Carbon Seat posts...any experience..worth the price??

[Tommasini53]

I'm looking for a zero setback seat post. The Thomson aluminum always seems like a great deal. Is going the carbon route worth the extra $$$.

[quehill]

Nope, not unless you need/want something with some flex engineered in (Niner does one of those, as does Syntace).

Cheers

[oldpotatoe]

I'm looking for a zero setback seat post. The Thomson aluminum always seems like a great deal. Is going the carbon route worth the extra $$$.

No, IMHO. Lighter is all. And the Thompson one isn't 'heavy'.

[OtayBW]

I've used Easton EC-70, EC-90 and Syntace P6 zero offset posts. No problems at all. Thompson SPs can set you back the same or more as some carbon posts. I don't know that I've ever noticed (or paid attention) to differences in ride quality between alloy and carbon. YMMV....

[adhumston]

I've never noticed a difference in ride quality between carbon and alloy seat posts. Now I can tell a comfort advantage when using carbon railed saddles vs alloy/ti railed saddles.

[bart998]

I only use a carbon post in a carbon frame. I really like the Answer post I bought recently... though it has a set-back.

http://www.answerproducts.com/components/seat-posts/carbon-sl-seat-post/

[djg21]

I'm looking for a zero setback seat post. The Thomson aluminum always seems like a great deal. Is going the carbon route worth the extra $$$.

No. Thomsons are great.

[pinoymamba]

3T on my track bike has held up. though it's been chewed up by the old school clamping mechanism. it dropped a few mm during a race so i used some hairspray and it's been fine since. i want to switch it out for a thomson but thomson doesn't make a 140 31.8 :mad:

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7286/8742892345_302729f380_z_d.jpg
https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2900/14244690133_0239c80b97_z_d.jpg

if it's worth it that's totally up to you.

[R3awak3n]

I really really like my Enve seat post (v1 which apparently slipped on some people, I have had no problems and I am a heavy dude). Is it more confortable than a thomson? I like to think so but it could be in my head, I really liked my thomson masterpiece.

[ultraman6970]

That anchor has been in my list top 10 since forever, my problem?? I dont ride track since 30 years ago :D No track close either :(

[Cicli]

My experience has been alloy or carbon are both fine. Of all the issues I have ever had were with the clamping and adjustment. That said, the most reliable for me has always been Thomson. I had a nice 3T but it came loose a couple of times. My Thomsons never have. I will stick with them.

[pdmtong]

I'm looking for a zero setback seat post. The Thomson aluminum always seems like a great deal. Is going the carbon route worth the extra $$$.

any comfort claims for carbon over aluminum are lost on me. that said, there is typically a weight advantage that while small, would be a contributor towards an overall weight savings effort (20-40g in 10 places is half to a full pound)

I would focus on your aesthetic and clamp preference if you are not set on fiber vs. metal

[93legendti]

http://velonews.competitor.com/2012/12/training-center/technology/from-the-pages-of-velo-getting-the-most-from-your-post_267560/3

[rnhood]

I have both Thompson posts (set-back and zero set-back). as well as an FSA and Specialized Pave post. Both carbon posts seem slightly more comfortable - to me anyway - and I'm sure its due to flex. The Thompson on the other hand, allows installing a clamp type seat post rack on my carbon bike. I would not want to put additional weight hanging off the carbon posts. On the Thompson though, it works great for credit card touring on the road bike.

[weisan]

nope.

[uber]

Are carbon seat posts worth the price? If you love one and can afford it, you must get it. I can't tell the difference in ride quality between a carbon or aluminum seat post. And yet, I have two bikes with carbon posts. Enjoy.

[dana_e]

American Classic, is a tad more comfy, I also have a Time carbon post as part of my Time module, I think it is more comfy, I am more into infinite adjust than weight or material

[zap]

I'm looking for a zero setback seat post. The Thomson aluminum always seems like a great deal. Is going the carbon route worth the extra $$$.

If you are looking at top tier carbon composite seatposts that are light (not all carbon posts are light) and strong in order to save weight, sure.

Especially if you are able to sit on a quality composite saddle with zero padding (easy with today's diaper shorts)..........the lightness of swishing back and forth when cranking out of the saddle is noticeable.

[milkbaby]

http://velonews.competitor.com/2012/12/training-center/technology/from-the-pages-of-velo-getting-the-most-from-your-post_267560/3
That's a cool chart. Looks like setback posts provide more comfort over zero setback posts.

[ultraman6970]

I have harmonics problems with some carbon seatposts specially the super light ones. Probably for a 140 to 180 pounds guy is not an issue but when you are like 220 and like to spin a lot harmonics catch up with the saddle and you get a funny feeling.

The only seatpost that actually worked fine is a colnago one, but the thing is darn heavy compared with anything in that tests, specially the one that won the tests, I had that one and I sold it just because of harmonics.

[mattsbeers]

Did I stumble on a thread from 2003? What's next, "are carbon forks safe to ride?" Anything lighter than a Thomson will have depreciating returns on reliability and no, you will not notice any difference in the ride quality.