1) Lop the top off, take a hacksaw blade and cut down the inside length till the whole lot collapses.

2) Find some sort of magic tool with claws that can be opened once past the bottom lip and use it to pull it out, kinda like a bearing extractor but the other way. Never heard or seen such a thing though.

3) Considering the frame you're dealing with I'd say drilling is not an option and neither is ridiculous heating. Though if it's gentle then perhaps a blowtorch could be an option. Did have a technique at sea that involved heating the outside component and freezing the inside with freon for interference fit bearings. obviously this is a big no-no but if you could get some inert gas or co2 it could be an option. Either that you put it in a chest freezer overnight then heat the frame whilst it's still cold and see what you can do with it. Either way I'd say seatpost destruction is inevitable so on that basis I'd prep it to be lopped out QUICKLY, once you start heating you have a VERY short time frame between the different expansion rates.

And above all good luck.

Oh and it goes without saying if you're not confident in your abilities to do any of this then take it to somebody who is!

That is appearing alot easier said than done.

Hes in France at the moment but when I spoke to him he said there was nothing he could do because I'd looked at the frame prior.  It was only until later that the apparent shim was actually a seatpost that had been cut off.

Give him a visit when hes back. I was stuck in a similar situation recently. If i knew t was like that then i wouldn't have bought it. Its not what i want and not what i expected.

Dan

Well i had a good look around, it had a slit in it and was smoothed off at the top so I took his word for it.  It was only when it was pointed out that it dawned on me.  Not particualy happy, problem is being a seatpost the O.D. is specific, I.D. can be whatever the hell they want, I even have a seatpost somewhere which is oval inside.  So theres no chance of putting another size down the middle.  Nor will it clamp up properly because the thickness of the material is too much to pinch.

Too true.  Especially as I have France on the 16th looks like I'm going to have rent.

400? I paid 750!  My local are offering me a good deal on a 2 step but I'm not sure whether its the bike for me.