Originally Posted by
himespau
I've been afraid of integral seat masts with proprietary parts for a long time, and threads like this increase that fear. Don't know if it's just because people for whom they work well don't post, or if it's a real problem that I should keep in mind the next time I'm in the market.
I have had no problems at all with my Trek seat mast. We haven't had any problems with my wife's Specialized proprietary seat post either.
The only thing I've ever heard about proprietary parts is that one day they might not be available. That's not unusual in today's world for many things. I have at least two items (that I can readily think of) in my house for which proprietary parts are no longer available because the manufacturer no longer supports them. They are much more valuable than any of our bikes.