Torus Ti Layback Seat Post

Teetering on 264g, Torus titanium layback seatpost might seem portly to carbon fans but its stunning mix of raw, jaw dropping beauty, rigidity and remarkably supple ride has me completely smitten.

Torus cycles is a collaboration between Andy Jones of Clee cycles and Harwich based framebuilder, Justin Burls, so little surprise that standards of workmanship are exemplary.

Plain gauge 3Al/2.5V is a titanium alloy comprising of 94.5% titanium, 3% aluminium and 2.5% vanadium, popular in aerospace and cycling applications on account of it being relatively easy to weldor form while boasting high corrosion/fatigue resistance. Aluminium also puts in an appearance at the lower cradle but is of a standard that's unlikely to turn furry given a few winters.

Ours features 15 degrees of layback catering for generic riding, slight flaring at the upper shaft engineering some additional strength, though breakages should remain an urban myth unless subjected to relentless, mind-blowing abuse.

Rippled TIG welds fusing shaft and platform continue this beautiful, industrial elegance which hasn't collected every oily fingerprint. Twin bolt cradles have ruled the roost for many years, enabling precise saddle alignment, further refined courtesy of thumb wheel allowing tool free tweaks on the fly.

That said, we experienced some bedding in during the first thirty miles, manifest as unnerving creaks. While you're there, introduce some dedicated prep to proceedings before marveling at how precisely it glides fore/aft within the seat tube. Torus also offers an inline version in 27.2 and 31.6 diameters aimed primarily at time trialists wanting to be directly over the bottom bracket shell for optimal output.

Ride quality is very distinctive, incomparable with carbon's souplesse yet more compliant than similarly lofty top-flight aluminium models. Inside thin walled ferrous frames I was struck by its subtle zing, less pronounced than carbon but yet forgiving across washboard tarmac. Improved rigidity rules out power robbing flex, ensuring attentions didn't waver from hammering out a constant 90rpm.

Swapped over to my 6061 aluminium-tubed crosser, it's been much the same story through sweeping forest trails, even seated.

To silence critics who would justly argue that riders hovering around the 70 kilo mark don't challenge components in the same fashion as ninety kilo plus sprinters, I swapped ours to a friend fitting the latter description and went cross country mountain biking.

He was seriously impressed, commenting that it inspired more confidence than composites without delivering the jackhammer numb of bum experience sixty minutes hence. Such relocations have made zero impression whatsoever on the finish, so there's no reason it shouldn't look stunning for years to come.

Verdict

Beautifully crafted alternative to carbon that should last a lifetime. Highly recommended, especially for best bikes and heavier riders.