Is my seatpost carbon??

2Fast4Love
2Fast4Love Posts: 123
edited May 2008 in Workshop
I feel like a proper artard for having to ask this on here, but hopefully someone knows more about these things than me.

I have a Cannondale Synapse 105, and I need to know if the seatpost is carbon. It's described on the spec as "Cannondale C3 16mm offset, 31.6 x 300mm" - which means sweet FA to me.

Anyone offer assitance? Ta!
Rides a Cannondale Synapse 105.

Comments

  • gavintc
    gavintc Posts: 3,009
    2Fast4Love wrote:
    I feel like a proper artard for having to ask this on here, but hopefully someone knows more about these things than me.

    I have a Cannondale Synapse 105, and I need to know if the seatpost is carbon. It's described on the spec as "Cannondale C3 16mm offset, 31.6 x 300mm" - which means sweet FA to me.

    Anyone offer assitance? Ta!

    Had a quick google. The bike retails for £899, At this price point, I would be surprised if the seat post were carbon. You can usually tell by looking at the thing. Carbon normally has a distinctive weave to it.
  • redddraggon
    redddraggon Posts: 10,862
    gavintc wrote:
    Carbon normally has a distinctive weave to it.

    Not normally. It might have a decorative weave layer but mine don't. Structural carbon fibre is a dull patternless thing.
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  • Monty Dog
    Monty Dog Posts: 20,614
    Saw it in half! Sorry, don't - but a carbon posts usually have the checkerboard weave of the fibres to tell you what they are - as someone says, the structural bit is unidirectional and the weave is purely cosmetic. You also get posts that have a carbon overwrap over an aluminium inner. On many bikes, manufacturers cut costs by fitting unbranded cheaper components where you don't notice e.g. seatposts, brake calipers, bars and stems.
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  • 2Fast4Love
    2Fast4Love Posts: 123
    Well it has a "matt black" finish to it... maybe if I take it out the bottom and/or inside of the post will reveal something that way?

    I'm gonna be clamping a seat post rack to it for a short period of time, and I have a (possibly unfounded) fear of the post snapping & impaling me via the.... arse.
    Rides a Cannondale Synapse 105.
  • gavintc
    gavintc Posts: 3,009
    redddraggon wrote:
    gavintc wrote:
    Carbon normally has a distinctive weave to it.

    Not normally. It might have a decorative weave layer but mine don't. Structural carbon fibre is a dull patternless thing.

    Just checked the 5 seatposts in the house of which 3 are carbon; syntace, most and FSA - all have the weave. The other 2 on our winter bikes; one is obviously alu (all shiny), but the other one is less obvious - black matt.

    Check the weight of the thing.
  • Slow Downcp
    Slow Downcp Posts: 3,041
    gavintc wrote:
    redddraggon wrote:
    gavintc wrote:
    Carbon normally has a distinctive weave to it.

    Not normally. It might have a decorative weave layer but mine don't. Structural carbon fibre is a dull patternless thing.

    Just checked the 5 seatposts in the house of which 3 are carbon; syntace, most and FSA - all have the weave. The other 2 on our winter bikes; one is obviously alu (all shiny), but the other one is less obvious - black matt.

    Check the weight of the thing.

    I have a carbon FSA post that doesn't have the weave.

    It sounds though like the OP's post is alloy - maybe try tapping it, if it sounds plastic it;s carbon, it it sounds metal, then it is.
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  • 2Fast4Love
    2Fast4Love Posts: 123
    Slow Downcp wrote:
    It sounds though like the OP's post is alloy - maybe try tapping it, if it sounds plastic it;s carbon, it it sounds metal, then it is.

    This is the way forward I think, good idea - cheers dude.
    Rides a Cannondale Synapse 105.
  • johnnyc71
    johnnyc71 Posts: 178
    I have c3 stem and seatposts on my cannondale hybrid - not carbon.
  • aracer
    aracer Posts: 1,649
    Try a magnet. If it doesn't stick then it's not steel. :twisted:

    More helpfully, if you take it out and check the end there should be obvious signs of some fibres there, and possibly also on the inside.
  • Gerry Attrick
    Gerry Attrick Posts: 97
    I have the Synapse 105 SL which definitely does have a carbon seatpost.....it's an FSA. The C3 bit on mine is the stem. That is alloy.
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  • schlepcycling
    schlepcycling Posts: 1,614
    You could always try emailing Cannondale direct or their UK importer I'm sure they'd be able to tell you.
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  • blorg
    blorg Posts: 1,169
    Slow Downcp wrote:
    It sounds though like the OP's post is alloy - maybe try tapping it, if it sounds plastic it;s carbon, it it sounds metal, then it is.
    This is a reliable way to tell, it does sound quite different. I have a couple of carbon seatposts with the weave but also one that is just plain black. Don't tap too hard mind or the seatpost will explode if it's carbon ;-)

    Another way to tell as has been suggested is to look at the bottom- carbon will look different there and the walls will probably be a fair bit thicker than an alloy post.

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