Road Cycling - Carbon Seatposts -- have questions, need answers..

Hey all,

A few questions:

1. Do Carbon seatposts really make a noticable difference in ride quality/comfort?

2. Is there one particular brand/make/model that is a good choice?

3. My local shop seems to think that a) carbon does make a difference and b) I should buy an Easton EC 70 from them. What do you all think about this choice?

Thanks!

1. Do Carbon seatposts really make a noticable difference in ride quality/comfort?

ans; depends on the length. If you're on a sloping geometry bike and theres a lot of post showing then I would say yes they do make the ride softer.
If it's a conventional geometry bike then I would say no, it' sno help. Posts in this cionfiguration are to short to flex much and too short to significantly damp the


2. Is there one particular brand/make/model that is a good choice?

I would alwys stick with a brand that has a lot of experience in the field of composites i.e. easton, Time, FSA and some of the Italian brands which seem to use th same manufacturer. I believe the Record post is an Easton with Campagnolo badging



3. My local shop seems to think that a) carbon does make a difference and b) I should buy an Easton EC 70 from them. What do you all think about this choice?

Easton EC70 is an excellent post and I use it as a back up post for my Hardtail MTB for races that have lots of steep climbs. Its significantly lighter than my Thudbuster on that bike.

It isone of the best carbon posts available

Answers:

1. Not really, though there may be somethong to the compact frame thing (on the other hand, you'll have seatpost flex on a compact frame regardless of the material of the post). Most of what you feel is psychological. They are lighter, however.

2. Almost all of the post shafts themselves are made by one company in Taiwan. The differentiator will be the head clamp and the boding glue. Easton's is pretty good [no major complaints as of yet], as are USE, though I prefer the setback on the Easton clamp. Look and Campagnolo are both made in Europe and are a bit pricier, though the Look post looks very cool.

3. Your LBS is either selling you a line or honestly believes in "a," but their recommendation of Easton is sound.

Do note that posts are available with different amounts of layback in the clamp. This will affect where the saddle is fore-aft. Pick a layback which enables you to clamp the saddle at a mid-rail position when set in a comfy position (ie knee of pedal spindle or thereabouts).
In the old days, when only one layback was available, people used seatpost angle of the frame to set the saddle, but now most riders can use a standrad design frame and customise the position by chosing between inline and extra-layback in the seatpost clamp.

Easton's EC70 post has a nice amount of setback and uses a super simple one-bolt clamp (as do Campagnolo and Look seatposts). The post is as stiff (if not stiffer) than aluminum ones. I cannot distinguish any difference in road vibration absorbtion in this carbon post compared to aluminum ones. It is lighter than most aluminum posts.

I put a carbon post on my bike about a month ago and it is a definite improvement. It makes a coarse asphalt road seem like a smooth road. My bike is a Litespeed classic, which I have ridden since '98, with carbon bars. Titanium by itself offers an advantage by smoothing out the road, but the new post helps out. The post is the Easton EC 90 which takes up more shock than the 70. One road that I used to avoid riding because of the vibration felt due to its rough surface is okay. :p

Originally posted by sprocket dog
The post is the Easton EC 90 which takes up more shock than the 70.

I was about to ask if anyone had any opinions of the EC90. I currently have a CT2 which is basically the same post as the EC70 except that the clamp design is older and less user-friendly (not a single-bolt clamp). The CT2 is an excellent post if a bit fussy and cumbersome to adjust but once adjusted they're fine. I use them on both my MTB and RB.

How confident are you with the carbon clamp of the EC90? I'm assuming it's not all carbon... the thread holes for the bolt must have some metal inserts but the microadjustement grooves look like they're part of the carbon structure. I'm not sure how I feel about that. Is the EC90's post material itself different than the EC70 or is the only difference the carbon vs aluminum clamp?

I'll let you know soon enough. I have the EC 70 post on the bike and I'm getting the EC 90 in a couple days for another bike.

I fitted my Giant TCR ZERO with a LOOK carbon post 4 months ago. Yes it did make a difference.- A difference to my bank account, and that of my LBS. To be honest, I can not feel the difference between the Thompson alu seatpost of before, and that of the LOOK. If you want a "shock absorbing" effect you are better of investing in a mountain bike with rear suspension, or maybe a bike with a gel saddle.
The truth is that carbon posts look cool on certain bikes, and I guess that is the motivation for buying them realy. Lance Armstrong does not make use of carbon posts...

there will be little difference between the feel of a carbon post and that of a Thompson. Those are brilliant posts and have really good vibration damping qualities.

there will be little difference between the feel of a carbon post and that of a Thompson. Those are brilliant posts and have really good vibration damping qualities.
- Will you tell that to my a$$ please:beer: :beer:

Originally posted by TimB
there will be little difference between the feel of a carbon post and that of a Thompson. Those are brilliant posts and have really good vibration damping qualities.
I never figured they did much but what about carbon handlebars?Will they do anything positive besides cost you money?

I do not know about the Eastons. They sure are pretty though. Here is my experience with carbon seat posts. I thought my carbon USE Alien post offered some vibration damping on the junk chip asphault roads I often ride on. However, I felt the post was weak, always slipped, and the clamp offered little adjustment to the seat. So I put my Bontrager aluminum post back on and I am upgrading to a Thomson aluminum post. I have learned to want function and stiffness out of my seatpost as much or more than lightness. For comfort, consider upgrading the seat over the post.

I have heard that the carbon bars are flexible and they are also expensive. So, instead, I bought a Look carbon fiber handlebar stem to see if it would erase some of the road buzz. To me, it seems to make the ride more comfortable with less vibration, but yet the bars/steering remain stiff. I am not one to go through the hassle of riding one day with the carbon stem and another with the old bontrager to fully evaluate the stems side by side, but to me, I am happy with the carbon stem. It was also much less expensive than carbon handlbars.