I too went the Chinese route. The aluminum post on my vintage bike developed a crack. Couldn't find a direct replacement (nothing special or exotic, just looking for sonething close to keep the vintage look) even at the co-op or junk drawers in the LBS's. Only thing I've noticed is the new has zero setback unlke the slight setback on the old post. A little more comfortable given the different seat position. Other than that, nothing noticeable. On my MTB though, I did notice a little damping over the aluminum post it replaced (Chinese as well though a little higher quality than the road bike.) That might be an apples/apricots comparison though since the MTB will jarr a lot more than the roadie.