[Closed] alternatives to thompson?

second hand thomson? can normally be had for about £40.

They are worth the investment, I'm a big bloke and mines fine - had it 9 years now.

there is no alternative, they are head and shoulders above the rest..

I am with ton it's worth the expense as you are unlikely to need to replace it, it will last.

fair enough just need to get a second hand one then

The toughest post I ever came across was the Titec Knock post but don't think you can get it anymore - maybe 2nd hand? Cheaper than Thomson but heavier.

chromag, but no layback and not sure if it comes in the right diameter for you.

I cried when I had to cut down my Thomson 😥

ill sell you my FSA sl250 which i replaced with a .........second hand thomson ....

merlin were doing 31.6 sized thomson posts at a good price recently, may still be

edit - http://merlincycles.co.uk/?fn=product&productId=1118&categoryId=55 not any more, it seems

they are not ... i missed them by "that much" as i wasnt sure what length i needed !

Had a controltech post that was ovalised inside like a thomson and was quite well machined.The logo was coming off though(it wasn't laser etched).Think the prices have gone up a bit now.

but really - how many folk snap seatposts?

Have a look at a Salsa shaft - 31.6mm with good lay back adjustment.

I switched from a Thomson because it didn't offer enough layback for me to the Salsa, been trouble free since the change (six months).

Raceface Prodigy has a bit of layback, but weighs a fair bit.
And a 31.6 seatpost is going to come with a fair amount of inherent strength due to its dia anyway.

My advice...Thomsno.
Worth every penny. Wouldnt have anything else under me or steering me.

So for the un-initiated what is the benefit of a Thomson seatpost (or stem for that matter). Is there a much bigger benefit of having one, does it make the bike handle differently? or is it just a much stronger post for the weight?

I keep looking at getting one but so far I think it's only because it says Thomson on it and a lot of people who seem in the know have them.

(Sorry for the hijack just seemed a good thread to ask)

JonBurns

So for the un-initiated what is the benefit of a Thomson seatpost (or stem for that matter). Is there a much bigger benefit of having one, does it make the bike handle differently? or is it just a much stronger post for the weight?

I keep looking at getting one but so far I think it's only because it says Thomson on it and a lot of people who seem in the know have them.

Having just recently bought my first Thompson stem (cant comment on the posts) I can confirm that it's very nicely made, light considering how strong it is and it's very stiff.

However it's not as stiff as a good DH stem, despite what some people would have you believe. I'm sure it's stiff and robust enough for dh having said that.

It's a very very nice product but I think in future I'll save some money and buy sunline. Similar build quality, look great, even lighter and just a stiff. Nice.

once you've cradled a Thomson X4 stem in your hand, you'll wonder why you need the other parts of a bike

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Thomson, obviously, but EA70 is also v. tough.

Being both heavy and tall (ie a lot of seatpost sticking out of the frame), I'm a reknown seatpost bender (that sounds a bit wrong...) and I reckon that I know what does and doesn't work.

Thomsons are definitely good though they're not indestructible (I've put a slight bend in one) and I don't actually think that they're significantly stronger than the Race Face XY (Discontinued but still available in the classifieds) or Syncros (original type) posts that are the only other posts I'll use (though again, I've managed to put slight bends in these too) in the smaller diameters (ie around 27.2).

As above though, wider seatpost diameters make a big difference to the likelyhood of bending - I've never bent a 31.6 seatpost even when running lots of it out of the frame.

Only upgrade from a Thomson for me is a Thomson Masterpiece

My take on Thompson -

II find the seatposts and stems a bit of a faff to put together (Expander wedges in stems? Dumb idea) compared to more basic designs. I find the seatpost a bit too stiff, resulting in a harsh ride and the stem faceplate marks easily. It's also not light by any means, and no stiffer then the £20 On-One stem or own brand Specialized stems on my other bikes

It is, however, very nicely made and supposedly (In their own words....) very strong. I still say the main reason most people buy it is for the designer name.

Why did I buy it? Because I wanted a nice matching shiny silver stem and post, and I couldn't find anything else that looked as good.
Vanity? Yes certainly, 100%.
Everyone else is trying to justify the vanity.... Just admit it....!
🙂

Nobody worked out that extruded seatposts are very low tech when compaired to one piece forged ones....

Goes to show thomson are making a mint out of old technology with a bit of marketing!

as crashes are fairly hard to reproduce exactly, i'd say which seatpost is stronger from experience. Only way would be a jig, a pile of seatposts and a load cell.

EA70 - bent
titec knock post - not bent
thompson - never had one, would probably buy one for looks if one came up reasnobly priced in a 26.8mm size.

tioga seatpin bent under normal riding to 45 degrees layback 😀

ea70 replacement good but too short for new bike ... and 27.2

FSA sl250 ....too heavy for new bike

thomson ...good weight and good strength