Carbon vs. Titanium Seatpost

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by mcowling
Greetings,

Looking at buying a new seatpost for my aluminum road frame (khs flite 700) to ease the shock and replace the cheap stock post shipped with the bike.

I'm considering a carbon post but have heard some horror stories about durability. I run a Titec Titanium post on my mtb and have had no problems so I am also considering Ti.

Any thoughts/recommendations on carbon vs. Ti ? And what posts would you recommend?

Thanks in advance!

You are wasting your money. Want to ease the shock, run a few less psi in the tires or get another frame.

Quoted post said:

you are wasting your money

Not so, I ride an alu Kenisis winter bike, and until recently it had a alu fork and seat post and cheapish saddle, I got a bargain ITM Millennium full carbon fork for just £69.95, and fitted a Selle Italia SL135 fitted to a USE Alien carbon post, (they sorta came free as I recently removed them from my Trek 5500 prior to selling it (refitting the ITM millennium post to match the other components on the bike).
This has transformed the ride of the Kenisis from a bike that I reluctantly ride in winter, to a bike that I now look forward to riding; a 4-hour ride is no longer a pain in the butt.
I also ride cheapish hard compound tyres with 110psi on this bike and have no problems at all.
I think as with all upgrades you get what you pay for, and sometimes if you cant afford quality Carbon or Ti you may be better off with quality Alu or cro-mo steel than cheap carbon and or Ti.

(As with every thing quality not quantity that what counts, its not how many posts you put up its what you say in them that counts)

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by mcowling
Greetings,

Looking at buying a new seatpost for my aluminum road frame (khs flite 700) to ease the shock and replace the cheap stock post shipped with the bike.

I'm considering a carbon post but have heard some horror stories about durability. I run a Titec Titanium post on my mtb and have had no problems so I am also considering Ti.

Any thoughts/recommendations on carbon vs. Ti ? And what posts would you recommend?

Thanks in advance!

Hi, mcowling. I've never found any definitive writings on the benefits of carbon over ti as a seatpost material. Carbon's certainly a more popular choice right now, but again, I don't think it necessarily offers weight savings or dampening properties over Ti -- and Ti is less likely to crack or fracture.

I'm riding a carbon post now and have a Ti post in the on-deck position for a new build. Should be an interesting comparison. I'll give both a try.

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by Madone
Not so, I ride an alu Kenisis winter bike, and until recently it had a alu fork and seat post and cheapish saddle, I got a bargain ITM Millennium full carbon fork for just £69.95, and fitted a Selle Italia SL135 fitted to a USE Alien carbon post, (they sorta came free as I recently removed them from my Trek 5500 prior to selling it (refitting the ITM millennium post to match the other components on the bike).

So what ! You changed the fork, saddle, AND post. So how do you separate the effect of the apples from the lemons in this senario?

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by mcowling
Greetings,

Looking at buying a new seatpost for my aluminum road frame (khs flite 700) to ease the shock and replace the cheap stock post shipped with the bike.

I'm considering a carbon post but have heard some horror stories about durability. I run a Titec Titanium post on my mtb and have had no problems so I am also considering Ti.

Any thoughts/recommendations on carbon vs. Ti ? And what posts would you recommend?

Thanks in advance!

There has literally been a flood of messages and threads concerning the "shock/vibration" dampening characteristics of various materials... Technical arguments on both sides have been solid and convincing... and the discussions end up distilling down to an agreement only over weight characteristics and cost.

I use an Easton EC carbon seatpost on my bike mainly for weight (yes, I'm a weight weenie 🙂 ) and despite all the arguments that could be levelled at me to the contrary, the ride feels noticeably smoother over the same patches of road where I had previously used the stock bontrager seatpost that came with my bike.

I realize that what I could be feeling in the seat of my pants (bike shorts) could very well be completely psychological, but that psychological difference allows me to ride longer with more "apparent" or "alleged" comfort. To me that's well worth 100 bucks given how long I plan to be cycling with this particular seatpost...

...and isn't cycling at least 50% psychological anyway? Maybe if people just said "I spent 100 bucks on this cool little psychological trick that shaves seconds off my interval times and keeps me in the saddle longer..." Maybe then it would be accepted with less fuss 🙂

Why deflate your tires and increase rolling resistance when you can pump your tires up more, reduce rolling resistance and enjoy at least the same level of ride quality with a new seatpost if not better?

Many will chime in saying "waste of money" or "save your money", but the simple truth is I had money to spend on purchasing my bike in the first place, and now have money to spend to improve on it... Now if I wanted to get one of those spoke powered noise generators that looks like a motorcycle exhaust pipe, THEN I would be more inclined to agree 🙂

Have a good one!

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by Feanor


Why deflate your tires and increase rolling resistance when you can pump your tires up more, reduce rolling resistance and enjoy at least the same level of ride quality with a new seatpost if not better?

You are kidding yourself it you think you can tell the difference in rolling resistance with 5 psi less pressure. But then, most of this stuff revolves around that senario.

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by Feanor
There has literally been a flood of messages and threads concerning the "shock/vibration" dampening characteristics of various materials... Technical arguments on both sides have been solid and convincing... and the discussions end up distilling down to an agreement only over weight characteristics and cost.

I use an Easton EC carbon seatpost on my bike mainly for weight (yes, I'm a weight weenie 🙂 ) and despite all the arguments that could be levelled at me to the contrary, the ride feels noticeably smoother over the same patches of road where I had previously used the stock bontrager seatpost that came with my bike.

I realize that what I could be feeling in the seat of my pants (bike shorts) could very well be completely psychological, but that psychological difference allows me to ride longer with more "apparent" or "alleged" comfort. To me that's well worth 100 bucks given how long I plan to be cycling with this particular seatpost...

...and isn't cycling at least 50% psychological anyway? Maybe if people just said "I spent 100 bucks on this cool little psychological trick that shaves seconds off my interval times and keeps me in the saddle longer..." Maybe then it would be accepted with less fuss 🙂

Why deflate your tires and increase rolling resistance when you can pump your tires up more, reduce rolling resistance and enjoy at least the same level of ride quality with a new seatpost if not better?

Many will chime in saying "waste of money" or "save your money", but the simple truth is I had money to spend on purchasing my bike in the first place, and now have money to spend to improve on it... Now if I wanted to get one of those spoke powered noise generators that looks like a motorcycle exhaust pipe, THEN I would be more inclined to agree 🙂

Have a good one!

Thanks for the information. The EC70 is the front runner on the carbon side.

Well put, Feanor. I agree. What's very clear is that a number of factors contribute to different bikes, setups, and components feeling different, at least; those factors indisputably include design, construction, and materials.

Whether "different" is necessarily a point of significance is personal and psychological; a steel frame is going to be a significant benefit to someone who appreciates the feel of steel. If that's your thing, you'll be more comfortable, happier, and an all-around jazzier cyclist.

Besides, mcowling isn't really asking for boudreax's opinion (does anyone ever?) about the tube-materials debate. His stipulation is that these materials behave differently, at least in terms of durability, and he'd like input concerning a comparison of carbon and Ti for seatpost construction.

The Easton is a good choice, I think. Solid, good reputation, and light. There are some good Ti choices too. The USE Alien Ti is one of the lightest seatposts in any material; the Campy Chorus Ti has a solid reputation as well and is fairly lightweight.

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by lokstah
Well put, Feanor. I agree. What's very clear is that a number of factors contribute to different bikes, setups, and components feeling different, at least; those factors indisputably include design, construction, and materials.

Whether "different" is necessarily a point of significance is personal and psychological; a steel frame is going to be a significant benefit to someone who appreciates the feel of steel. If that's your thing, you'll be more comfortable, happier, and an all-around jazzier cyclist.

Besides, mcowling isn't really asking for boudreax's opinion (does anyone ever?) about the tube-materials debate. His stipulation is that these materials behave differently, at least in terms of durability, and he'd like input concerning a comparison of carbon and Ti for seatpost construction.

The Easton is a good choice, I think. Solid, good reputation, and light. There are some good Ti choices too. The USE Alien Ti is one of the lightest seatposts in any material; the Campy Chorus Ti has a solid reputation as well and is fairly lightweight.

Well said. Thanks for the constructive feedback.

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by lokstah


Besides, mcowling isn't really asking for boudreax's opinion (does anyone ever?) about the tube-materials debate. His stipulation is that these materials behave differently, at least in terms of durability, and he'd like input concerning a comparison of carbon and Ti for seatpost construction.

Try rereading the original post with some comprehension directed at the first sentence.. As for the durability aspect,it's a no brainer,but since i don't get paid by the word.........

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by boudreaux
Try rereading the original post with some comprehension directed at the first sentence.. As for the durability aspect,it's a no brainer,but since i don't get paid by the word.........

With all this discussion of waste, you may consider wasting less time with CyclingForum members.

Why visit and revisit threads populated with such verbose, needlessly congenial lemmings?

Go on. Find happier, less annoying pastures. Ta ta.

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by lokstah
With all this discussion of waste, you may consider wasting less time with CyclingForum members.

Why visit and revisit threads populated with such verbose, needlessly congenial lemmings?

Go on. Find happier, less annoying pastures. Ta ta.

LOL It's a hoooey epidemic.Crummy job,but somebody gotta do it. Right about the lemmings tho....

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by boudreaux
LOL It's a hoooey epidemic.Crummy job,but somebody gotta do it.

You get paid by the word after all! I always suspected your presence here revolved around some need to bolster yourself by discrediting and berating cyclists with different opinions than yours -- by now, you've probably amassed quite a stack of self-congratulations in the war against the morons. Glad to hear your mercenary efforts don't go unpaid.

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by boudreaux
LOL It's a hoooey epidemic.Crummy job,but somebody gotta do it. Right about the lemmings tho....

Smells like Apple sauce!!! No make that Stinky Apple Sauce!!! LOL

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by tspinner
Smells like Apple sauce!!! No make that Stinky Apple Sauce!!! LOL

Applesauce..............Yuuuummmmmmmmmmmm! Make mine unsweetened with a bit of cinnamon.

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by lokstah
You get paid by the word after Glad to hear your mercenary efforts don't go unpaid.

Nope wrong again.It's all pro bono.

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by boudreaux
Nope wrong again.It's all pro bono.

You're paying yourself in pats on the back, and now applesauce, apparently.

Being a mean guy in a world of morons is super lucrative, if you're into self-congratulation and pureed fruit!

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by lokstah
You're paying yourself in pats on the back, and now applesauce, apparently.

Being a mean guy in a world of morons is super lucrative, if you're into self-congratulation and pureed fruit!

You assume too much and use too many big words. Remember,you used the M word.

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by boudreaux
You assume too much and use too many big words.

I'm a clairvoyant and a Scrabble champ.