[Closed] Thomson seat posts - why?

Becuase people like spending £60 on a metal tube?

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

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.

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..

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

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)

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

Because I can.

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.

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

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

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

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

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!

How do you all bend your seat posts?

From crashes or sitting down over bumpy ground?

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

😯

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.

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.

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.

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

because they are ribbed for extra pleasure?

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.

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.

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.

cause i wanted an inline seatpost.

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

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.

Cos they is like proper pimpy innit?

and they are 400+mm long.

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.

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

It goes well with the Thomson Stem.

"tangible benefits"

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

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

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

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.

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 🙂

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.

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.

Plus they come in, like, a gazillion different diameters 😉

They are internally ovalised so more material is placed in line with the main bending forces / less material is used where strength is not needed. The same as Ritchey seat post in around 1991 but for some reason no-one else seems to use the idea.

they are very prudy

i wish they made bars too, nice wiiiide ones.

"They are internally ovalised so more material is placed in line with the main bending forces / less material is used where strength is not needed. The same as Ritchey seat post in around 1991 but for some reason no-one else seems to use the idea"

The Marin OEM seatposts used to be internally ovalised, maybe they still are - Ovation I think they're called