Strong and lightweight seatpost and handlebar for minimising buzz

thepiman3
thepiman3 Posts: 7
edited June 2016 in The workshop
I'm coming back to road cycling after a long back injury. I'm keen to minimise vibration in the seat and hand area and so was going to purchase a Carbon seatpost such as the FSA SL-K and a carbon handlebar. But then I read this: "In general the Max recommended rider weight is 165 lbs (75kg) for a carbon seatpost; this limit applies to the SL-K seatpost" on this website
I weigh 100kg and although I plan on losing some weight I doubt i will ever weigh less than 90kg.

Can anyone recommend a seatpost and handlebar which will be strong enough to handle my 100kg weight, but still give me the dampening I require. I didn't really want to spend much more than £60, so I think titanium is out of the question. I would prefer something lightweight, not for speed but for ease of picking it up (as i say i'm returning from back injury so trying to keep the whole bike light is important as i'll have to pick it up twice a day everyday at each end of my commute). I've read articles which emphasise the importance of design over metal choice, but i haven't actually found any recommended seatposts or handlebars.

As for my handlebar choice, I'd like a flat 46cm road bar which is lightweight, strong with vibration dampening properties.

Thanks

Comments

  • fenix
    fenix Posts: 5,437
    Get as fat a tyre as you can and run them as low as you can given your weight. That'll be cheaper and more effective.
  • The Rookie
    The Rookie Posts: 27,812
    Another crap answer from CRC staff, I'm a bit over 75Kg's and have carbon seatposts on my commuter and MTB (which obviously takes a bigger hammering) - they are layback posts as well which stresses them higher, never had an issue.

    I dare say the FSA does have a 75Kg limit, but to be honest wouldn't have any worries using one.

    It won't help comfort though, you need one with a anti-vibration insert for that.
    Currently riding a Whyte T130C, X0 drivetrain, Magura Trail brakes converted to mixed wheel size (homebuilt wheels) with 140mm Fox 34 Rhythm and RP23 suspension. 12.2Kg.
  • thepiman3
    thepiman3 Posts: 7
    The Rookie wrote:
    Another crap answer from CRC staff, I'm a bit over 75Kg's and have carbon seatposts on my commuter and MTB (which obviously takes a bigger hammering) - they are layback posts as well which stresses them higher, never had an issue.

    I dare say the FSA does have a 75Kg limit, but to be honest wouldn't have any worries using one.

    It won't help comfort though, you need one with a anti-vibration insert for that.

    Thanks. I've read a post on this forum where someone compared a £150 carbon seatpost to a £50 alu one, with all other variables (bike, bike setup, etc) being the same and reported that the £150 carbon seatpost eliminated a lot more buzz. He didn't mention anything about having an anti-vibration insert. Why do you think Carbon seatposts without anti-vibration inserts won't work? Also, which anti-vibration insert posts did you have in mind. The only one I'm aware of is made by Specialized but i'm not sure it's sold separately to their bikes.
  • d00g81
    d00g81 Posts: 18
    Fenix wrote:
    Get as fat a tyre as you can and run them as low as you can given your weight. That'll be cheaper and more effective.

    This
  • cycleclinic
    cycleclinic Posts: 6,865
    It wont make much if any difference if you have a carbon or alloy post.

    Fit the widest most supple tyres you can and run lower pressure. i got a sublime ride of 30mm challange strada bianca tyres with latex tubes at 60psi.
    Vittoria Pave's in 27mm are great and so are vittoria corsa's in 25mm or 28mm.
    wide tyres are the solution. Tubeless tyres also work well as they can be ridden at lower pressure. Tubular tyres are a good solution.
    http://www.thecycleclinic.co.uk -wheel building and other stuff.
  • imatfaal
    imatfaal Posts: 2,716
    jds posted a fairly glowing review of a roadbike/gravel bike suspension seat post
  • imatfaal
    imatfaal Posts: 2,716
    thepiman3 wrote:
    I'm coming back to road cycling after a long back injury. I'm keen to minimise vibration in the seat and hand area and so was going to purchase a Carbon seatpost such as the FSA SL-K and a carbon handlebar. But then I read this: "In general the Max recommended rider weight is 165 lbs (75kg) for a carbon seatpost; this limit applies to the SL-K seatpost" on this website
    I weigh 100kg and although I plan on losing some weight I doubt i will ever weigh less than 90kg.

    Can anyone recommend a seatpost and handlebar which will be strong enough to handle my 100kg weight, but still give me the dampening I require. I didn't really want to spend much more than £60, so I think titanium is out of the question. I would prefer something lightweight, not for speed but for ease of picking it up (as i say i'm returning from back injury so trying to keep the whole bike light is important as i'll have to pick it up twice a day everyday at each end of my commute). I've read articles which emphasise the importance of design over metal choice, but i haven't actually found any recommended seatposts or handlebars.

    As for my handlebar choice, I'd like a flat 46cm road bar which is lightweight, strong with vibration dampening properties.

    Thanks

    You don't have a link for that pronouncement from CRC - sounds very light to me and if it were to be true it should be made more obvious. It is way below the average male weight in the uk - actually closer to average female weight - and seems to me as if CRC are trying to pre-emptively and, potentially illegally, limit their liability.

    The first two whole bike manufacturers I have looked at have limits around 100-110kg for rider and kit
  • thepiman3
    thepiman3 Posts: 7
    imatfaal wrote:
    thepiman3 wrote:
    I'm coming back to road cycling after a long back injury. I'm keen to minimise vibration in the seat and hand area and so was going to purchase a Carbon seatpost such as the FSA SL-K and a carbon handlebar. But then I read this: "In general the Max recommended rider weight is 165 lbs (75kg) for a carbon seatpost; this limit applies to the SL-K seatpost" on this website
    I weigh 100kg and although I plan on losing some weight I doubt i will ever weigh less than 90kg.

    Can anyone recommend a seatpost and handlebar which will be strong enough to handle my 100kg weight, but still give me the dampening I require. I didn't really want to spend much more than £60, so I think titanium is out of the question. I would prefer something lightweight, not for speed but for ease of picking it up (as i say i'm returning from back injury so trying to keep the whole bike light is important as i'll have to pick it up twice a day everyday at each end of my commute). I've read articles which emphasise the importance of design over metal choice, but i haven't actually found any recommended seatposts or handlebars.

    As for my handlebar choice, I'd like a flat 46cm road bar which is lightweight, strong with vibration dampening properties.

    Thanks

    You don't have a link for that pronouncement from CRC - sounds very light to me and if it were to be true it should be made more obvious. It is way below the average male weight in the uk - actually closer to average female weight - and seems to me as if CRC are trying to pre-emptively and, potentially illegally, limit their liability.

    The first two whole bike manufacturers I have looked at have limits around 100-110kg for rider and kit

    I did link to the correct page in my original post, i.e. this website but you need to click on Q&A and check the answer given by CRC to the question about rider weight limit.
  • imatfaal
    imatfaal Posts: 2,716
    Ah thanks
  • The Rookie
    The Rookie Posts: 27,812
    CRC say that, but it's not in the specs on the FSA website.
    Currently riding a Whyte T130C, X0 drivetrain, Magura Trail brakes converted to mixed wheel size (homebuilt wheels) with 140mm Fox 34 Rhythm and RP23 suspension. 12.2Kg.
  • imatfaal
    imatfaal Posts: 2,716
    The Rookie wrote:
    CRC say that, but it's not in the specs on the FSA website.

    Glad you said that - I checked as well and couldn't see it there. I had a major barney with Mavic and Retailer when they said pawl being buggered on freewheel was due to my excessive weight. Got Trading Standards involved who agreed that page 65 of a manual which was out of date, didn't mention the wheels I had, and was not available to the general public was not exactly making a major design / performance limit known to the buyer before purchase (and thus not reliable upon after purchase). Fact that pawl would not be affected by rider weight and that I was 5 kilos under the weight limit were by the by - I thought then and think now that companies shouldn't be allowed to get away with it
  • keef66
    keef66 Posts: 13,123
    The Canyon VCLS seatposts are reputed to be quite effective, as long as you have a reasonable amount of post showing. Not cheap though.

    Fatter tyres / lower pressures is a better bang per buck. Doing both would obv be best...