Remove a stuck Di2 battery from a seatpost

If you've ever tried to remove a Di2 battery and battery holder from a seatpost you know that this can be tough if you're using a seatpost battery holder. They are meant to hold the battery in the seatpost securely, without it falling out when riding over rough terrain or even cobblestones. These generally work really well and I haven't ever heard of batteries dropping down the seatpost.

Sometimes they work too well.

Sometimes your battery is stuck inside the seatpost and you just cannot take it out.

In that case, it can be tempting to just grab your pliers and try to get the battery out by (hopefully) grabbing the battery holder and pulling it out. Some people even use pliers on the battery itself.

Please don't.

Do not use pliers to remove a stuck Di2 battery

Thing is, while it may work eventually, you are very likely to damage or even ruin either the battery holder or the battery connector itself. You may be able to get away with using pliers on a 31.6mm seatpost, but it will just not work at all on more modern 27.2mm or Cannondale's 25.4mm seatposts.

So what tools should you use instead?

Use a J-bend spoke to extract your Di2 battery from the seatpost

Yep - all you need is a simple J-bend spoke. Any spoke will do - as long as it is a J-bend spoke. Don't use an expensive or exotic spoke as you'll probably bend the spoke taking the battery out the seatpost. Don't have a spoke? Just buy one. You can buy spokes in any quantity and your local bike shop probably has plenty. A single spoke isn't expensive and can be a nice tool.

In order to remove the battery from the seatpost, this is what you do:

• Take your spoke in one hand and the seatpost in the other
• Now insert the J-bend side of the spoke into the seatpost, slip it between two halves of the battery holder for example
• Push the spoke in until just beyond the battery
• Turn the spoke so that the J-bend hooks onto the battery
• Now pull

Hook the spoke onto the battery just like this:

Note that you may have to pull quite hard. The last time I did this myself I bent the spoke, making it easier to hold onto it and allowing me to pull the battery out straight.

Do not worry about pulling too hard and breaking the battery. The end of a Di2 battery can definitely take some abuse. If you are using an expensive carbon seatpost do take some care not to bury the J-bend into the inside of your seatpost.

Questions, comments

Have you ever had to remove a battery from a seatpost? Or any other part of the bike? How did that go? Still having problems?

If you have never installed a battery in a seatpost, read how to do that here.

Leave me a message or just post a comment below.