Cycling UK Forum

hi guys...

riding on an all alluminium Specialised sirrus...have previously thought of gradually turning it into a road bike...

lately ive had to replace a few components thro hard wear & tear

last thing to go was the seatpost! which im temporarily using my MTB in the meantime

but with a view to making the bike lighter...
is it worth buying a carbon seatpost in a move towards turning the bike into a racing bike??

the next move after that ... maybe a few years down the line would be carbon forks.... then change the handlebars to drops & change the gear system

has anyone had any probs with carbon with regards to strength? or wear & tear?

I've seen carbon seat posts snap. You have to be very careful when tightening them.

Having said that, I've snapped an alloy seat post. A carbon post is meant to give you a smoother ride by taking up some of the vibration, but it's not the first thing on a bike i'd upgrade. If you've broken your alloy post, then by all means get a carbon one, but I wouldn't bother otherwise.

I don't think a carbon seat post will make a huge difference but the choice is yours.

I've got 2 bikes, 1 with steel forks 1 with carbon, and the steel forks give a much more cushioned ride, you dont feel the bumps nearly as much. However I believe you can get some carbon forks with a built in damping effect.

it's definitely worth getting a carbon seat post. I have seen one go, but, then again, I've had an aluminium one go under me....

I don't think it's wise to change a bike designed for a flat bar into a drop bar bike simply because it will never handle like a racer. Another reason is that replacing bit by bit is way more expensive than buying a complete bike - why not have two?

You will get no performance gains from a carbon seatpost over a aluminium one. Big performance differences (assuming you already have the best tyres and use clipless pedals with very stiff shoes) come from having the right frame and wheels.

Investing in some good wheels is where taking weight off the bike will be felt the most.

I changed from an alloy post to a carbon one on my aluminium racer, not for any weight/performance effect, but to give a more cushioned ride and it does make a big difference. If you ever follow someone riding a carbon post, you can actually see it flex, esp if he's a bit heavier. ive been told mine also does this, and it was a very expensive component, so its not a case of flex = cheap.

I have a carbon post and it's not one of thoses alloy wrap a round ones on my MTB and also have a seat post rack complete with bag on it as well been like it for 6 years, maybe I'm just lucky

I don't know if you were referring to my comment pigman. If you were, I did say performance benefit because it sounds to me that is what Laurie is after. A flexy seatpost does not benefit the rider if their goal is speed and efficiency.