It seems the general consensus is that the round things we roll along on are fine to be made from carbon from the far east....
But... anyone any experience with carbon seatposts at all??
They are available for circa £15, compared to £90 for the likes of Easton etc.
[url= http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/New-Carbon-350mm-Road-Mountain-Bike-Bicycle-Cycling-Seat-Post-27-2-30-8-31-6mm-/360802011706?pt=UK_sportsleisure_cycling_bikeparts_SR&var=&hash=item540179ca3a ]This[/url] for example... seems OK, or a butt-spiking deathtrap?!
DrP
I just broke a Hylix one... Not a carbon failure exactly, the alu head unbonded from the carbon post. It cracked the post though as it came off. Stuff like that, not too bothered, it was never likely to impale me as I rode and the exact same failure happens with alu. And it weighed nowt so not [i]too[/i] shocked it only lasted a year or so.
I have a few, 2 of them looking like the bontrager posts and one normal clamp,all less than 20£ delivered and.nothing has broke yet thankfully
Not a carbon failure exactly, the alu head unbonded from the carbon post. It cracked the post though as it came off.
Exactly the same thing happened to my old Easton one.
Well my £120 Easton EC90 cracked. The newer offset model looks a better design.
DrP, is it for the Tripster? I was looking at the Funn Hyperion Ti on CRC, but is Ti on Ti just a bit naff though?
Why would you bother with a carbon post that weighs the same as an aluminium one?
Ti from J&L for £40
People talk about China and its factories as one, homogeneous entity, but there is huge variation.
The major issue is quality control. Some factories have it, many do not. Many that do are often part owned or managed by non-Chinese firms.
One of the most difficult to control elements of QC out there are the staff, because their employment is by no means permanent and they are often effectively itinerant. The output from the same source, even where [i]their[/i] suppliers are not varying the quality of input materials, can vary. So it really isn't always possible to say "X supplier good, Y supplier bad".
Working as a mech engineer and having experienced sub-con from China, and also S.Korea, I, personally, would not want to gamble my own health with 'bargain' frames, forks, bars, wheels or seatposts.
gamble my own health with 'bargain' frames, forks, bars, wheels or seatposts.
So, as most carbon frames / bits are now made in the far east, does that mean you dont ride any carbon products?
Why would you bother with a carbon post that weighs the same as an aluminium one?
Comfort, Dez..
DrP
I bought one of the ones that look like Bontrager posts. I haven't fitted it but I did note that the inside of the tube isn't a uniform diameter - but not thicker fore-aft like some posts, it was sort of uneven at a strange diagonal - if you see what I mean. The bolt and fixings didn't look too strong either. Like I say, no idea how it will actually ride yet...
mashiehood - Member
gamble my own health with 'bargain' frames, forks, bars, wheels or seatposts.
So, as most carbon frames / bits are now made in the far east, does that mean you dont ride any carbon products?
Personally, no I don't ride carbon at all. Had a pair of downhill carbon bars of a very well known make snap clean through on me in the alps. There there's the numerous well-known makes having bearings turning in carbon mtb frames - you really don't need to look too far to find problems.
TBH, I think carbon frames from factories controlled by major 'names' will not fail in a life-threatening way, but I'm still dubious about their long-term suitability for no-pro riders who aren't having new frames thrown at them all the time for free.
It is not only carbon that I'd avoid from 'bargain', unknown Far Eastern sources.
Why would you bother with a carbon post that weighs the same as an aluminium one?
because
1) it doesnt its lighter
2) vibration absorption, which is why CF forks on road bikes are so common.
Ive got an £18 "bontrager" branded CF post via aliexpress, weighs something like 170grms uncut (think it is 400mm which is longer than I need on my road bike!), no slippage from the bonty style clamp which is a common criticism, looks good quality, nicely finished, and no anal bleeding yet.
I've been eyeing a few up on the Bay of eee, I'm not too sure how many are carbon with an aluminium head and how many are carbon wrapped Aluminium, and how much difference either option really makes to safety, comfort or weight...
Same goes for carbon drop bars/integrated bar & stems from China, there seem to be quite a few about that are pretty competitively priced when compared to the pukka "Brands"... in theory for less 2/3rds of what some "Pukka" brands would charge me for just a bar I could have a full set of
My own recent adventures with the black stuff have made me wonder how hard it actually is to make truly duff parts, I know there's lots of cautionary tales about "Chinese Carbon" or indeed just Carbon parts in general, but I'm sure much of that is down to the learning curve the whole industry has been going through over the last ~15 years or so...
If you want light and cheap then something like [url= http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/140g-31-6x350mm-SP02X-3k-gloss-carbon-Seat-Post-road-mtb-bike-Ti-bolt-Hardware-/141091626326?pt=UK_sportsleisure_cycling_bikeparts_SR&hash=item20d9b75d56 ]this 140g post[/url] is hard to beat. I have bought two from the seller danray168 and he's accepted £50 posted each time. Not £15 but a very nice, comfy and solid post and great value for the weight/ quality.