BodyFloat / Specialized Turbo X - Seat Post Drilling for rear light wire

[Dysan]

Hi everyone,

I’d like to try and get some opinions or advice, if I may. I purchased a Bodyfloat for my Specialized Turbo X and am wondering how best to keep the rear light. As you may know the wire for the LED rear light exits a hole in the top of the original Specialized seat post and enters the back of the light on the rear of the saddle.



As I very much want to retain the light the Bodyfloat will have to be altered to find a way to get the wire through as there are no exit points on the seat post as it stands and no real 'top' to drill down into, so I guess I'll have to drill a hole somewhere where the numbers appear on the post (see pic). Anyone have any opinion on how best to do this? My first thought is to drill a hole in the seat post and then cut and try and fish the wire through and then reattach it to the light in some way.



I think (=sincerely hope) the strength integrity of the post will not be too affected. I assume any warranty will be scuppered, however. Has anyone pulled apart the LED housing to see of the wires are soldered in or just screwed? I'd rather not have to cut the wire unless I absolutely have to.



Any other ideas or comments gratefully received.

Cheers....Rod

 

[John Dombrowski]

Don't mess with the wires in the seat at the light. When you take out your seat post the wires are connected by 2 little connectors at the bottom of the stock seat post. Just disconnect those and then the seat comes off the original seat post wires and all. Then just drill a 3/16 in. hole between that vertical slit on the front side of the body float and just feed the 2 connectors on the ends of the wires in the hole you drilled and down the body float post and then just plug the 2 connectors back in the other ends. Very simple. Like I said in my other post though, the guys at body float pre drilled my hole for me before they shipped it out to me.

--JD

 

[Dysan]

Many thanks John. Much appreciated!

 

[Dysan]

Hi again John,

Very wise move to get the hole drilled by the company. I don'y have that option in the UK and anyway I have already bought it (I had to source it through Switzerland).

Looks like a right swine to try and get a drill bit and hole in the top where they drilled yours.

I think I may have to go through the front of the pole where the numbers are - I reckon between the 3 and 4 as I will be able to see numbers when installed all the way to 12 I reckon.

Mine is aluminium alloy so I can't see a 3/16 hole really affecting the stability of the seat post. At least I really hope not!!

 

[John Dombrowski]

Hi again John,

Very wise move to get the hole drilled by the company. I don'y have that option in the UK and anyway I have already bought it (I had to source it through Switzerland).

Looks like a right swine to try and get a drill bit and hole in the top where they drilled yours.

I think I may have to go through the front of the pole where the numbers are - I reckon between the 3 and 4 as I will be able to see numbers when installed all the way to 12 I reckon.

Mine is aluminium alloy so I can't see a 3/16 hole really affecting the stability of the seat post. At least I really hope not!!

It's easy to drilled where they did. Actually their hole was a little small so I grabbed my drill and a 3/16th bit and drilled it out a little bigger to get both connectors though. Was not hard at all. I got the carbon post but the aluminum should be easy to drill.

 

[Dysan]

Okey-dokey. I'll take another look. It's the angle that may be an issue! Thanks.

 

[John Dombrowski]

Just take a little punch tool or a nail and punch a little indent in there first for the drillbit to rest in to start the hole.

 

[Senseiwai]

I talked to my local Specialized dealer and he said to me you can open little cover underneath the bottom bracket where all wires and connector is located. You can rewire the LED backlight and relocate to somewhere else on the frame their is already a hole on the cover for that. On base model Turbo backlight is on the fender/rack kit the LED cable is routed through service cover then into fender.

 

[James Kohls]

Purchase a BodyFloat this week. Paid $20 to have a custom hole drilled by the manufacturer for the seatpost light. If you're going to pay $250 for a seat post, $20 to have the hole drilled right is worth it. Here are some images during my install. Hope it helps give others confidence to do it themselves.




This is on a 2015 Turbo-X. The big trick was getting the wires down through the hole. For me, the red wire had to go in first, then the blue wire. Took a lot of fidgeting, but it did fit.

My Cirrus Cycles Order # was 2055. Feel free to reference it when ordering and say you want the exact same thing, if that helps.

 

[John Dombrowski]

But just tell them you have a turbo with the seat light and ask them to drill it first for you before they ship it. I asked and they did it for free. I even asked for a couple extra springs so I can mix and match and I got those too for nothing. Just ask and you shall receive.

 

[James Kohls]

Entered the request on their web form. No biggie. Still worth it.

 

[Marceltt]

Purchase a BodyFloat this week. Paid $20 to have a custom hole drilled by the manufacturer for the seatpost light. If you're going to pay $250 for a seat post, $20 to have the hole drilled right is worth it. Here are some images during my install. Hope it helps give others confidence to do it themselves.


View attachment 16015 View attachment 16016 View attachment 16017 View attachment 16018 View attachment 16019 View attachment 16020 View attachment 16021 View attachment 16022 View attachment 16023 View attachment 16024 View attachment 16025 View attachment 16026 View attachment 16027 View attachment 16028 View attachment 16029 View attachment 16030 View attachment 16031 View attachment 16032 View attachment 16033

This is on a 2015 Turbo-X. The big trick was getting the wires down through the hole. For me, the red wire had to go in first, then the blue wire. Took a lot of fidgeting, but it did fit.

My Cirrus Cycles Order # was 2055. Feel free to reference it when ordering and say you want the exact same thing, if that helps.

What is the brand of the seat with the lights built in it. Thanks

 

[James Kohls]

The saddle is a Specialized Body Geometry Turbo, but the light is a Supernova E3 tail light. Custom made for the Turbos. I doubt they sell it separately. But you can buy the tail light if you can find a way to mount it.

 

[sakabe]

Purchase a BodyFloat this week. Paid $20 to have a custom hole drilled by the manufacturer for the seatpost light. If you're going to pay $250 for a seat post, $20 to have the hole drilled right is worth it. Here are some images during my install. Hope it helps give others confidence to do it themselves.

This is on a 2015 Turbo-X. The big trick was getting the wires down through the hole. For me, the red wire had to go in first, then the blue wire. Took a lot of fidgeting, but it did fit.

My Cirrus Cycles Order # was 2055. Feel free to reference it when ordering and say you want the exact same thing, if that helps.

Just got the BodyFloat for my ‘15 Turbo X! Having a helluva time pulling the wire connectors apart. Tried pulling and wiggling to the point where it felt like the wire might snap, so I stopped before I made it worse. Did the connectors just pull apart easily for you, or did you have to do something special to get them separated?

 

[sakabe]

Gripping each side of connector with pliers and pulling apart worked for me. Using my hands to pull apart got me nowhere. Key was to clamp the plier on the flat part of the connector, especially on the female end, so that you don’t crimp the connector opening. The heat shrink wrap around the connectors now show marks from where the pliers clamped down but it’s just cosmetic and shouldn’t impact the wires. The rest of installation was straight forward, though I probably put on too much anti-seize compound. Can’t wait to take it out for a spin tomorrow to test it out!

 

[James Kohls]

Yeah, the wires were pretty tough to decouple. Guessing they corrode making them sticky. Glad you got it to work. Hope you enjoy your new seat post

 

[John Fuller]

Purchase a BodyFloat this week. Paid $20 to have a custom hole drilled by the manufacturer for the seatpost light. If you're going to pay $250 for a seat post, $20 to have the hole drilled right is worth it. Here are some images during my install. Hope it helps give others confidence to do it themselves.


View attachment 16015View attachment 16016View attachment 16017View attachment 16018View attachment 16019View attachment 16020View attachment 16021View attachment 16022View attachment 16023View attachment 16024View attachment 16025View attachment 16026View attachment 16027View attachment 16028View attachment 16029View attachment 16030View attachment 16031View attachment 16032View attachment 16033

This is on a 2015 Turbo-X. The big trick was getting the wires down through the hole. For me, the red wire had to go in first, then the blue wire. Took a lot of fidgeting, but it did fit.

My Cirrus Cycles Order # was 2055. Feel free to reference it when ordering and say you want the exact same thing, if that helps.

I tried to get Cirrus (now Kinekt) to drill the hole for me when I placed the order. They said everything in stock was already bonded and could not be drilled. They did,however, tell me any good machine shop could do it (3/16" hole). I punched a small guide point in the top of the post and drilled my own hole after putting the seat post post in a vise. Hole was no problem, but I didn't notice the drill chuck was rubbing against the top of movement arm on the post. Minor scratch in the paint which was easily repaired. Light wiring went through the hole very easily and I had the bike out for a test ride in less than 45 min. I weigh 172 lbs and found I had to crank down the tension adjuster quite a lot to stop the bouncing sensation when pedaling. Once it was properly adjusted and the tire pressure dialed back 5 PSI, the bike rides very smoothly. In fact the saddle feels much more comfortable with the body float seat post.

 

[sbprobasco]

Has anyone tries this with the new 2.1 posts? I called and they said that it could not be done.

 

[Volts]

Has anyone tries this with the new 2.1 posts? I called and they said that it could not be done.

Oh, I didn't know the new revised version, Kinekt 2.1, couldn't be drilled at the mechanism.

I just installed the new seatpost on my Specialized Como, I ran the wire from the bottom of the motor, along the out side of the seat tube and it looks tacky. I was hoping to follow these instructions and drill it this weekend, I was a little perplexed why my unit didn't look like the above pics.

Can anyone cite any drawbacks to drilling the seat tube portion of the new Kinekt aluminum, and having the brake light wire come out the side near the top spring assembly?

 

[sbprobasco]

I would think it will be hard to line up the two holes and get the wire to fish though at the same time. I was lucky and purchased the 2.0 for 199.00 today but the will not drill in after it has been bonded. I will try to do it myself.