Carbon Seat Post

[Lifesgreat]

This probably ought to go under another topic, but I didn't see one for "non-saddle" discussions.

I have some Christmas money and am thinking about getting a carbon seat post. Are they really worth the money for comfort? I am not concerned about the weight issue, I have some extra pounds on me that I need to lose before worrying about bike weight ;)

[pkq]

Carbon seatposts and handlebars have been known to fail. I will not use either. My health is more important than anything else. Since weight isn't an issue, I would look for another seatpost.

[ladyjai]

I had a carbon seatpost that came with my bike, when i got a rear rack that attaches to the seatpost, i had to get an aluminum seatpost. i really can't say that I notice a difference.

[Nanci]

I have one that came with my bike, but it's my first road bike, so I don't have anything to compare it to. I _am_ going to try a different saddle soon, and will probably put that on an aluminum post just so I can switch the two around easily. If I notice a difference I will tell you.

I like the "cool" factor of carbon, though. And it's always fun to consider bike weight, even though it'd be cheaper to lose the weight ourselves.

That reminds me, I went on my first cycling club group ride a couple weeks ago. I have a Trek WSD 2100, aluminum with carbon seatpost, seatstays and fork. Some guy says "Your bike looks kind of heavy. Did you put those (skinny slick) tires on it, did it originally have wider tires?" I'm like- he's calling my bike FAT! And she's NOT!!! She's a not-inexpensive nice road bike!! Two weeks later, I'm still PO'd, can you tell?? Did he not notice her racing tires and carbon parts and Karbon Lite bottle cage??? :-) Man, just because I have a rack and trunk bag on her- he assumes she's not a fast thoroughbred!

What other things were you considering spending the money on besides the seatpost? Or what does anyone have to say about the shock-absorber seatposts? You see some people riding with those, but I don'tknow how well they work.

Road Bike Review and Mountain Bike Review are good paces to look at real people's reviews of bike components. MTBR gets more reviews on it.

Nanci

[Trek420]

Nanci wrote "Some guy says "Your bike looks kind of heavy. Did you put those (skinny slick) tires on it, did it originally have wider tires?" I'm like- he's calling my bike FAT! And she's NOT!!!"

I'd be tempted to say "thank you! And YOU look like an insensitive jerk :D Do you tell your wife/GF "you look kind of heavy today"? Oh right, you can't get a date because you say things like that to women. For future reference earth to biker dude this is not what we want to hear. :) ;) You might be more successful with something like this..."

I was at a bike shop (Summit, sorry Lorri) and kid-shop guy and assistant-manager-type-shop-guy swoop over from across the room oohing and ahing about my bike and as if I'm an invisible thing holding it pick up the bike and older shop guy starts spinning the wheels, tweaking spokes, talking as if I'm not there "I bet this costs about ___, weighs about ___, yep (picks it up) that's right..."

I winked at the kid and said "for future reference whether it's customers, or you like the bike ...or the gal...I'm up here. Ask ME if it's ok if you pick up my bike, ask ME about the bike. I know how much it weighs and costs and why it weighs and costs that"

Another day a guy chased me down (really!) leaving BART and demanded to know how much my bike costs.

This is why I stopped taking the Mondonico on BART BTW.

Anyway I told him that's not something I talk about. It's personal. He then started a whole line of "I guess you don't know much about bikes then..."

He looked like he doesn't either, ahem.

So standing in the BART entrance I loudly and publicly told him "Yes, I know what the bike costs, I know why it costs that, I can articulately and knowlegably discuss what it would cost with these wheels as opposed to another set, with these components as opposed to something else and exactly why I chose one over the other including weight, performance, gear ratios, rolling resistance right down to my choice of tire tubes but....I...want...to...go...home...NOW, not stand here educate you on bikes. If you want to learn about bikes that's great"

And then I told him where to go...don't worry TE gals it was the LBS in the area.

Whadya think TE gals? I think sometimes guys just don't know how to talk about technical bike geeky stuff with women. Other times they are just plain rude, but in defense to the guys I imagine like in Nanci's situation I bet two guys could just tell the other "your bike looks fat" and then sock the other in the arm and "no it's not" or ride his f'ing legs off but now here's this gal and they don't know what to do? So do we ride their f'ing legs off or what?

But back on topic, carbon seat post fail??!!! I've been thinking of one for my GT hardtail. More about this, how often do you need to replace them?

Trek-defending-the-guys-420