I agree - that's not snobbery, it's taking a lesson from a failure. Been there, done that!

I'm half-on/half-off the fence regarding CF. I've had a little experience with CF offerings from Selle Italia. Many folks here know they made a carbon-shelled version of the Flite called the Evolution, which interestingly enough went through at least three evolutions!

Less commonly known is the fact they also produced a seat post. It had a CF shaft to which a polished and anodized alloy head was epoxied; the post bolt was steel and threaded into a cylindrical steel bit which rested in a concave hollow in the center of the top rail clamp. The post was a beautiful, modern-looking example of Italian styling:



I bought one from Condor Cycles in London in 1994 and installed it on a lugged steel Gios Compact. Rode it for about a month until - just as with my initial Flite Evolution front rail anchor failure on the saddle over a year ago - I hit a good-sized bump while riding the nose (leather-covered Flite saddle). The sickening crack was like the report of a thing we're not supposed to talk about here. I pulled up immediately as my arse was off the back of the saddle - and nearly resting on the rear wheel!

What happened? Well, the rear of the seat lug came to a shallow point, and that point had concentrated the load directly to the CF shaft of the post, effectively emulating a can opener. Well over half the circumference of the shaft had been completely opened up, and the post and saddle was leaning drunkenly to the left. It was clear I wouldn't be able to finish my ride seated - as fortune had it, the failure occurred just 4 miles from home (vice the 15 miles I was obliged to ride when the Flite Evolution's forward rail anchor failed), and I arrived safely after standing on the pedals for the short duration of that eventful ride.

Now, this post would likely not have an issue if installed in a modern-ish seat tube with a separate clamping collar - steel, aluminum, or carbon. But a seat lug with points fore and aft and traditional binder bolt? Nope. I took it back to the shop where it was replaced under warranty, but I put the replacement aside and stored it away for more than a decade before selling it on Ebay for a tidy profit.

Now that I think about it, it's kinda funny that the two rides I had to finish standing on the pedals both involved CF items from the same company!

I still ride the Evolution. Why? Well, I fixed it - adding extra epoxy around the failed anchor, and IMHO making it better than new. It's still holding up over a year later, so I believe this is one CF component I can once again put my trust in.

DD