Carbon-Railed Seat for CX?

[BRad704]

Would you (or should I) leave my carbon-railed SWorks Toupe saddle on for CX racing?

I've stripped my roadbike to build up a new-to-me CX frame for the rest of this season (and likely all winter). But I'm wondering if I'm at risk of breaking the saddle rails with my less graceful remounts.

I do have a couple of stock MTB saddles I could put on if that's really the smarter play here.

[rheosibal]

Is it the newer or older model?

Older one, which was super weight weenie, cracked at the shell under a friend who was fairly light. Figured it was from years from abuse, but I assume the newer models are much more reinforced.

You should be fine, I wouldn't worry

[BRad704]

I think this is the older version, I picked it up already used here on PL last year.

[Gummee]

I ride a carbon frame and wheels racing CX, but that's pretty much it for carbon

2-bolt seatposts, AL bars, metal-railed saddles

Nothing broken in the last bunch of years (knocking on wood)

M

[John H.]

I wouldn't hesitate to use a carbon rail saddle, but I would suggest being particular about what seat post that you use.
Single bolt seat posts don't hold as well. Especially with repeated mounts and dismounts. One time you will come down hard on the saddle and the tilt will change.
A post with two bolts front and rear (Like a Thompson or similar) will be better than something like a single bolt Ritchey, Enve or Specialized.

[Gummee]

I wouldn't hesitate to use a carbon rail saddle, but I would suggest being particular about what seat post that you use.
Single bolt seat posts don't hold as well. Especially with repeated mounts and dismounts. One time you will come down hard on the saddle and the tilt will change.
A post with two bolts front and rear (Like a Thompson or similar) will be better than something like a single bolt Ritchey, Enve or Specialized.

I went thru a few seatposts before I figured that one out: Control Tech, Ritchey, Bontrager, etc

Now I run a Zipp 2-bolt post or similar post and haven't had a saddle tilting problem

M

[pdmtong]

I wouldn't hesitate to use a carbon rail saddle, but I would suggest being particular about what seat post that you use.
Single bolt seat posts don't hold as well. Especially with repeated mounts and dismounts. One time you will come down hard on the saddle and the tilt will change.
A post with two bolts front and rear (Like a Thompson or similar) will be better than something like a single bolt Ritchey, Enve or Specialized.

what john said...and practice your mounting technique

I was using a single bole side clamp post until I came don on the nose and now the tilt is complexity whacked and i can't catch on the group since I am distracted and not comfortable.

Switched to a thomson two bolt and bye bye worries.

I am neither smooth in my mounts nor able to make the podium so the extra weight o the thomson is a non-factor for me and a welcome trade-off to not have that tilt issue.

FWIW i was using arione cx carbon rail

[chiasticon]

you could do it but there's a decent chance you'll break it when you're cross-eyed and your remounts start to really suck. lots of cx pros don't even ride carbon saddles, for this very reason. you have to be perfect *every* time you remount. are you?

I'd swap it out until the off-season.

[hmai18]

Will echo what others have said; I run a two-bolt alloy post and a metal-railed saddle for CX. The marginal weight difference isn't worth worrying about what will happen when that one re-mount goes wrong.

[quickfeet]

I Shattered a pretty nice carbon railed saddle coming down on the nose too hard a couple of years ago.

[notsew]

I murdered a carbon-railed SLR with a $hit remount. I wouldn't do it again.

Buy a cheap cro-mo version and save the carbon for the road.