Kit Review : Telescopic Seat Posts
Welcome to the first of our kit reviews! Starting this week we will be featuring regular reviews of all sorts of sports equipment, tried and tested right here in the Chamonix valley. Kicking off the new feature is Tom from Zero G, with his three favourite telescopic seat posts.
Specialized Command Post – 300€
Rockshox Reverb – 329€
KS Cobra – 199€
Telescopic Seat Posts. Just the name conjures up images of ultimate bike geekdom; of for-the-sake-of-it over complication and unnecessary upgrades. But believe us when we say that this is one of the most important things that have happened in biking for years.
When you climb on your bike, you want your seat post nice and high so you can get full leg extension on the pedals. However, when you descend, you want the seat post nice and low, so you can get your centre of gravity lower on the bike and, of course, so the saddle's not going to interfere with any procreation ideas you have in mind for the future. Traditionally, you stop, loosen the seat post collar, put the tube up or down, and get back on your bike. With the telescopic seat post there's no stopping you. The seat post goes up and down for you, doing all the work, not disrupting your flow and preventing you from having to get off regularly.
The benefits of using a telescopic seat post would be most apparent on undulating terrain – i.e. lots of ups, lots of downs. The Chamonix Classic loop is a good example; on the way up to Lavancher it's quite rolling, then the Argentière singletrack is really varied, as is the Petit Balcon Sud coming back down. These seat posts will save you fifteen or twenty dismounts on a ride like this. All three are available in different diameters to fit all the popular bike brands, and different travel lengths for different types of riding. Zero G would recommend them to anyone who enjoys a lot of all-mountain / cross country / Enduro / freeride type biking.
Our favourites for summer 2011 are the Specialized Command Post, Rockshox Reverb and KS Cobra. Why? Because the Specialized Command offers a three-position setting and good durability from a proven brand, the Rockshox Reverb uses hydraulic fluid instead of a mechanical cable and you have unlimited choice of seat heights, whereas the KS Cobra offers unrivalled value.
The best feature of the Specialized Command is the weight – an anorexic 525g. It has a cable that runs to the handlebar enabling the rider to raise and lower the seat post into one of three positions – down, halfway up and up. The Rockshox Reverb system is nearly identical; it's just hydraulic fluid inside the cable allowing unlimited seat post heights to be selected. However, the KS Cobra is not controlled via the handlebar; there's a small catch under the saddle that you push to allow the seat post to ascend or descend.
Telescopic seat posts are clearly not cheap, but this kind of product is only going to appeal to someone who takes their biking seriously enough to be annoyed with having to get off regularly. That kind of person is already on a bike worth upwards of 1000€, so it's likely anyone on a really tight budget is going to find this product hard to live without. These things are like Facebook profiles. Before you have one, you don't see the need, but once you've got one, it's hard to imagine life without it. If we had to pick just one to splash our cash on we'd go for the Rockshox Reverb, for sure. The ability to fine-tune your seat height at the touch of a button is priceless.
This review was written by Tom from Zero G, specialist board and bike shop. If you are interested in the above items or are looking for advice on anything to do with bikes please call into the store or visit their website by clicking on the link below.
