9 carbon saddle rail in 7x10 clamp?

[Noctiluxx]

Stupid ass Trek uses 7x10 saddle clamps which funnel you into buying their saddles and not the more standard, 7x9. I have a Berk Lupina 7x9 saddle which I would love to use on my new Madone SLR. My dealer tells he uses 7x9 Fizik saddle on both his new Madone SLR and his old Madone 9 with no issue. Trek strongly recommends against it. Anyone with experience like to chime in? Thanks!

[alcatraz]

I never tried it but when I explored the consequenses for my friend that was in the same situation, what finally made him go the new saddle way was that he weighs 125kg. At that weight the slightest play will probably be felt.

If I were lightweight I'd probably try taping the rail with something really strong, and then clamping it, and see before buying a new saddle. It doesn't hurt to try other than it taking a bit of time for testing.

I had read that people made it work.

[Calnago]

I was using the 7x9 rails of a Specialized Romin Pro saddle in a 7x10 clamp on an Emonda for a while, before I knew they made a 7x9 version. It wasn’t ideal but I used it. The 7x9 clamp is much better, unfortunately I don’t think they make one for the Madone. @FIJIGabe might be a good one to ask as I think he went through a similar scenario on his Madone.

[alcatraz]

I know this sounds crazy but you could tape the rails and drop some sort of retaining compund before you clamp it to your final fore/aft position.

The good thing is that the madone clamp has a separate inclination mechanism that could allow this to work.

[Calnago]

I like the Madone clamp for the reason it does separate the inclination angle somewhat, but not completely, from the full clamp holding force, which makes for much easier adjustments on these types of clamps. You need the added millimeter of vertical height in the rails to be ideal. It’s not that you can’t get it tight in the side to side plane, it’s that it will want to move nose down or tail down (basically rock) depending on where your weight is. And you certainly don’t want any stress risers at the edges where the rails meet the clamp, especially in the vertical plane with any rocking at all. As I said, I used it that way for awhile, but I really had to clamp it tight and never did like the poor fit. Felt a little silly finding out that Trek has 7x9 ears all along (for the non Madone clamp) but just had to special order them.

[spartan]

you will have zero issues i have used prologo nack saddles on my trek bikes for the last 7 years.

yes trek recommends against it they want you to buy their crappy saddles. please

Stupid ass Trek uses 7x10 saddle clamps which funnel you into buying their saddles and not the more standard, 7x9. I have a Berk Lupina 7x9 saddle which I would love to use on my new Madone SLR. My dealer tells he uses 7x9 Fizik saddle on both his new Madone SLR and his old Madone 9 with no issue. Trek strongly recommends against it. Anyone with experience like to chime in? Thanks!

[Noctiluxx]

you will have zero issues i have used prologo nack saddles on my trek bikes for the last 7 years.

yes trek recommends against it they want you to buy their crappy saddles. please

Stupid ass Trek uses 7x10 saddle clamps which funnel you into buying their saddles and not the more standard, 7x9. I have a Berk Lupina 7x9 saddle which I would love to use on my new Madone SLR. My dealer tells he uses 7x9 Fizik saddle on both his new Madone SLR and his old Madone 9 with no issue. Trek strongly recommends against it. Anyone with experience like to chime in? Thanks!

May I ask your weight?

[FIJIGabe]

Sorry it took me a while to see this. Yes, Trek sells a 7x9 clamp. I think it's because the first-gen Emonda SLR 10 used a Tune saddle with 7x9 rails, so Trek had to make the clamp to fit it. I can also confirm that the same clamp will work on the Madone 9 (and presumably the SLR).

If you like, PM me. I'd be more than happy to sell my 7x9 clamp, as I don't need it (I actually like Trek's older generation Affinity RXL saddle, and use thaton my road bike, now).

[Mep]

I was in the exact situation and ended up with using my Berk Lupina with the 7x10 clamp. If you measure your saddle rails, do they come up to over 9mm? That was the case with mine, which led me to buying the 7x10 clamp. It has worked well with no slippage.

That said, I'm surprised the 7x9 clamp mates well with the new Madone seatpost. Visually it looks very different, the 7x9 is triangular not round and doesn't have the sleeve that tucks into the seatpost. The guidance I've seen online is mixed as well, Evan Cycles says it's not compatible with the 9.9 but the 9.2? Pretty confusing.

[spartan]

185lb.

btw you must use the new madone oversize slr seatpost clamp. the one made for the old madone will not work.

this is what i am using

Trek Madone 9-Series Aero Seatpost Clamp Ears 10mm Oval

you will have zero issues i have used prologo nack saddles on my trek bikes for the last 7 years.

yes trek recommends against it they want you to buy their crappy saddles. please

Stupid ass Trek uses 7x10 saddle clamps which funnel you into buying their saddles and not the more standard, 7x9. I have a Berk Lupina 7x9 saddle which I would love to use on my new Madone SLR. My dealer tells he uses 7x9 Fizik saddle on both his new Madone SLR and his old Madone 9 with no issue. Trek strongly recommends against it. Anyone with experience like to chime in? Thanks!

May I ask your weight?

[Noctiluxx]

I was in the exact situation and ended up with using my Berk Lupina with the 7x10 clamp. If you measure your saddle rails, do they come up to over 9mm? That was the case with mine, which led me to buying the 7x10 clamp. It has worked well with no slippage.

That said, I'm surprised the 7x9 clamp mates well with the new Madone seatpost. Visually it looks very different, the 7x9 is triangular not round and doesn't have the sleeve that tucks into the seatpost. The guidance I've seen online is mixed as well, Evan Cycles says it's not compatible with the 9.9 but the 9.2? Pretty confusing.

Trek is very a much a nickel and dime company. I bought a $4000 frame that didn't come with a seatpost. I bought the $275 seatpost but it didn't come with a clamp that allows use of carbon rail saddles. You would think most people building a $10-12K bikes would most likely use carbon rail saddles, right? And now this. Here's a pic of my Bontrager XXX 7x10 saddle which is currently on my TCR next to the 7x9 Berk Lupina.

[rainerhq]

I use 7x10mm Bontrager ears with Spec Power 7x9 rails.
Weight 67kg

[mattr]

Isn't this something that is just screaming out for a tastefully prepared coke can shim?
Maybe held in place with a little adhesive?

[wheelsONfire]

I wonder why side(lateral-clamp seatpost has become so usual. There are several saddles with + 9mm oval rails.
When 9mm clamp is to small and 10mm to big, this never happans with vertical clamps.

[nemeseri]

I'm 100% sure that trek made 7x9 clamps in 2016. I used to have them on my Emonda SL when I was using the spec toupe pro. The dealer had to special order it and it took them a while until we got it. It was silver and not black though.