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Phantom seat clothI purchased a Phantom in June of last year. The bike has 1400 miles on it now and the cloth is starting to look worn. How long does the seat cloth last? Also the seat is making a creaking noise when I am pedaling hard going up a hill. Is this normal?
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Phantom seat mesh wear and seat noise
1) Do you have the new-style seat mesh - shown on the Lightning website - or the older style? The older style has eyelets running up both sides of the mesh, with the seat cord wrapping around the seat frame itself. My experience is that the older style seat mesh lasts a very long time: I'd guesstimate ten thousand miles of use minimum, sometimes substantially more. But I have not yet used the newer style mesh.
I think Lightning changed the design of the mesh because of rider complaints about problems maintaining seat mesh tension. If the seat mesh gets loose, it can rub against the rear wheel and the underseat chain idler. The newer style seat mesh should make it easier to keep the mesh nice and tight, and thus avoid rubbing. But this is mere theory. My only practical experience is with the older mesh.
If your mesh really looks beat after such a short time, and you have not abused it somehow, I would ask Tim Brummer to send you a free replacement. Get on the phone with Lightning and make sure you talk directly with Tim about the problem. He will probably ask you to send him the old mesh so he can examine it.
2) If the seat is making bothersome noises when you crank hard, the natural place to look is the seat mounting points. Try tightening them down more. If this does not do the trick, try putting some duct tape (or similar material) between the seat frame tubes and the mounting points. Remember to check the places where the seat stays connect to the rear dropouts too.
Safe riding,
Joel