Seatposts aren't the most interesting or exciting components on a road bike, but if you're in pursuit of some weight saving, increased comfort or just an extra bit of bling, going carbon is a popular choice. The Reilly Cycleworks Vector Carbon Fibre Seatpost isn't insanely expensive, works nicely and might just save a bit of weight.
- Pros: Nice finish, light carbon, easy to adjust
- Cons: No setback option
As the name suggests, the post is made from carbon fibre, with a carbon fibre cradle and titanium retaining bolts. It's all very well finished and looks a premium product. It looked great on every bike I tested it on, from sleek carbon road bikes to rough and tumble adventure bikes.
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At 160g (for the 31.6mm – there's a 27.2mm option too), the carbon post saves a fair amount of weight compared with the 240g or so you're looking at for your common aluminium post, and it's the same price as the aluminium Fizik Cyrano R3 post, to pick one example. So it scores well on the weight and price front.
How is it to install? Easy! It uses a traditional two-bolt clamp system that's been around forever, and getting a saddle into place and tightened to the right angle is a cinch. It's a tried-and-tested design and takes five minutes to get the saddle fitted, and there's enough angle adjustment to get the saddle just right.
It's an inline seatpost with no setback; whether that works for you depends on your fit and reach requirements. The 350mm length is typical of road bike seatposts and for my needs was more than enough.
Helpfully there are height markers on the back of the post to help set the saddle to the correct height and to check it hasn't slipped. There's also a minimum insert marker.
You have a choice of 27.2mm or 31.6mm diameters, which should cover most road bikes these days; the majority of brands are moving to the smaller diameter in pursuit of increased comfort.
I've been using the post for several months now and have swapped it between various test bikes and it's still looking in great condition, with no obvious markings. I experienced no slippage issues in any frames and didn't have to resort to carbon assembly paste.
> How to set your saddle height right
I noticed a bit more flex at the saddle than some aluminium posts I compared it with, so there's a bit more comfort, but it's pretty marginal to be fair.
It's a low weight without an exorbitant price tag, is easy to install, looks good and performs flawlessly.
Verdict
Carbon bling without a massive price, and offers decent weight saving potential
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road.cc test report
Make and model: Reilly Cycleworks Vector Carbon Fibre Seatpost
Size tested: 31.6mm
Tell us what the product is for
Reilly says, "Our new 2017 Vector carbon fibre seat post and our lightest yet. 0 degree setback for a more comfortable cockpit. Easy to adjust and with the usual contemporary Damon Fisher styling."
Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?
From Reilly:
An inline carbon fibre seat post available in 27.2mm & 31.6mm diameter.
UD carbon layup in satin finish
Carbon cradle
2 6AL-4V titanium retaining bolts
350mm long
0 degree setback
27.2mm 148 grams only!!
Designed and assembled in the UK.
It's nicely made and looks the business.
It's light and works well.
The carbon finish still looks clean and smart despite swapping between several bikes.
It's light for a seatpost, without costing an absolute fortune.
Marginally more comfort and road buzz damping than a metal seatpost.
You can pay LOTS more for carbon seatposts, so a pretty good upgrade if you have the cash.
Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose
Keeps the saddle securely in place.
Tell us what you particularly liked about the product
Low weight, easy to use and looks sharp.
Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product
There's no setback option.
Did you enjoy using the product? Yes
Would you consider buying the product? Yes
Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes
Use this box to explain your overall score
It's a sleek and light carbon seatpost at a price that won't break the bank.
About the tester
Age: 31
I usually ride: My best bike is:
I've been riding for: 10-20 years I ride: Every day I would class myself as: Expert
I regularly do the following types of riding: road racing, time trialling, cyclo-cross, commuting, touring, mountain biking
David has worked on the road.cc tech team since July 2012. Previously he was editor of Bikemagic.com and before that staff writer at RCUK. He's a seasoned cyclist of all disciplines, from road to mountain biking, touring to cyclo-cross, he only wishes he had time to ride them all. He's mildly competitive, though he'll never admit it, and is a frequent road racer but is too lazy to do really well. He currently resides in the Cotswolds.
12 comments
Was fairly interested until it got to the inline bit.
Whereas for me, having super short femurs, inline posts are perfect (often with the saddle pushed forward quite far). Swings and roundabouts - all comes down to personal fit needs
Did the lead image not give that bit away?
Aerozine and KCNC make aluminum seatposts of this same clamp style which weigh around 150 g. I paid $40 for an Aerozine.
I haven't ridden a lightweight alu seatpost for about 10 years, personally I found there's a noticeable difference between a wafer thin alu and a good quality carbon post. Even my commuter/utility and some time tourer 'hybrid' has a CF post that came as standard and they need not cost the earth.
I just bought a 400mm long CF post for £27 new and it's not a knock off, it's not mega light (218g) but it gves a certain feel you don't get with alu.
YMMV
Meaning the carbon fiber is harsh and the aluminum is nice and compliant.
It's interesting that when carbon is used in a seat post it is typically seen as more compfy/compliant, but when steel is used in a frame this is the material with the compfy/compliant reputation
Probably not.
There's a large number of cognitive biases in the cycling world.
Most cycling reviews are 90% BS, especially reviews of bikes and wheels. Take the usual bike review. It conveniently ignores the fact that 90% of vertical compliance is in the tires, not the frame.... yet the reviewer pretends that they can discern the difference in ride comfort between two frames. lol
Just to be picky - my Handbook of Made-up Internet Statistics lists vertical compliance as 87% due to the tyres.
fukawitribe, thank you for adding your amazing knowledge to the discussion.
The number is very close to 90%. I refer you to the charts and equations on Silca's blog:
https://silca.cc/blogs/journal/part-3-tire-pressure-and-comfort
Doubling the stiffness of a normal frame has almost no effect on ride quality.
Stiffness is not the sole arbiter of comfort, or otherwise, of a frame. I can assure you that I can most definitely detect the different behaviour of my old aluminium Domane ISOspeed frame over my carbon Wilier Izoard XP frame in a number of road and somewhat off road situations. That is not something that is completely specific to either me or those frames. That was my point, putting a particular figure to such a thing verges on being just as silly as some of the review nonsense you rightly condemn. Ok, not just as silly but not particularly helpful either.
Edit : Nice quote from that article