integrated seatpost. Worth the risk?

firetone
firetone Posts: 64
edited August 2010 in Road buying advice
I am wondering whether to go for an integrated seat post on my next bike. It seems that more and more manufacturers are going for them, but to me it seems crazy to spend £2.5k on a bike only to have to hack a bit off with a saw?

What are the benefits?

Comments

  • cougie
    cougie Posts: 22,512
    I dont think they're necessary for an amateur. It will make resale very hard indeed.

    Normal seatposts are fine and I'd never choose a bike based on the seatpost ?
  • Radioactiveman
    Radioactiveman Posts: 964
    I dont own one and have never ridden one. But I do tend to keep things a year or two then sell them so I would have to really want to keep it as selling could be a pita.

    I am sure someone on here will own one and have sold on before.
    £1.25 for sign up http://www.quidco.com/user/491172/42301

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  • andy162
    andy162 Posts: 634
    My Scott Addict R1 has an ISP. It's been neither a hinderance or advantage. Once you've been correctly fitted you lob a bit off the end of the post & fit your saddle clamp. The Scott came with a Ritchey WCS clamp that allows about 1cm move ment to fine tune your position. They also make an extended version that allows 5cm of extra height to be added.

    As regards resale, that's up to you. I keep my bikes for 5 years & after that they're not worth much anyway. Mine are tools not jewels & in 5 years or so do look a little "used".

    One point tho, packed an ISP bike in a bike box is a bit of a faff so if you do plan to travel abroad with it, might be easier to get a standard version?
  • APIII
    APIII Posts: 2,010
    If you need to cut the seatpost a lot then yeah, I'd agree with you that resale would be a problem later on. Mine didn't need any cutting though, so obviously not a problem. Regarding taking it abroad, you just need to get the right bag. I found the sci-con softbag was perfect, I don't even need to take the saddle off.
  • nferrar
    nferrar Posts: 2,511
    Hurts resale, can be a harsher ride, can be a hassle if you change saddle/shoes (although most have enough adjustment to cater for that) and won't fit in most bike bags so a pain to fly with. Personally I wouldn't touch an ISP bike with a barge pole unless it was an incredible bargain.
  • pinkbikini
    pinkbikini Posts: 876
    You're all forgetting - they look great. Looks are important!
    Most allow enough adjustment for other riders who would buy the same sized frame, but obviously not all. I'm sure they will reduce resale value a little. Packing is undoubtably more of a pain. Ride quality could be harsher or more compliant - depends on many factors.
    One main issue - makes a test ride pretty difficult to arrange. Unless you have your heart set on a frame that has an ISP you'll have more options with a standard post.
  • mrushton
    mrushton Posts: 5,182
    FSA make an after-market fit that goes on the ISP and Trek have a certain margin on their Madone. but I have to agree with other posters that it can make resale or adjustment difficult. They do look good eg the Time Ulteam or that new Wilier but I don't think the bike companies fit them for aesthetic reasons there must be a financial incentive. Packing the bike for foreign jaunts can be more difficult eg you may have to remove the front fork
    M.Rushton
  • tri-sexual
    tri-sexual Posts: 672
    its one way to reduce the overall weight of a bike
    you dont need a seat post, alot of which is hidden inside the seat tube of the frame so its alot of additional/ unneeded weight.
    its great if you want the lightest bike possible.

    packing a ISP bike for travel is hard work as is trying to get it into a sports/small car
  • softlad
    softlad Posts: 3,513
    pinkbikini wrote:
    You're all forgetting - they look great. Looks are important!

    that's a matter of opinion - I think they look silly....
  • Pretre
    Pretre Posts: 355
    nferrar wrote:
    Hurts resale, can be a harsher ride, can be a hassle if you change saddle/shoes (although most have enough adjustment to cater for that) and won't fit in most bike bags so a pain to fly with. Personally I wouldn't touch an ISP bike with a barge pole unless it was an incredible bargain.

    Resale - as mentioned by others, depends on if you cut the ISP a lot & if you do so you've probably bought the wrong frame size (or you have legs out of proportion to your arms)
    Saddle/shoes - not sure where you got this idea from? :? I've never seen an ISP on a road bike where you can't adjust it a cm or so.
    Bag - depends on your bag. I've got a Polaris Bike Pod & my De Rosa with ISP fit perfectly okay (had to take the saddle off, but hardly a huge chore)
  • fox81
    fox81 Posts: 10
    i recently had the choice between a look 585 and 595, and went with the 585 purely based on it not having the ISP.

    i have a relatively short inseam so i would have needed to cut a fair bit off and was concerned about resale. i was also concerned about cutting it and then how much i could change my position on the bike later. it usually takes me a little while and some experimentation to work that out.
    it also makes it harder to test ride the bike as theyre not going to be able to size it up for you before you buy it
  • giant_man
    giant_man Posts: 6,878
    firetone wrote:
    I am wondering whether to go for an integrated seat post on my next bike. It seems that more and more manufacturers are going for them, but to me it seems crazy to spend £2.5k on a bike only to have to hack a bit off with a saw?

    What are the benefits?
    I don't know about that actually, it was a bit of a fad amongst the manufacturers a year or two back but most of them can be seen reverting back to traditional seatpost now. And of course some such as Colnago never went over to ISPs anyway .....
  • rake
    rake Posts: 3,204
    like a lot of things its a lot of trouble with not much gain.
  • mrwibble
    mrwibble Posts: 980
    I just bought a Museeuw MC-6 from wiggle but they are palmed me off with the ISP version instead of the traditional frame. I have had it three weeks and I don't know what to do with it.
  • tri-sexual
    tri-sexual Posts: 672
    i think the ISP version is the better bike
    lighter and better looking, get it fitted by a bike shop and enjoy :D
  • Berk Bonebonce
    Berk Bonebonce Posts: 1,245
    I was wondering what the advice would be when cutting an ISP. A 'careful cut with a large hacksaw with a high tpi'. I mean, the shape is irregular, so not as if you can use a cutting guide like with a steerer tube.

    Comments appreciated.
  • Scrumple
    Scrumple Posts: 2,665
    I have a Cento with an ISP.

    Cut it with a Park PS OS tool cutter, and a fine saw.

    Rides like a dream. Comfy - even over loads of miles. I love it.
  • sherer
    sherer Posts: 2,460
    if you are building custom frames for pro riders they are great. Can't see they work well if you buy a frame off a peg for riders who are all different heights.
  • Berk Bonebonce
    Berk Bonebonce Posts: 1,245
    sherer wrote:
    if you are building custom frames for pro riders they are great. Can't see they work well if you buy a frame off a peg for riders who are all different heights.

    I doubt there are many pro's on custom frames. And custom or off the peg, the tube still has to be sawn off.
  • magliaceleste
    magliaceleste Posts: 748
    As Giant Mancp said, they were a fad a couple of years, but are are often being dropped in this years models, sometimes for an "aero" seatpost so it's harder to tell.

    I wouldn't buy an ISP. Resell value and a pain to travel with (and often ugly).
  • Rockhopper
    Rockhopper Posts: 503
    Did i read that the UCI were going to ban them?
  • firetone
    firetone Posts: 64
    I'm gonna go for non ISP. Thanks for the advice.
  • Berk Bonebonce
    Berk Bonebonce Posts: 1,245
    It will be interesting to see if ISP's stay as a permanent feature.

    You wouldn't want one if you had a largish frame and took it on planes.

    I am assuming the only advantage is one of weight.

    Be a bugger if you cut too much off.

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