Carbon seatposts are five times stronger
Our lightweight carbon seatposts start life as a plastic called polyacrylonitrile before going through a chemical process. During the process these plastic fibres are heated at 1000-3000°C in a pressurised furnace causing the non-carbon atoms to break down. The carbon atoms that stay start bonding tightly in crystals along the fibres of the plastic.
These bonds are what give carbon its ridiculous strength. A carbon seatpost is five-times stronger than steel and twice as stiff. This is perfect for a cyclist. Because the stiffness of the seatpost means the power you put through your pedals isn’t wasted. You reap the rewards of your effort.
Save weight with a carbon seatpost
The second big benefit you’ll get from a carbon seatpost is the weight. Carbon seatposts are ultra lightweight. For example, our lightweight carbon Mach^3 come in at 162 g. This means you’re saving about 150 g in weight on a regular alloy seatpost. That’s a big margin in cycling terms.
Get ready for a more comfortable adventure
There’s also road noise absorption to consider. There is plenty of research out there (see e.g. Zhong Yan et al, 2019) on the damping properties of carbon fibre. Build a seatpost out of carbon and you’ve got the perfect bike component for soaking up noise vibrations from the road making your ride smoother and more comfortable. And we all know this is what counts over longer distances. If you’re trying to cycle your first 100 km, 200 km or even planning to tour over a couple of days, a lightweight carbon seatpost will make a big difference.
