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In BikeCAD version 10, we have the option to model a seat mast. Unlike a seatpost which is inserted inside the seat tube, a seatmast slides over top of the seat tube.
In the seatpost dialog box, we can toggle between seatpost and seatmast with the seatmast icon.
It is still up to us to change the diameter of the tube so that the seatmast will be large enough to fit over the seat tube. We will also most likely want to make our seatmast shorter than a typical seatpost.
If you had a seatpost binder brazed to your frame, then that seatpost binder will automatically attach itself to the seatmast. If you had been using a seatpost clamp, then that seatpost clamp will automatically attach itself to the bottom edge of your seatmast. It will most likely be necessary to make the seatpost clamp larger to accommodate the larger diameter of the seatmast. If a pinch boss is used instead, then that pinch boss will likely need to be similarly shifted to account for the larger diameter seatmast.
Another thing that the seatmast will inherit from the frame is the profile at the end of the seat tube. In the tubing dialog box, the toggle button that controls the seat tube end profile will be applied to the seatmast if a seatmast is used.
When using a seatmast, it is typical to extend the seat tube further than one would if a seatpost were used. In the Primary dimensions dialog box, if we have the seat tube length (c-c) option selected, then this fixes the location of the seat tube/ top tube joint. We can make the seat tube itself longer by changing the field controlling seat tube extension above the top tube. As we do this, we'll notice that our seat stays are located with respect to the top of the seat tube. We will most likely want to shift them down by the same distance our seat tube was extended up.
BikeCAD Version 9.0 allows for the inclusion of a seatpost clamp, seatpost binder boss or wedge. To control this feature, click on the seatpost clamp icon in the top toolbar. The bolt on the seatpost clamp can be at the back as shown, or you could assign a positive value to X to flip the bolt to the front. To allow the body of the clamp to conform, we might take the overall length of the clamp which we can see in the B field is 43 mm and subtract from that the current value of A which is 18 mm to get a new value for A. At the same time, we can swap the values for R1 and R2.
Be aware that dimension C represents the thickness of flange on the seatpost clamp that rests above the seat tube. We can see this flange if we switch to the hidden line display mode and change the value of C to something larger like 3 mm. If we display the seat tube (C-T) measurement, we can see that this measurement is still taken from the BB to the top of the seat tube, not to the top of the seatpost clamp. Be sure to account for this if you wish your finished frame to have a specific measurement from the bottom bracket to the top of the seatpost clamp.
Besides, seatpost clamps, this dialog box also provides two styles of seatpost binder bosses available by clicking on the icons next to the seatpost clamp.
If we switch to an aero seat tube, we can also represent a seatpost wedge which are commonly seen on time trial bikes.
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