Integrated Seatpost. Pros and cons?

Cubic

Hi,

I'm hoping to get a new frame soon, possibly a Giant TCR Adv SL. I understand that these come in two flavours - integrated seatpost and normal seatpost.

I was wondering what the pros and cons of the ISP are?

The shop will be fitting me and cutting the post to size. If I needed to change the seat height at a later date, how much leeway do you get?

Thanks.

anto164

Just a quick one. TCR Advanced SL is an extremely harsh frame. There is virtually no dampening, and you will feel every single stone, bump etc. It is however, supremely efficient, stiff and lightweight.

If you cut the seat tube, make sure it's the right height. It's easier to make it shorter, harder to make it taller. You can normally get a spacer to raise the saddle a little bit.

merak

anto164 wrote:

Just a quick one. TCR Advanced SL is an extremely harsh frame. There is virtually no dampening, and you will feel every single stone, bump etc.

I'm interested in what makes you say that, because Giant claims this frame is used on the cobbles

To The OP, integrated seat posts are marginally lighter and can be a little more aerodynamic. If you are not 110% sure of your saddle position or if you might ever want to sell the bike, I'd go with a conventional seat post.

tim_wand

Merak. No one is ever going to be 110% sure it does not exist 100% means 100 parts of 100 therefore there cannot be 110 parts of it. sorry to be a pedant but I hate people saying i' ll give it a 110%. Not possible

tim_wand

Any way rant over dont get the ISPL it will basically make your frame non re -saleable to anyone who does not want or require the same set up as you. You can get just as much aero advantage/ stiffness/ compliance and a hell of a lot more adjustabliilty with a number of good seat posts. Try the Canyon VCLS.

merak

tim wand wrote:

Merak. No one is ever going to be 110% sure it does not exist 100% means 100 parts of 100 therefore there cannot be 110 parts of it. sorry to be a pedant but I hate people saying i' ll give it a 110%. Not possible

It's a figure of speech, like "reach for the stars" or "I could eat a horse" or "I was breathing through every orifice on that climb" or "Cadel Evans climbs like a rocket". The figure of speech is called hyperbole and it is the use of exaggeration to make or emphasise a point. Yes, you are being a pedant and ridiculously literal as well.

neeb

Depends on 1) how sure you are what your ideal saddle position is 2) How good you are at pedantic measuring and cutting, or how much you trust your bike shop to do it right 3) whether you plan to sell the frame 2nd hand ever.

I have a Scuro RS with ISP and have no regrets at all, I really like the clean lines and not having to be bothered with aligning the saddle left/right (I guess this is also the case with some aero non-ISPs). Also, I've managed to cut the post exactly right so that when I remove the seat mast & saddle I can whack them straight back on again without any adjustment to be exactly the correct height. This still leaves room to raise the saddle about 5mm if I ever want to, or to cut more post off if I ever want to lower it.

Incidentally, I saw the Giant TCR advanced SL with ISP in a shop window recently and it is gorgeous! No doubt that the ISP wins hands down on looks...

As far as possible selling goes, if you are on a relatively small frame the chances are still OK that you will be able to sell it as long as you specify the cut height exactly in the advert, but if it's a large frame with the post cut well down you will have more problems.

MichaelW

Integrated seatposts are lighter, more aerodynamic and look much cooler.
Traditional seatpost frames are easier to transport and to adjust for size.
If you want to attach a rack for commuting, you can replace your fancy carbon post with a tougher aluminium one to clamp a rack.

dodgy

I've been put off ISP designs in the past as it means I can't put the bike in the boot of my car.

Cubic

Thanks for the replies. I'm still mulling over the ISP or not at the moment. I may have to go with whatever the shop has available, as they're doing me a deal.

I have long legs for my height, so there should be a fair amount of seatpost left if I decide to sell the frame on. Plus if the adapters give me an extra few cms that should help too. I trust the mechanics in the shop to do it right too.

I'm a little concerned about the comments that the frame is overly harsh too! I've read that in a couple of other places also. However the majority of comments and reviews of the frame say that it is surprisingly comfy. More so than the standard tcr. Guess I just need a test ride to find out!

Cubic

Also, with regards transporting the bike. By car it'll be on a rooftack and if I go abroad I'd probably hire a bike box, which can accommodate the ISP. So that shouldn't be a problem.

neeb

I trust the mechanics in the shop to do it right too.

A few things to watch out for:

Make sure you measure saddle height from the BB to the same point on the saddle when it is the correct distance behind the BB, irrespective of seat tube angle. If the bike has a different seat tube angle from your current one, this could subtly affect measurement of post height if you measure along the seat tube. Also, if your saddle is profiled on top the height will be different at different points, and with a different seat tube angle you could be measuring to a different point. Also different saddle clamps attach at different places and are different heights.

Best thing is to cut it 1 cm too long, set everything up exactly right, measure exactly how many mm the saddle is too high, then cut again...

smithaay

my friend has this frame and is just about to build it up with some mavic cosmic carbones i think its a very good looking frame if that helps

Cubic

smithaay wrote:

my friend has this frame and is just about to build it up with some mavic cosmic carbones i think its a very good looking frame if that helps

That's the most important thing really !

markos1963

Make sure as well that the saddle fitted is the one you are going to use permanantly as some have different depths so affecting the fit.
I would never sell a quality bike like that so resale wouldn't be an issue so bear that in mind, is the bike a keeper?

Cubic

markos1963 wrote:

Make sure as well that the saddle fitted is the one you are going to use permanantly as some have different depths so affecting the fit.
I would never sell a quality bike like that so resale wouldn't be an issue so bear that in mind, is the bike a keeper?

I really want this to be a bike that'll keep me happy for the next few years, I'm not the sort to buy a new bike every season. I'm hadn't even considered it's resale potential until the ISP issue was raised.

So if the post is cut correctly I should be happy with it for the foreseeable future!

Ben6899

MichaelW wrote:

Integrated seatposts are lighter, more aerodynamic and look much cooler.
Traditional seatpost frames are easier to transport and to adjust for size.
If you want to attach a rack for commuting, you can replace your fancy carbon post with a tougher aluminium one to clamp a rack.

Attach a rack? To a Giant TCR Advanced SL? Awesome!

MattC59

Maybe get a bikefit, just to be 110% sure !!

nferrar

I swore I'd never buy an ISP frame and that they're just a marketing gimmick for most of us, my new bike has an ISP though (although I do still think they're unnecessary). My main argument against them was ease of packing for flying somewhere but mine has quite a big mast top so it loses a few inches when you take the mast off. It also has an in-built elastomer so helps with the dampening. On the negative side I can't clamp it in a workstand and it does limit me a bit in a change of pedals/shoes/saddle later (thankfully though I'm happy with all three of those currently and there is a couple of cm adjustment in the post).

I still think overall they're a bad idea, just too many negatives to justify saving a few grams and a bit better looks but I think some ISPs have enough adjustment in them to make them feasible for recreational riders.

Berk Bonebonce

ISP: lighter and more comfortable. The better choice in the context of performance.

Cubic

Well I gone and done it! I bought the TCR Advanced SL ISP with Ultegra and my own RS80 wheels for the time being.

I decided that the negative sides to the ISP should hopefully not affect me too much.

Just waiting for the parts to arrive, then going to LBS to get fitted and hacksawed! :shock:

dawebbo

Good man.

I have one and love it - like you I decided that the negatives that people raise aren't really an issue to me.

Hope you enjoy it!

APIII

My LBS cut my ISP in error Happily, they immediately replaced it when they realised the mistake. Sweaty palms for a while though!
Benefits for me are comfort and it looks good. It has about 8cm of adjustment, (and I didn't need to cut the 2nd frame, so no issues with resale). It also came with a converter so you can put it on a bike stand. Scicon bike bag will fit the frame in without taking the saddle off, so no problems travelling either.

Enjoy the new bike 8)

Eyon

For me, none, so far.

I'm fortunate, my legs are quite a longer than average, so i'm 99% sure (or am I 110% sure?) that the next person will have to trim it, If i ever sell my frame!!

So, pros: looks cool, providing the frame is well desiged its potentially more comfortable, it looks cool, there might be a minute aero advantage, and finally it looks cool.

cons: harder to adjust.

Remember, measure twice cut once!! If you are shelling out for a TCR you can afford a bike fit, get fitted and get them to cut it

Ian

Cubic

Thanks for the reassurance guys! I'm really looking forward to getting the bike.

I had a bike fit done by a well regarded fitter (The Bike Whisperer) on my old bike last year, so the mechanics in the shop are going to try to match my position. I also have long legs for my height, so there should be a fair bit of post remaining should it every need to be re-cut.

Headhuunter

Ben6899 wrote:

MichaelW wrote:

Integrated seatposts are lighter, more aerodynamic and look much cooler.
Traditional seatpost frames are easier to transport and to adjust for size.
If you want to attach a rack for commuting, you can replace your fancy carbon post with a tougher aluminium one to clamp a rack.

Attach a rack? To a Giant TCR Advanced SL? Awesome!

Yes, funny advice! A £6k+ pure bred race bike with a rack on the back! Like putting a roof rack on a classic convertible Ferrari F40 or something!