[dr.mediocre]

Like the title says, I have been looking at the carbon seatposts and am considering buying one with/without inserts. I currently have an aluminum post on an aluminum frame with carbon forks. Since I can't really borrow one for an entire day w/o buying it, can anyone attest to the differences between the three? Any recommendations on brand?

Thanks!

 

[SleeveleSS]

I truly don't think you would be able to tell the difference if both were duct taped over when you tested them out. I had a carbon post, but switched to Al. I didn't do it for any comfort reason, and noticed no difference other than the more forward position the non-setback post offered me. Still have the Easton carbon sitting in a drawer. It is a nice post, and I wouldn't hesitate buying one if I needed another post, but I don't think it would be a noticeable upgrade either. Buy one used, and see if you really think it makes a difference. If it doesn't, at least you aren't out over a hundred bucks.

 

[jupiterrn]

Very subjective the "worth while" question is. I can only say really that my zero offset FSA carbon seat post is attached to my seat and to my seat tube and holds me up just fine. Does it make me faster? Nope. Is it more comfortable? Well, maybe. Does in make my bike look good? Darn Skippy. Is it worth the money? In the end I would like to think so. Just don't expect that it will make all vibrations or bumps in the road magically go away, they don't.

 

[ericm979]

The only difference I have noticed was with a Specialized Pave seat post. The way its designed it flexes a bit on hard hits. Other than that it's the same. Regular carbon seat posts? No difference from aluminum.

 

[dr.mediocre]

Thanks for the very objective opinions. That was what I was hoping to hear. I really like the look of carbon and had hoped that the difference would be dramatic. My frame is 7005 AL so I could probably use some dampening. One of the LBS guys around here was raving about the inserts on the Specialized fork and seat post but I didn't know if it would really make a difference. My MB has a full suspension with 4" of travel rear and almost 6" front so I don't feel a thing when I'm riding it .

I am soooo new to road biking that my entire adult experience on a road bike is limited to <20 miles. I still can't believe how much faster I can go on a road bike than I can on my mountain bike. Physics = amazing

 

[cdhbrad]

If you have only ridden your road bike less than 20 miles....... you likely are still dialing in the fit, etc. Just ride the bike a while and get a feel for how it responds. I've had Aluminum bikes with Alum posts and Alum frames with Carbon posts and I honestly can't tell any difference, certainly not enough to justify replacing the seatpost in a new bike. How you have the bike set up to fit you makes more difference in ride comfort than the material in the seatpost.

 

[rmsmith]

The main thing I look for in a seatpost is the two-bolt design, which allows a precision adjustment, and it holds the seat firmly without any rocking. Regarding dampening, are you mainly riding on chip-seal or asphalt?

 

[dr.mediocre]

yeah, I might be putting the cart in front of the horse here. I'll ride it a few hundred miles and get a feel for things before I start spending money. I'm sure I'll find something more deserving of an upgrade than a seatpost.

 

[f1oored]

You can pick up some carbon seatposts cheap on ebay. I have a specialized pave and I like it. Not a bad upgrade if you can grab it for less than 40-50 bucks. Looks cool and might improve the ride and lighten up the bike a little.

I have an extra pave I would let you borrow and try if you lived anywhere near columbus OH.

 

[cyclust]

I've used the Spec Pave seatpost and did not like it. The same flex that is supposed to soften the ride also robbed me of power. The seatpost would flex back and forth with each hard pedal stroke. Not only was it robbing power, but a bit unnerving to say the least. I feared that it was about to break, and just the thought of my boys being skewered on a broken carbon post was enough to make me take up golf.

 

[f1oored]

I have run that scenario in my head several times. My whole bike is carbon so there are other scenarios that also involve carbon fiber and vital organs. I haven't heard of any pave seatpost failing and I know many people ride them harder than I do. I also haven't felt the loss in power but thats just me and I've been on a pave for a while now so maybe I just don't realize what I'm missing.

 

[andulong]

If you are looking to improve the appearance of the bike a carbon post is good for that and maybe for shedding a few grams too. If you are trying to improve ride quality forget it and take a serious look at your tire pressures. Too high = harsh ride

just my $00.02

 

[Bill Silverman]

I made the mistake of buying a USE Alien carbon seatpost. Yeah, yeah, one of the lightest available on the market. The system for attaching it to the saddle rails and adjusting tilt absolutely sucks! I wish I'd bought a Campy carbon seatpost. So what if it's a couple grams heavier. Live and learn, I guess.

 

[MarvinK]

If you're looking for comfort, start looking at wider tires, lower pressures and different saddles. It's probably going to take more than 20 miles to decide on a seat, though!

 

[dr.mediocre]

Thanks for all of the great advice. It took me a while to get my mountain bike dialed in the way I liked it. I'm so comfortable riding it now that I can predict it's movements in corners, land a 3' drop softly and keep on pedaling. I know that this will eventually come with the road bike and I like the free ride comfort ideas much better than the $$$ comfort ideas. I have to be careful with tire pressure though, I'm a pretty big guy at 6'2" 225lbs (probably another reason to avoid carbon seat posts) so I'll need to keep the tires pretty high.

 

[MarvinK]

Wider tires at comparable pressures will be more comfortable... you might try some x25 or x28 tires.

 

[avatar78]

Thanks for all of the great advice. It took me a while to get my mountain bike dialed in the way I liked it. I'm so comfortable riding it now that I can predict it's movements in corners, land a 3' drop softly and keep on pedaling. I know that this will eventually come with the road bike and I like the free ride comfort ideas much better than the $$$ comfort ideas. I have to be careful with tire pressure though, I'm a pretty big guy at 6'2" 225lbs (probably another reason to avoid carbon seat posts) so I'll need to keep the tires pretty high.

DON'T do this on a road bike! :lol:

 

[OldRoadGuy]

Haven't ridden with it yet so no feedback there but
it's an FSA SL-K that I got new on Ebay for $38.
There's a bike shop that sells there take off's for
$37.77. It was cheap enough I thought I'd try it.

 

[dr.mediocre]

DON'T do this on a road bike! :lol:

Lol... that might be fugly