Viewing 40 posts - 1 through 40 (of 69 total)
  • Thomson seat posts – why?
  • geoffj
    Full Member

    They seem expensive for what they do. Why are they so popular?

    sofatester
    Free Member

    Becuase people like spending £60 on a metal tube?

    PeterPoddy
    Free Member

    Designer name, nice looks, well made. That’s about it.

    richc
    Free Member

    They don’t bend, and last pretty much forever. Personally I have bent/broken, numerous seatposts and the only ones that last are Thomson’s.

    Buy cheap, buy twice, in the long run it will save you money.

    tinsy
    Free Member

    They are lots of dosh, but the 2 other alloy posts ive had looked scruffy very fast, still functional but scruffy, The Thomson still looks new (ish) a couple of years on. Likewise stems, other alloy ones the finish just seems to tarnish my Thompson was 2nd hand and still looks new..

    poppa
    Free Member

    Buy less than half the price, buy twice, save money.

    IHN
    Full Member

    I spent 2 * £20 on cheaper posts, and they both bent, so I spent £35 on a Thompson one from the classifieds and its still straight. So, in my case, it was buy cheap, buy thrice.

    If you’re long in the leg and/or have a lot of post showing, theyre money well spent (esp. second hand)

    yossarian
    Free Member

    they are a good example of form & function hence their popularity

    Teetosugars
    Free Member

    Because I can.

    richc
    Free Member

    Just for balance though, they don’t have a lot of give so they will make your bike (if its a HT) feel a bit harsher.

    geoffj
    Full Member

    they are a good example of form & function hence their popularity

    Sounds reasonable – sort of the Mac of the bike finishing kit world 😉

    ton
    Full Member

    cos if you are a 20stone+ biffer like moi, they never ever bend or break.
    thay iz the nutz innit…

    trailmonkey
    Full Member

    Personally, I like the white cotton sleeve that they’re packaged in.

    thisisnotaspoon
    Free Member

    dunno, my titec one weighs the same as one, and has never bent, and cost £15

    beasts easton ones anyway, they bend at the fisrt sign of a rock!

    Rich
    Free Member

    How do you all bend your seat posts?

    From crashes or sitting down over bumpy ground?

    PeterPoddy
    Free Member

    Ton, I know someone who’s broken two, and he’s not as heavy as some….

    😯

    mboy
    Free Member

    Got a Thomson on 2 out of 3 of my bikes, and the other will probably soon have one too. No need to spend £60 on them when you can usually pick up an “as new” one for £35 to £40 from the classifieds on here or on ebay.

    Why a Thomson? Well cos nothing else comes close in terms of the fabled light/cheap/strong “pick two” mantra. Thomson’s ain’t the lightest (though they are pretty light), they ain’t the cheapest (though they’re a lot cheaper than some posts!), but they’re pretty well near the strongest. They’re also very well made, look good in an understated and un-showy way, and will outlast just about anything else on the bike. Anyone ever seen a bent one? I haven’t, and I’ve seen just about any other type of post, even ones claiming to be built for heavy duty use, end up bent!

    IMO they are one of those bits of kit that despite not being cheap, easily justifies their price tag. Though again, like I said, no need to buy brand new for RRP.

    B.A.Nana
    Free Member

    I had one and they are very good, as others have said strong and light, well made, stay looking nice etc. I recently bought a new frame and had to buy a new post for it, so bought a ‘going cheap’ Race Face evolve XC on the grounds that they are just simply seatposts, right?!! Well, the RF post is a load of crap by comparison, a waste of money. So I’m now looking for a Thomson post again.

    solamanda
    Free Member

    I’ve broken several posts in crashes or hard use, thomson is the only post that seems to last for me and isn’t that expensive once you’re looking above the ‘cheap’ posts that seem much more fragile. No one would ever accuse me as going for bling, especially on my cobbled together bikes. Purely for function only.

    scruff
    Free Member

    I wish thmothom made other bits like hangilbars and like cranks n’that.

    MrNutt
    Free Member

    because they are ribbed for extra pleasure?

    Rich
    Free Member

    scruff – Member

    I wish thmothom made other bits like hangilbars and like cranks n’that.

    Yeh and if they made stems dat wud rock man.

    cynic-al
    Free Member

    I’ve not broken other seatposts so I see no need for Thomson.

    What puts me off even more that the over-ratedness is the popularity – they are the BMW of seatposts IMO.

    theflatboy
    Free Member

    you say that from a position of never having owned one. i got one for my previous bike and hadn’t realised how flexy and shit every seatpost i’d ever owned had been up to that point.

    both my bikes now have them, and indeed my posh bike has a masterpiece.

    Olly
    Free Member

    cause i wanted an inline seatpost.

    steve_b77
    Free Member

    Are they that much better than say a Race Face Deus XC? (£27 incidently if you buy an ’08 one)

    jackthedog
    Free Member

    Thomson are just the definitive choice. Same with the stems, wouldn’t use anything else. Does the job, fit and forget, lasts for ever and doesn’t look flashy.

    Anyone ever seen a bent one?

    Apart from every layback post they’ve ever made which I think look bloody dreadful.

    binners
    Full Member

    Cos they is like proper pimpy innit?

    ton
    Full Member

    and they are 400+mm long.

    mossmaned
    Free Member

    Most of the benefits derived from expensive mtb kit (or any luxury item) are mostly intangible. Its the same as a the difference between a Timex watch and a Tag Heur watch -they both do the same thing (tell time and date) but the intangible benefits of a Tag Heur considerably add value. I think it would be highly unlikely, given the size of the mtb industry and the amount of seat posts available in a highly competitive market, that one could not find another branded seatpost with the same tangible benefits as a Thomson.

    dasnut
    Free Member

    far too much discussion for a seatpost

    if they did an adjustable one, that would be worth talking about.

    as they don’t its a stick to put a saddle on

    next

    fingerbike
    Free Member

    It goes well with the Thomson Stem.

    dasnut
    Free Member

    “tangible benefits”

    lol

    Jamie
    Free Member

    I like the stickers, the seat post is a bonus.

    theflatboy
    Free Member

    i find the benefits of rigidity and strength in something that supports most of my bodyweight a lot of the time fairly tangible.

    MrSalmon
    Free Member

    Mine annoys me a bit because of how tight I need to get the seat clamp to stop it slipping down.

    momo
    Full Member

    As has already been said, they’re strong and fairly light. Mine came with my s-works frame 9 years ago, still straight despite supporting my fat arse for 9 years!

    Oh and I’ve broken 2 seatposts and bent another one before the thomson.

    sheldona
    Free Member

    Because I’ve not broken one and believe me I break everything else 🙂 And they are cheap compared with other posts like Erikson (sp?)

    I guess its the same as why by a Bently over a Kia? you know the answer 🙂

    nickc
    Full Member

    Mostly because they last, and still look good. £60 may seem like an outlay, but I’ve a post from 2000, that’s still bright, hasn’t lost any anodizing, hasn’t got rusted bolts, and I can still get spares (as the design hasn’t needed updating).

    Seems expensive, but look at the price of posts on CRC, and actually all Thomson stuff is mid priced.

    clubber
    Free Member

    I’ve bent a Thomson!

    That said, I don’t think that there’s any brand that I’ve not managed that on and my Thomson (and Race Face XY and Syncros ones) has only bent a teeny amount – not even enough to stop it sliding down into the seat tube if I want. For £35-£40 second hand, that makes sense to me.

Viewing 40 posts - 1 through 40 (of 69 total)

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