Comfort seatposts

Miles253

Hi guys

I'm looking at improving the rear end comfort of my current bike.

I am looking at the options from Canyon i.e. the VCLS and VCLS 2.0 (as i have a Canyon bike) but am also open to other brands offering similar alternatives, i.e. Ritchey.

Before you ask, i am already running a 28mm tyre on the rear and a reasonable pressure, around 100psi.

Does anybody have any experience with the Aftermarket posts designed for offering comfort? Are they worth a purchase and do they offer any extra real world comfort

Thanks

markhewitt1978

You mean the likes of a carbon post, or?

I have a Bontrager carbon seat post? Does it make a difference? Not really.

100psi is high for 28mm, you could knock that down 10psi straight away, probably more.

marcusjb

Miles253 wrote:

Before you ask, i am already running a 28mm tyre on the rear and a reasonable pressure, around 100psi.

How heavy are you?

That's fairly high - particularly if you are light.

Try around 85 psi - you'd be surprised at the extra comfort and negligible impact on speed/handling.

I am sub 60kg and run 28s at 75psi for all-day comfort.

lostboysaint

I'm another to leap on the "how much pressure?!" bandwagon.

I'm 98kg and only run 90-95psi in my 25mm Pro4s (so actually around 27mm).

ddraver

Not tried one but interested. One thing to note is that the Canyon post is only available in a straight post. If you have a layback post now you may not be able to match the saddle position...

ai_1

ddraver wrote:

Not tried one but interested. One thing to note is that the Canyon post is only available in a straight post. If you have a layback post now you may not be able to match the saddle position...

The VCLS post gives a great range of adjustment via a sliding clamp so you can have a clamp aft offset of anywhere between 15mm and 35mm. That's what I'm using now and I really like it. It's obvious how much comfort it is adding but the bike is certainly comfortable and the post is likely a factor. I did use it with a basic seatpost before fitting the VCLS and the bike was still comfortable but didn't really analyse the difference when I fitted the VCLS.

The VCLS 2.0 is less adjustable. When I bought my Canyon I got the more in-line version (2/-10mm) but there was also an offset one available (25/13mm). The head on each can be reversed to allow either of the two offset figures for each. i.e. you have 4 offset options with VCLS 2.0. Either 2mm back or 10mm forward with the straighter one and either 25mm back or 13mm back with the more offset one.
I originally got the VCLS 2.0 but had some problems with it slipping which Canyon have since acknowledged as a problem for riders over 80kg. I was about 86kg at the time. Canyon sent me a VCLS instead which I've been very happy with but it certainly doesn't give anything like the degree of deflection provided by the VCLS 2.0. The 2.0 noticeably flexes when you sit on it and makes a very noticeable difference to the ride. Especially when you see a biggish bump coming but it only sort-of materialises!

6wheels

As I've mentioned on here many times, I am amazed at the comfort with my Canyon . It's nothing to do with wheels , tyres or saddle as I have been running the bike with cheapish handbuilts and 23mm tyres and the same saddle.

Being intrigued ( and remembering an article on Velonews re seat posts/comfort), I started to have a look at the VCLS seatpost and noticed how much flex there is with it just pressing on it by hand. I'm sure the frame contributes as well but I agree with Ai_1 that the seatpost makes the difference.

Miles253

I currently use the standard VCLS seatpost that comes with the cheaper Canyon models, not the ones seen on the Cf sl/ Al slx and up. It doesn't seem to give much flex at all. At the bike show over the weekend the Canyon guys were deflecting the pricier seatposts by astonishing amounts.

For the record i am around 75kg, can i get away with 85 psi? Not like to make the bike feel sluggish? Or is that a misconception

matt-h

i weigh 75kgs and run 75 front and 80 rear on my 28mm. They are tubeless so dont have to worry about pinch flats.
They are no slower than 25 mm at 100 psi. In Fact 3 of my best strava times on the same 3 mile road are using the lower pressure 28mm.

Matt

marcusjb

Try it and see!

A lot cheaper than a new seatpost if it works for you!

ddraver

Miles253 wrote:

I currently use the standard VCLS seatpost that comes with the cheaper Canyon models, not the ones seen on the Cf sl/ Al slx and up. It doesn't seem to give much flex at all. At the bike show over the weekend the Canyon guys were deflecting the pricier seatposts by astonishing amounts.

For the record i am around 75kg, can i get away with 85 psi? Not like to make the bike feel sluggish? Or is that a misconception

Well, after reading this post and the one on tyre pressure in Road General I tried 80psi in my 25c tyres tonight (testing a few things before doing RVV in April). I weigh north of 100kg (not sure exactly what at the mo) and I had no problems. There was a tiny bit of squirm under really hard cornering and I ride in NL so bike paths are mostly smooth and clean but we did a few bits of dutch pave and I clattered into a few rough bits with no issues.

I have a new frame so testing comfort was a tad difficult but i'm pretty sure it felt a little less buzzy on the road and was a lot better on the rougher paths. I also thought that i could feel a little more drag when sprinting out of corners (it turned into a play race tonight)

I think 85psi might be better for cornering so will try that next week.

The other thing to note is that much below 80psi you re playing with the lower limit of the tyre pressure (depends on what tyres obviously)

sparklehedgehog

Try the Specialised CGR (the seat post formerly known as.... cobl goblr)

Amazing bit of kit

mfin

Miles253 wrote:

For the record i am around 75kg, can i get away with 85 psi? Not like to make the bike feel sluggish? Or is that a misconception

Not only can you get away with it, that's more like what you should be running your 28's at at your weight, and you could even try less. 100psi in 28's at your weight is ridiculously high.

Anyway, try it, then if you are looking for more comfort I'd suggest looking at whether your saddle suits you, because millions of road cyclists are perfectly alright without even giving a thought to 'comfort designed' seatposts. (Assuming your fit it right and your shorts are reasonable too).

marcusjb

Rim width has an impact on how low you can go as well. Wider rims like archetypes etc. and you'll be able to drop another 5-10 psi without getting squirmy.

I hardly ever actually check my tyre pressures on my solo bikes, and have probably tackled big rides with pressures in the 60s.

75kg isn't huge and you should benefit considerably from significantly lower pressures.

I like the idea of the seatposts, but somehow they seem to not make sense overall. Road buzz can be reduced with tyres and decent saddle, big hits should be anticipated most of the time, so there should be little need for the huge deflections the posts can give.

Good on the back of tandems though - most rear riders on tandems use them (we run a thud buster and my wife says it is amazing. Be interested in trying a canyon if we were on a more racey tandem and weight was a concern).

ddraver

marcusjb wrote:

I like the idea of the seatposts, but somehow they seem to not make sense overall. Road buzz can be reduced with tyres and decent saddle, big hits should be anticipated most of the time, so there should be little need for the huge deflections the posts can give.

MTBers said the same about suspension once

I think the main market for them is the new old MAMIL more than young bendy fit things like you and I (ahem)

I test rode a Roubaix and Domane over Christmas and whilst the upright, comfortable position would suit my dad down to the ground, i just felt disconnected, upright and...well...bored really. Neither of them had any life in them at all. It's telling that the Pro Teams that ride Spesh and Trek don't use the frames we can buy

zak3737

sparklehedgehog wrote:

Try the Specialised CGR (the seat post formerly known as.... cobl goblr)

Amazing bit of kit

Agree !

Miles253

mfin wrote:

Miles253 wrote:

For the record i am around 75kg, can i get away with 85 psi? Not like to make the bike feel sluggish? Or is that a misconception

Not only can you get away with it, that's more like what you should be running your 28's at at your weight, and you could even try less. 100psi in 28's at your weight is ridiculously high.

Anyway, try it, then if you are looking for more comfort I'd suggest looking at whether your saddle suits you, because millions of road cyclists are perfectly alright without even giving a thought to 'comfort designed' seatposts. (Assuming your fit it right and your shorts are reasonable too).

This whole idea came about because i am currently having lots of trouble with my saddle. Just cannot seem to get my comfort spot on. Luckily my LBS stocks a fair few and ive recently picked up a new Specialized Romin on a 30day return type deal. Basically i seem to have very sensitive nether regions, and my Antares beforehand was just not right. My thinking is, if i can reduce buzz in other ways my arse might be a touch less reliant on the saddle. I've had a Specialized BG fit, and have been back for tune ups, hence the saddle change, so i am confident my saddle is high enough and stuff.

Ill trying to eradicate comfort issues bit by bit, saddle first then i might invest in an expensive pair of shorts. I currently use DHB Aeron pro's which a lot of people swear by, at £70 they aren't too cheap but a darn sight cheaper that £140 Castelli numbers.

Ill drop my pressures immediately, any idea what a suitable pressure would be for the front? Ive only got a 25mm on there.

Thanks

ddraver

Ah ha, Fizik saddles are really very narrow and hard so i suspect that your problem may be the saddle.

If you look at the saddle swap thread, nearly every post is someone going from fizik to a wide specialized saddle

mfin

Miles253 wrote:

Ill drop my pressures immediately, any idea what a suitable pressure would be for the front? Ive only got a 25mm on there.

Thanks

Try something like 80 in the front and 75 rear, see how it feels.

On saddles, don't give up looking, if unlucky you can try quite a few thinking the baby bear one doesn't exist. You can even begin to think that the one that's right for you will be padded in comparison to the ones you don't get along with, and this probably won't be true either.

Miles253

mfin wrote:

Miles253 wrote:

Ill drop my pressures immediately, any idea what a suitable pressure would be for the front? Ive only got a 25mm on there.

Thanks

Try something like 80 in the front and 75 rear, see how it feels.

On saddles, don't give up looking, if unlucky you can try quite a few thinking the baby bear one doesn't exist. You can even begin to think that the one that's right for you will be padded in comparison to the ones you don't get along with, and this probably won't be true either.

Yeah this is an issue, there are also so many different variations to position that can effect comfort, quite disheartening and boring.

ddraver wrote:

Ah ha, Fizik saddles are really very narrow and hard so i suspect that your problem may be the saddle.

If you look at the saddle swap thread, nearly every post is someone going from fizik to a wide specialized saddle

Ill check that out i think haha

andy46

It's interesting to hear people like the Specialized CG-R. I have one, and it's probably the biggest waste of money I've spent on my bike. I really do struggle to tell the difference.

cycleclinic

I don't think Seatpost make any difference to ride comfort. My most lush ride is on a 90's aluminium framed pinarello with 23mm pave tubular run at 80 psi and that is why it is comfortable. Not quick though. Tyres casing tyre width and pressures do sort out nearly all road buzz Issues to the point I can barely detect the influence of the rim. Every time I get a email about this sort of thing can you recommend new wheels for comfort the first question I ask is what tyre pressure are you running it is normally high for a light rider. I was riding around today on my tubeless set up due to a puncture in about 30 psi it worked fine if a little squirmy.

Brynd

I find the Specialized CG-R makes a huge difference. Recommend it. Works a treat on large stone chip tarmac. Had a Canyon VCLS before and that did nothing in comparison.

andy46

I must admit, I don't have a lot of post on show. Maybe this makes a difference. I'm also probably guilty of running tyre pressures too high. I have Michelin Pro4's 25mm at anywhere between 95-100psi. I weigh a little under 10 stone.

Miles253

That does seem alot of pressure for a guy your weight Andy. I thought that the idea of the CGR was that it would provide extra deflection no matter the amount of seatpost showing, hence working well for small riders, am i wrong in this?

andy46

Maybe my high tyre pressures aren't helping, what psi should I be looking at using?

Miles253

andy46 wrote:

Maybe my high tyre pressures aren't helping, what psi should I be looking at using?

I'm no expert, but from the comments on this thread, i would of though you could drop to 80-85 at your weight.

robbo2011

ddraver wrote:

I test rode a Roubaix and Domane over Christmas and whilst the upright, comfortable position would suit my dad down to the ground, i just felt disconnected, upright and...well...bored really. Neither of them had any life in them at all. It's telling that the Pro Teams that ride Spesh and Trek don't use the frames we can buy

I thought the UCI rules state that the pros have to use the frames we can buy.

ai_1

Miles253 wrote:

andy46 wrote:

Maybe my high tyre pressures aren't helping, what psi should I be looking at using?

I'm no expert, but from the comments on this thread, i would have though you could drop to 80-85 at your weight.

Agreed. Try 85 at the back and 75 at the front. Shouldn't be any likelihood of pinches. See how you like the handling. You could probably go lower if you wanted.

ddraver

robbo2011 wrote:

ddraver wrote:

I test rode a Roubaix and Domane over Christmas and whilst the upright, comfortable position would suit my dad down to the ground, i just felt disconnected, upright and...well...bored really. Neither of them had any life in them at all. It's telling that the Pro Teams that ride Spesh and Trek don't use the frames we can buy

I thought the UCI rules state that the pros have to use the frames we can buy.

Dunno - They ride something called the Domane Kopperberg which is a Domane but with a much more race focused geometry

Big names get do get custom frames sometimes so i suspect that's allowed, Cav at Pinerello for example

FatTed

You could also try Rapha's classic bib shorts on a 30 day trial period with free return if you don't like them
1st I would drop the pressure in your tyres.