Canyon says solution to Aeroad seat post issue is expected sooner rather than later

Canyon has said that a solution to the issues surrounding the seat posts on its new Aeroad road bikes is close, after it emerged that some owners have seen excessive wear on the post at the point where it meets the seat tube.

The cases where there have been issues seem to suggest that taller and heavier riders who have a greater proportion of the seat post exposed are most likely to be affected – and it has only been reported on 2021 bikes, not on earlier Aeroads.

Reports suggest that where the carbon seat post and the carbon seat tube walls touch, any dirt ingress or the use of carbon paste is causing excessive wear. Riding in wet conditions appears to be compounding the problem.

In a statement to road.cc, Canyon said:

“We’ve had a small handful of cases raised with us here in the UK after proactively going to every customer asking them to check and feedback, so it’s a concern we are aware of.

We’re in open communication with all Aeroad owners across all Customer Service channels including social media and the guys at HQ are working on an upgrade which will be offered to any affected rider in due course. Sooner rather than later. 

The concern has been caught early so we’re super-positive of a quick resolution to keep everyone riding.”

Further to this, we asked if the lack of availability across the Aeroad CFR range - there isn't a single bike currently in stock - had been caused by the seat post issue but Canyon told us that this was not the case. They say that the first run of bikes has simply sold through and that a restock "will be scheduled in due course."

A general WeightWeenies thread on the Canyon Aeroad CFR suggests that Canyon was aware of the issue in mid-December. This thread has, at the time of writing, morphed into a 133-page discussion with some users posting pictures of damaged seat posts.

When we had the Aeroad CFR for a short test period last summer, tester Mat Brett didn’t experience this issue. Mat stands at 189cm tall and weighs 84kg, so he’s not a small rider. Our Dave Atkinson also rode the Aeroad without any worries, and he's larger still.

In his first ride review, Mat said:

“Canyon’s new SP0046 seat post features on all new Aeroads. Although the visible part of the post is deep-section, the lower half – where the clamp is applied – is only half the depth. The post is reinforced in the areas that need it – where it exits the seat tube – but the carbon walls of the rear section are very narrow above this point, the front section doing all the heavy lifting.”

That said, we only had the bike long enough for a few rides, hence the lack of a full review. Mat was also riding the bike in warm, sunny weather.

At the time of the bike's launch, Canyon said: "the lower half of the seat post – where the clamp is applied – has only half the depth of what is visible above the top tube to provide a stable clamping inter­face, which saves material.” 

The sections of the seat­post that are exposed to the increased stresses applied where the post exits the seat tube are rein­forced, but above this the rear section of the post is effectively a hollow carbon shroud that's there to ensure optimal aerodynamic performance. The front section of the two­-part construction guarantees the struc­tural support required from a load-­bearing compo­nent.”

The news of the seat post issues was first picked up by Cycling Weekly who have since spotted a patent for what looks like a replacement seat post for the Aeroad. The new design appears to switch to an 'S' design where the current post appears as two vertical blocks.

Will this be the solution to the Aeroad’s seat post issues? We’d imagine some form of cover will also be provided to reduce dirt ingress during rainy rides.