FSA K Force Lite

Price Paid:  $142.00 at SmartBike Parts

Favorite Ride:
Gimbel Ride

Bike Setup:
C'dale SysSix, DA, Ksyrium SL

Summary:
After 1 year of use, the post cracked (horizontally)midway between the frame and seat. My seat dropped 2-3 inches and i had to ride home standing. I'm 160lbs and never brake parts. I returned it to SmartBike who sent it to FSA, who took 3 weeks to replace w/o any explanation. Total time to replace 4 weeks. Matt in customer service at FSA was extremely rude and unprofessional. I will give the new seatpost a try and hopefully revise my review.

Strengths:
Set back, looks

Weaknesses:
cracked with reason, FSA's poor customer service

Similar Products Used:
USE,Ritchey

Price Paid:  $140.00 at chainreactioncycles.

Favorite Ride:
no cars

Bike Setup:
Trek Madone 5.9, Ultegra 10

Summary:
great seatpost if you need 32-35mm of setback. two-bolt saddle clamp allows for precise levelling of the saddle. However, choosing a much cheaper FSA SL220 aluminium post may be a better option for most. I have both and the ride quality seems the same.

Strengths:
big set-back and two-bolt post head allows correct angle of the saddle

Weaknesses:
no height graduation markers on post making precise saddle height adjustment fiddly. Does not do any better job than the cheaper FSA SL220 post except that it is carbon.

Similar Products Used:
FSA SL220 (same set-back as this post), Bontrager Race-X-Lite, Thomson Elite (setback and straight)

Price Paid:  $0.00

Bike Setup:
Seven Cycles Ti Axiom 54 cm, Dura-Ace/Ultegra gruppo, Specialized Alias saddle.

Summary:
Appears to be a strong seatpost, and setback of 32.5 mm is a good knee-saver

Strengths:
Beefy construction, reasonably stylish, great setback if you need a set-back post.

Weaknesses:
Fit/rider position: If your normal saddle height doesn't require very much - say only about 3 to 4 inches - of the seatpost to protrude above the top of your seat-tube(e.g. bikes with a horizontal top-tube rather than a sloping top-tube), check whether this post will actually insert down your seat-tube far enough to give you the correct saddle height. The problem is that the diameter flares out slightly towards the top right in the area where the FSA graphics are located (i.e. on the straight portion before the set-back curve begins). The result is that the increased diameter of the post at that area will probably not fit down your seat-tube.

This seatpost is relatively heavy:
225 g on the LBS scale, compared to 195 g for a Campy Chorus post.

The 2-bolt seat-rail clamping mechanism is even more fiddly (pain in the butt) to mount the saddle onto than the Thomson seatposts.

The shiny factory clear-coat on the bare carbon fibre weave looks great in the store, but it marrs, dulls, and scratches very easily. The one I bought (and returned the very next morning)was already dulled and marred with only two very careful and gentle attempts to insert it into the seat-tube.

Similar Products Used:
Campy, Trigon carbon (model #GSP115) Thomson Elite setback.

I just wish Campy made a seatpost with more setback than 25mm.

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Price Paid:  $150.00 at lbs

Favorite Ride:
Passo dello Stelvio

Bike Setup:
caad 8, campy record, campy neutron wheels, fsa stem, easton bars, etc, etc, etc

Summary:
ouch! it broke...it cracked at the clamp of the frame!!!
I've just noticed it, the seatback was the reason I got it.
it was on my second bike so I didn't ride that much either.
it looks cool, but it's expensive, and it breaks!!!
I've hade it for a bit over a year, and I know I'm not the lightest rider on the planet (200lb), but I've been riding a long time and had a whole bunch of different high end bikes and top level components, broke spokes, chewed wheels, but never ever had a problem with a seatpost...
went to the FSA website to see if there was any way the warranty would cover, and of course they say that their carbon seatposts are not covered just where the post meet the frame at the clamp.
there was never a weight restriction on the instructions, as my LBS reminds me.
nice job FSA!!!!

Strengths:
seat back and looks

Weaknesses:
it's freaking fragile! and FSA sucks!!!!!

Similar Products Used:
thompson seatback, colnago seatpost, pinarello seatpost, specialized pave'

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Price Paid:  $150.00 at gottaridebikes.com

Favorite Ride:
where the group takes me

Bike Setup:
Giant TCR, Zipp 404s, FSA carbon cockpit, Ultegra derailleurs, DA shifters, speedplay pedals.

Summary:
its seatpost. it works.

Strengths:
light, carbon, FSA is good

Weaknesses:
poor value

Similar Products Used:
Thompson