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review

Reilly Cycleworks Vector Carbon Fibre Seatpost

8
£89.99

VERDICT:

8
10
Carbon bling without a massive price, and offers decent weight saving potential
Weight: 
160g

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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.

> Find your nearest dealer here

> Buy this online here

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.

Reilly Cycleworks Vector Carbon Fibre Seatpost 3.jpg

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.

Reilly Cycleworks Vector Carbon Fibre Seatpost 4.jpg

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.

Reilly Cycleworks Vector Carbon Fibre Seatpost 5.jpg

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

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.

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
8/10

It's nicely made and looks the business.

Rate the product for performance:
 
8/10

It's light and works well.

Rate the product for durability:
 
8/10

The carbon finish still looks clean and smart despite swapping between several bikes.

Rate the product for weight (if applicable)
 
8/10

It's light for a seatpost, without costing an absolute fortune.

Rate the product for comfort (if applicable)
 
7/10

Marginally more comfort and road buzz damping than a metal seatpost.

Rate the product for value:
 
8/10

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.

Overall rating: 8/10

About the tester

Age: 31  Height: 180cm  Weight: 67kg

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 worked on the road.cc tech team from 2012-2020. 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, and you can now find him over on his own YouTube channel David Arthur - Just Ride Bikes

Add new comment

5 comments

Avatar
fukawitribe | 6 years ago
0 likes

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

Quote:

When researching new equipment choices remember, it ALL matters.  That more comfortable frame really can be a big deal.  Those more comfortable wheels, most definitely are a big deal, and of course, top it all off with optimized tire pressure, because the wrong tire pressure can quite literally undo all of the benefits of the highly engineered equipment you are purchasing or already own.

 

Avatar
macrophotofly | 6 years ago
1 like

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

Avatar
Sub4 | 6 years ago
3 likes

Was fairly interested until it got to the inline bit. 

Avatar
paulrattew replied to Sub4 | 6 years ago
1 like
Sub4 wrote:

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

Avatar
Rapha Nadal replied to Sub4 | 6 years ago
2 likes

Sub4 wrote:

Was fairly interested until it got to the inline bit. 

Did the lead image not give that bit away?

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