Aha!

I bought a carbon post from Burgtec thinking it would make the road bike more comfortable but it didnt, it seemed to transmit even more road buzz to my posterior.

In the end i went to 25c tyres (instead of the 23c i had been on) and bought an Alu post that splits about 3 inches from the top, this split seems to provide a barely visible but certainly noticeable amount of give and takes the edge of the harshness….did away with padded shorts too, i can happily ride for hours in comfort now.

I bought a carbon post from Burgtec thinking it would make the road bike more comfortable but it didnt, it seemed to transmit even more road buzz to my posterior.

Carbon isn’t nececeraly less stiff than aluminium, it can be, but it’s main advantages are better damping, so you can design it to bend a lot more without it springing back and causing more problems. Look a the tips of windsurfer masts (or modern dinghies) and how it interacts with the sail, it initialy bends away a lot, then comes back bringing the power with it, which is why carbon masts are such an advantage in gusty conditions. The aluminium masts just bend then spring back with no damping so the power’s very on/off.

That’s why Ti posts aren’t popular, if they’re made soft enough to deform over bumps they spring back with all that stored energy and on compact frames an feel like riding a 90’s FS bike bobbing. Carbon composites (and in particular the canyon and similar materials with bassalt fibers) have a lot of damping so the post bends, then dissipates that energy rather than returning it.

I know two of you had issues with Easton carbon but maybe(?) that was the older types? I love my Easton Havoc carbon bars- crashed loads on it.

how about the latest Easton EC90?

merlincycles has http://www.merlincycles.com/easton-ec90-zero-carbon-seatpost-47889.html?utm_campaign=googlebase-GB&utm_source=googlebase&utm_medium=shopping&utm_term=Road+Bike+Seatposts&ucpo=12979&gclid=CPmF2NP-jcECFQQIwwodZKgAwQ

Looks a good price? (and you can get USE 30.9-31.6 shims.

Can I just urge a note of caution.

A carbon/steel/Ti/Alu/whatever seatpost will have an effect to how your bike feels but unless it’s one that’s designed to really move significantly (eg the dogleg Spesh one or a thudbuster) then it’s only going to be a small difference unless you’re coming from a particularly rigid post (which your pig iron one may be).

A carbon seatpost with sufficient exposed length to allow a degree of forward/backward movement may well help but then the same is true of a long aluminium post with relatively thin walls and non OS diameter.

From memory, Roadie Hora(!) your road bike doesn’t have loads of exposed seatpost which means that any change based on material alone isn’t going to be that significant though no doubt you may convince yourself otherwise 🙂

FWIW, if you really can’t get used to it (because new roadies often complain about how bumpy it is until they get used to it), fatter tyres and lower pressures would likely be a much better solution. Or failing that try different saddles – some have more, effective padding than others.

Ah- currently have 165mm showing of seatpost.

(The post itself is 400mm long)

http://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/SPPXSL3DFA/planet-x-light-alloy-seatpost

I found the perfect saddle for me (forget its there interms of comfort)- its a 155mm Specialized Phenom – although at only two weeks old its fraying/ripping 😯 but I’m speaking to the LBS about that.

hora – Member
I know two of you had issues with Easton carbon but maybe(?) that was the older types? I love my Easton Havoc carbon bars- crashed loads on it.

You have a point there, my Easton post (which broke) was on a bike about 6 years ago. I’ll give you that.

I use 3T now, have done for some time, current 27.5mm if that helps you.
I would drop down to a smaller Dia and shim it. You won’t eliminate the thuds, you may dampen down the buzz a lot though.

Next thing is, use your legs for damping. Stupid thing to say because I should expect you are doing this already. But, but look at the road surface you are on, scout for hard bumps and potholes etc. then anticipate the “thud” by taking the weight on your legs and off yer arse, then relax once passed and hack on again.. annnnnd repeat.

Sort of(?)- I ‘hover’ over the saddle and also tend to raise the front wheel too if I know I can’t skip round due to cars behind.

Will look at the ti/27.2 route. With all due respect why the **** would you pay £120+ for a non-dropper seatpost? Madness. Made for peanuts sold for ££.

See this test. I hope you find a Ritchy WCS Carbon Straight at a bargain price.

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

Isn’t the Phenom an mtb saddle? Not that it matters I suppose if it works for you. I don’t think it’s the most padded saddle either.

So how long until the “Comfy cheap road saddle?” thread?

Its a more padded version of the Toupe. Yes meant for XC MTB but it means its also more padded (comfy) but not full on MTB levels of padding. I really like it. Its also correctly spaced for my sitbones and has ti rails.

I found the perfect saddle for me (forget its there interms of comfort)- its a 155mm Specialized Phenom – although at only two weeks old its fraying/ripping but I’m speaking to the LBS about that.

There’s definately a gel version of the phenom, if not already try that.

I find Phenom’s great (on road or mtb – they are supposedly an mtb saddle though) but they’re not particularly well padded. FWIW, I find it find on mtbs too but them I don’t mind fairly hard saddles.

@adsh, appears to be a good test worth reading but results work other way round, FSA K-force comes out best and WCS does not.

wrt saddles, more padding defo does not necessarily mean more comfort.

@adsh, appears to be a good test worth reading but results work other way round, FSA K-force comes out best and WCS does not.

I refer you to the OPs response to my giving him the benefit of my experience:-

With all due respect why the **** would you pay £120+ for a non-dropper seatpost? Madness.

I continue to wish him the WCS.

Gotcha 🙂

£120 is a serious amount of ££. I’d pay £70 but its a step too far.

I guess I’m not the sort of person who’d buy £500+ wheels either though 😀

I’ve got a question here- those customers are 100% off scot-free and none of the debts have been sold on?

I’d agree if I was recomending him the 200mm wide behemoths that grace the bikes at the gym, but IMO the trade off between a standard and a gel version of the same model is looks and weight (even the selle italia gel models aren’t exactly sleek looking and lightweight). And it’s not foam padding, its usualy polyurethane or similar, so it absorbs the weight/impacts and rebounds slowly, rather than bouncing (or not deforming enough like a stiff foam would).

TINAS, have you been on that wonga thread by any chance?

TINAS, have you been on that wonga thread by any chance?

Yes, but the padding from those puppets isn’t going be very comfy (I have no idea what point you’re making)

May want to review your previous post 🙂

Fair point!!! Meant to quote this.

wrt saddles, more padding defo does not necessarily mean more comfort.

SEAT HEIGHT – HOW HARD CAN IT BE?

ADDENDUM TO: SEAT HEIGHT – HOW HARD CAN IT BE?