Is a seat post a seat post?
 

I have a Ritchey WCS Comp set back at the moment. I want to ditch that for a non-setback.

Carbon is not for me. Aluminum is all over the board as far as price, but I want to keep the weight low. My current seat post is approximately 258 grams. I am looking at a Woodman EL which is around 150 grams and costs about a dollar a gram.

I guess I figure that if I am replacing something I should replace it with something that will weigh less because longevity for a seat post is mute.

Should I just get a cheap seat post and suck up the additional weight for the cheaper price or should I just replace the dang thing with what I want and forget the cost?

The other thing that I am weighing is that if I get a different bike I can swap parts for parts.

For commuting? As long as it fits and you like the look, don't worry about it. It's not like you're in the velodrome.

Also, what do you mean by "longevity for a seat post is mute"? (I think you mean "moot", not "mute", but that's not what I'm asking about).

Whats wrong with carbon?

On a commuter Id take a carbon or steel post over a aluminum one any day.

Sometimes a seatpost is just a seatpost, sometimes it is an air pump.

Mute - unrecognized and or undiscovered.

Moot would work, but I was going for the above.

Carbon seatpost on a steel frame nope. Carbon just adds added expense where aluminum can do the same job with similar weight for less.

I like the pump idea. Except you would have to reset the post after you removed it.

Why steel over AL?

I'm guessing steel would be more forgiving than aluminum..

Due to the need for stiffness, fatigue and toughness shouldn't be major concerns with an aluminum seat post.

Not really a big deal, I use a strip of tape to mark my set point. I have also heard of folks using a reflector clamp for the same purpose.

Fizik Cyrano. They are AL, but very light. I've gone to them on all my bikes, even my CF road bike. I didn't have good luck with CF seat posts. They tend to slip unless you use that goop. AL, no problem. The Cyranos are the easiest to adjust fore and after and tilt of any seat post I've seen.

J.

These, they're simply the best.

http://www.lhthomson.com/

What Kojak said.

http://bikethomson.com/

My answer is that if it fits you, meaning gives you the position you desire, its a fine seatpost. Now I want to nitpick because this is the internet! ;)

Where did you get your definition of mute?

m-w.com

1mute adj \ˈmyüt\
mut·ermut·est
Definition of MUTE

1
: unable to speak : lacking the power of speech
2
: characterized by absence of speech: as
a : felt or experienced but not expressed <touched her hand in mute sympathy>
b : refusing to plead directly or stand trial <the prisoner stands mute>
3
: remaining silent, undiscovered, or unrecognized
4
a : contributing nothing to the pronunciation of a word <the b in plumb is mute>
b : contributing to the pronunciation of a word but not representing the nucleus of a syllable <the e in mate is mute>

How many dictionaries are there in the world??

I do not mind the nitpick.

I thought I'd contribute this:

moot |mo͞ot| adjective
subject to debate, dispute, or uncertainty, and typically not admitting of a final decision:
verb (usu. be mooted)
raise (a question or topic) for discussion; suggest (an idea or possibility):
noun
1 Brit. an assembly held for debate, esp. in Anglo-Saxon and medieval times.
2 Law a mock trial set up to examine a hypothetical case as an academic exercise.
usage: Note that a question subject to debate or dispute is a moot point, not a mute point. As moot is a relatively uncommon word, people sometimes mistakenly interpret it as the more familar word mute .

So, the proper usage would have been "moot" except for the fact that I think you meant that reliability was NOT debatable as opposed to debatable (hence "moot"). You probably wanted to say:

Material aside, some seat post designs really suck as far as setting and maintaining your saddle angle, fore/aft adjustments.

+1

All my bikes--and my one behind--demand them.

Actually I meant what I said:
I guess I figure that if I am replacing something I should replace it with something that will weigh less because longevity for a seat post is mute.
as in:
I guess I figure that if I am replacing something I should replace it with something that will weigh less because longevity for a seat post is undiscovered/unrecognized/silent.

ergo - No one really knows how long an AL/Steel/TI seatpost will last. Which is why longevity is undiscovered/unrecognized/silent.

I agree that either word could be used and one may be more appropriate than another.

Back to the OP:
Thompson Masterpiece: 158g for $150
Fizik Cyrano: 221g for $125
Woodman: 144g for $135

Seems like all things being equal the Woodman wins out. I like the Fizik because I can turn it around for a TT position, but I do not TT or see myself TTing. The Thompson is nice, but the Woodman is both cheaper and lighter and both are AL. Granted the Woodman uses a carbon cradle and Thompson does not.

Food for thought I guess.

I have a legal background and in my field moot and mute are common words.

I was just yanking your chain on this. My grammar usage often sucks.

Holy cash! My last seatpost was like $25. Maybe I just haven't learned to develop the fine art of seatpost appreciation. Is it ease of adjustment or weight savings that drives these prices?

Cereal, it's OK to admit you misused a word. People do it all the time. :)

There is no simply the best, to say one brand is better then any other is just pure ignorance. Any top manufacture brand is good. I've never in over 40 years of riding had a seat post fail, and I have a lot of different brands, and I still have quite a few that are over 25 years old and still going strong. Just buy a seat post on looks and setback or time trial use if needed. The saddle rails determine how much forward and rearward distance you can move the saddle, not the seat post. And weight of a seat post is not a big deal unless you buy a cheap Walmart all steel unit; so don't buy a seat post because it's the lightest, also consider if the post is the lightest and most expensive it may not last as long due to using lightweight components that are subject to failure due to stress, so personally I would stay away from those. But any seat post in the middle price range will be more then adequate for anyone even Clydesdales!

Weight, material, and name brand. Woodman is a UK brand and probably has less of a market share than Thompson. Thompson probably has a better name recognition and more market share. The can charge more.

@lostarchitect - 1mis·use verb \-ˈyüz\
Definition of MISUSE

transitive verb
1
: to use incorrectly : misapply <misused his talents>
2
: abuse, mistreat <misused his servants>

I may have abused the sentence, but I did not use the word incorrectly. :)

No kidding... could never see myself dropping that kind of money on a seat post.

A quality seat posts can be purchased for far less money and even the most economical ones tend to be tough enough for normal purposes although they are also heavier... which means you are getting more grams for your money.

You'd be guessing wrong. Since a seatpost is a short length of material with a small diameter, aluminum is going to be less stiff than steel. Aluminum has a lower modulus of elasticity (springiness) than steel. It's only when you increase the diameter of an aluminum tube do you start to get stiffness. If you increased the diameter of a steel tube, the stiffness would increase too. In fact, if a steel frame used the same diameter tubes as an aluminum bike, steel wouldn't feel as cushy.

Where the Cyrano really shines is in it's adjustability. The angle and fore/aft are completely independent adjustments.

Also, from the last time I looked at seat posts, make sure you are looking at the same length post - they are often all over the map. If you are worried about weights, that matters to make sure you are comparing apples to apples. If you are *really* worried about weight, you can buy the longest one and figure out the max height line and transfer it after you cut off the excess. WHen I wen through that last year, I was really quite surprised how there was such a small difference in weight between them.

J.

Do not rule out Nitto if you want a beautifully finished, quality made seat post and are willing to spend $70.00 plus...