Road Cycling - is a carbon post worth it?

Just got my new frame :D now I gotta build it up. I''m trying to decide if I really need a carbon seatpost. This is a standard geometry frame, so not too much of the post is going to exposed, will carbon still be worth while or can I get away with aluminum?

They look nice.Carbon is the in thing on bikes.Does it do anything vs the money it costs,no.

It is pretty much splitting hairs for weight so I would not say it is actually worht the expense.

But for the record my hotrod does have one. Call me anal;)

how much exposed post is needed to make a difference? I have about 19cm exposed on my frame. would I notice a difference with a carbon post?

Pinky - if your not a pro you can get by with Aluminum. I can say with almost complete confidence that you will not be any faster with a carbon seatpost.

Carbon posts are a waste of money IMO. The can be fragile and finicky. I had a Campy Record carbon post crack when torqued to specifications and from what I hear, I'm not the only one. Anyone who tells you they can "feel" a difference is fooling themselves.

I now will only spend my money on Thomson posts and run them on all my bikes.

Not to talk about the horror stories about the post "welding" into the AL seat frame.
Definitely a waste of money from a practical point of view. But if you have the dough and don't care get it, it'll look sexy especially if you're has carbon forks and carbon seat stay.
Corsaire

the new pave seatpost by specialized, on the other hand, is supposed to make a noticeable difference in ride comfort

I have been using an Easton cf seatpost for about 2 years now. I have had it on 2 bikes, both are very stiff aluminum (Cannondale CAAD3 and a Cinelli Starlight). The seatpost along with carbon forks have made long rides possible. They dampen the road shocks and I am able to stay in the saddle for longer periods of time. As a test, I swapped an aluminum post in for a month and the difference was quite noticeable. I have just switched to a steel frame and have a cf fork and seatpost, what a smooth ride that combination gives me. As you can tell, I am a believer in the power of carbon fiber and its dampening effects.
My suggestion is to find a seatpost that other people have tried and have found reliable. Then, you will have more comfort and stay on the bike for more miles.

Thomson posts are the shiznit. Adjustable to the nth degree, bombproof, only slightly heavier than a reliable carbon post. I couldn't justify a carbon post on my compact frame, and certainly wouldn't look at one on a regular frame. Take the money saved and put it somewhere else on the bike.

I now will only spend my money on Thomson posts and run them on all my bikes.



Thomson posts are the shiznit. Adjustable to the nth degree, bombproof, only slightly heavier than a reliable carbon post.

Well, speak for yourselves....I have a broken P.O.S. Thompson post sitting in my 'spare parts bin'.....

My new Easton is very sweet....no regrets about dropping the coin...

I have a carbon post on my TCR and it does actually make the ride more comfortable. I was sceptical as first but after a year I am convinced it is more comfortable than an aluminium post. Some clown that I ride with put a 4km section of dirt in one of our races recently and the ride was a lot smoother than my other carbon bike with an aluminium post. Carbon is great for the bumps. I don't care how much it cost, that's why I work.

CHEERS.

Mark

it was said here before... carbon seatposts will offer a more significant difference in ride comfort on compact geometry, since more post is sticking out of the frame

Help me guys, I'm confused. Lets say that maybe on a compact frame where the seat post is at least a foot out of the seat tube then maybe-just maybe there might be very small riding difference between CF and AL. BUT assume you have a standard bike where the seat post is only about 4-6 inches out of the seat tube? I cannot imagine that if your seating directly on the end of a tube how you could tell any difference in ride quality since that tube is not flexing and it's too short to even have time to dampen vibrations. I personally think it's the old story of the king and his new clothes!

Help me guys, I'm confused. Lets say that maybe on a compact frame where the seat post is at least a foot out of the seat tube then maybe-just maybe there might be very small riding difference between CF and AL. BUT assume you have a standard bike where the seat post is only about 4-6 inches out of the seat tube? I cannot imagine that if your seating directly on the end of a tube how you could tell any difference in ride quality since that tube is not flexing and it's too short to even have time to dampen vibrations. I personally think it's the old story of the king and his new clothes!
Well all that buzz is coming right up your seattube.Thats wat i dont think carbon stays do much.A carbon seat tube,now that would help,hell might as well go all carbon.

miamijim, everybody has bad experiences with something. There's not a product in the world that has worked for everyone that's used it. That said, you're definately in the minority. Sorry it busted on you, but that doesn't mean it's not a great product.

i think that proper tube inflation (for your body weight) and tire selection can overcome most 'bumps in the road' better for the $$ than a CF seatpost.
i've heard slipping issues that involves fitting in most frames and collars. cannot confirm issues with newer seatposts though.

keep buying the high zoot stuff...it eventually brings the price down for the rest of us. (not meant to be snide...i'm serious, i love bikers who tries everything in sight) --> i'm trying to get the most for the least amt of money. color me frugile.

CF post wont slip if you degrease good.

Well all that buzz is coming right up your seattube.Thats wat i dont think carbon stays do much.A carbon seat tube,now that would help,hell might as well go all carbon.

I agree with you Shokhead!! Why in the world would a person have part CF and part something else? If you want the comfort of CF then go all CF; a CF seatpost isn't going to anything for you. So knowing that, why spend a small fortune on a CF seat post for a bike that is not made of CF? Weight? for crying out loud Campy Chorus TI seat post is just as light as most CF post for at least half the price. It reminds me of folk out spending $95 for a CF water bottle holder just so they can save 5 grams of weight over a $25 seat post-it all seems crazy to me. BUT hey, if you got the bucks then what the heck.

Is a carbon seatpost worth it?

No.

Edit: My message was too short so I have to lengthen it, but in all reality, that's all that needs to be said on the subject.

No.

Edit: My message was too short so I have to lengthen it, but in all reality, that's all that needs to be said on the subject.
But they look nice.What the hell,get one,a stem to.

But they look nice.What the hell,get one,a stem to.

For sure! Throw in some nice carbon wheels aswell.

But they aren't worth it ;)

i have a steel bike with a carbon front fork and carbon seat stays

i also have a decent saddle

it is a very comfortable ride

the addition of a campy record carbon post makes it an even nicer ride

cant quantify how much better or give you a cost/benefit ratio


but my derrier is happier :rolleyes: ..... so i can ride longer :)


decent chamois helps too

I'd love to do a double blind test on carbon posts. That would be damn interesting.

I might try and organise something on a future training ride with a few guys.

Maybe I should change my name to Carbon Fanboy. With a carbon bike, carbon seatpost, carbon stem, carbon railed seat, and carbon soled shoes, I just love the stuff. Now I just need some carbon cranks and I'll be all carbonized.:D

CHEERS.

Mark

Maybe I should change my name to Carbon Fanboy. With a carbon bike, carbon seatpost, carbon stem, carbon railed seat, and carbon soled shoes, I just love the stuff. Now I just need some carbon cranks and I'll be all carbonized.:D

CHEERS.

Mark

Just think, 1000 years from now you and your array of cycling junk could be the key to piece together our ancient society.

Maybe I should change my name to Carbon Fanboy. With a carbon bike, carbon seatpost, carbon stem, carbon railed seat, and carbon soled shoes, I just love the stuff. Now I just need some carbon cranks and I'll be all carbonized.:D

CHEERS.

Mark
What about carbon bars ? I would think that they would help with road buzz as the weight is on the horizontal plane & the further apart your hands are the better the damping effect would become, in theory anyway .A carbon seatpost on a conventunal frame I dont think would make a marked differance, on the other hand one of those frames with the carbon seatstays sounds promising !!!but far too pricey for me though :rolleyes:

the price argument won't stand up for much longer.

looking at performance right now, new thomson posts are $80-90.

i just bought an easton ec70 carbon post (on ebay granted, but from a dealer, new in box with warranty) for $58.

I personally have no experience with carbon seatposts----only my carbon fork (Kestrel, and yes, it rides nice and comfy).

But I'm curious, do you users who like the ride of your carbon posts (posts only; carbon frame riders keep yer traps shut ;) ) think that the benefit is from bump absorption or from a reduction in road buzz?

The reason I ask is because carbon composites have a different vibrational frequncy than aluminum and steel. Maybe the carbon posts are "less in tune" with the frequency of standard road buzz, thereby transfering less of it to your butt.

Or do you also feel that it is taking the edge off of a big hit (e.g. a pothole), too?

Now the above is just speculation based on the properties of the different materials, so perhaps those with very little exposed posts have fresher behinds from less road buzz so that the big bumps don't matter as much...

Thoughts?

Carbon just looks cool.If it helps,thats extra.Anybode see the carbon brake calipers in the bicycling mag?I need those.

leader??? is that a website?

Depends on frame, I have a carbon post in a carbon frame becuase the aluminum post I had in my last carbon frame oxidized and froze inside the seat collar, which ended up breaking off...totaled the frame...

No : I´ve seen too many broken carbon posts from overtightening but never seen it happen with an alloy post , plus if you fall off you can ride with a bent post but not a busted carbon .
ps have you seen the damage a broken carbon post can do to your butt if it breaks while riding ? ( see the tour , this year I think , Credit Agricole riding Look )