Similar Products Used: broom handle, sausage roll, rollingpin
Bike Setup: barbie bike
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Submitted by
Michael
a Weekend Warrior
from Overland Park KS USA
Date Reviewed: February 6, 2006
Strengths: Reasonable price Great weld qality and finish Diminishes shock and vibration on rough trails
Weaknesses: Mounting saddle is not straight forward for the uninitiated
Bottom Line:
Normally I think it's more fair to the readers to write a review after using a product longer than 3 months but I thought it is important for people considering this post that the company name has changed. It is now FLYTE and can still be purchased direct.
Secondly, I found a modification of the coin/reversed bolt method for clamp opening that worked for me (see Moots reviews also). The bolts are short enough that I could not get the clamp to open far enough with 2 nickels inserted. Instead, I used the largest screwdriver blade I could find, screwed the bolt onto the blade as far as it would go (and still not far enough to mount seat) then set the post on the floor and torqued the post open with the handle of the screwdriver pushed upward. Loosen bolt and remove, remove screwdriver and clamp has spread enough that it stays open enough to mount seat. Slide post between rails. Rotate 90 degrees. Slide in upper retainer. Rotate back 90 degrees. Bring down onto rails from above and slide in lower retainer. Clamp initially with help of padded screwdriver (as it has been spread quite a ways). Replace bolts, tightening each 1/2 turn at a time and your done. Not straight forward and I don't look forward to removing seat in the future.
Note that this post has less setback(10mm) than the Moots(19mm). Also, it seems very slightly oversized and took more-than-usual effort to slide into seat tube.
Rides great thus far, like a firm suspension post and better than carbon. I worry less about facturing the thing off like carbon also. I weigh 188# and will watch for creases/bends as posted above.
5 chilis even with the mounting procedure because the seat is held with more security than most other post that I have used.
Similar Products Used: Numerous FSA, Easton and stock Cannondale carbons
Bike Setup: 06 Cannondale Cyclocross Brooks B17 Shimano 105 F/R Paul Neo/Touring brakes Mavic 719/Hope hubs
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Submitted by
Raful
a Cross Country Rider
from Israel
Date Reviewed: August 4, 2004
Strengths: This thing is amazing. i was just Going back to a hardtail after 4 years on a soft tail with 1.25" travel (trek stp with a sid race rear shock). The feal of a hardtail with this seatpost is very similar to a soft tail. you realy feal like it gives about 1" of rear travel. It takes the harshness of the trail without any bobing, and maintenence.I stay seated on all obstecals I did with the softail. another thing, as others have mentioned: looks and craftmenship are superb.
Weaknesses: again, like other have mentioned: puting the seat and the seat post together is more triky than with other seatposts. airborne have an instalation guide which is very helpfull.
Bottom Line:
it has all the functions (and more) you'll expect from a Ti post, and looks very similar to the much more expensive moots.
Similar Products Used: rigid posts. RS suspension post.
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Submitted by
D Caruso
a Weekend Warrior
from Reno, NV
Date Reviewed: July 26, 2004
Strengths: comfortable, looks good, saddle held in place quite firmly
Weaknesses: a bear to get saddle installed, anti-seize compound wasn't included
Bottom Line:
definitely gentles the small bumps! Don't be cheap like me; buy the right tool for the job (lock-open pliers). It would have been faster for me to drive to the hardware store and bury the pliers than to screw around and improvise with the stuff I had in my toolchest. I will always ride a Ti post from now on.
Submitted by
Benjamin
a Weekend Warrior
from New York NY USA
Date Reviewed: June 29, 2004
Strengths: Suspension without the suspension.
Weaknesses: Clamp takes some force to install, don't expect quick saddle changes
Bottom Line:
Great seatpost. I would call their customer service poor. It may have only happen to me, but they failed to send the anti-seize compound for the screws, I e-mailed them, they promised to send it repeatedly, it never came and they stopped replying.
Strengths: This is the new ti lay back post. I bought this post after reading reviews for the moots lay back post. I was skeptical as to whether this post would actually provide a more comfortable ride. I ride a ti hardtail, and after years of riding, I value a little comfort in my old age. This post really works exceptionally well. It provides enough cushion to dampen some hits, yet doesn't at all feel mushy or change the geo of the frame rider dynamic. I am very impressed. This is just about the best thing I have bought in years. However, the clamp required some wrestling. But, once the saddle is in place, it is a very strong connection. The post has to be riden to be believed. I thought the ti layback was a gimick, but now I am a believer.
Weaknesses: None so far.
Bottom Line:
Amazingly simple effective design. Flys in the face of technology and elaborate full suspension contraptions. Fantastic product.
Bike Setup: Ti sandvik hardtail, crossmax, xt, Noleen 3lb fork.
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Submitted by
bigbon
a Racer
from riverside, AL, USA
Date Reviewed: October 31, 2001
Strengths: light, inexpensive for ti, solid clamp, long, and looks cool
Weaknesses: hard to install saddle at first
Bottom Line:
I got this post for 60 bucks and its light and holds my saddle well and is the right length. What else could you ask for. The first time saddle instillation requires patience and some brute force. Id reccomend this post to anyone who wants a moots post but cant stomach $150.
Submitted by
Burning Wheels
a Weekend Warrior
from Dayton, Ohio USA
Date Reviewed: October 2, 2001
Strengths: Ti, what else matters. Great looks, fit, finish, smooth welds and one of the best clamps in the biz.
Weaknesses: None that I have found. The welds were smooth, the craftsmanship was flawless, and the finish was excellent. They even have an installation process for you to follow on their web site (because the clamp is so tight).
Bottom Line:
I used to run a shock post on my other bike but after getting this Ti post I find it helps to take out the trail harshness. It is a light weight & very strong post. I didn't notice any flexing and it looks very cool! The seat clamp holds the seat with a white knuckled death grip (tight), it's one of the best clamps I have ever seen. The guy who did a review about LBS vs. Web Retailers must a businessman who owns a LBS. I have found Airborne to be very helpful, informative, friendly, quick to respond, with some of the very best customer service I have found in dealing with anyone selling bikes or bike parts. I was so impressed, I bought a complete bike from them over the net. However I have been to several LBS's with poor customer service and bad attitudes, which has turned my guts at buying anything from them.
Submitted by
Steven Park
a Cross Country Rider
from Burlington, Ontario, Canada
Date Reviewed: September 20, 2001
Strengths: Good price for a light, strong, impact-absorbing seatpost.
Weaknesses: Manufacturig finish is poor: burrs, sharp edges, etc.
Bottom Line:
This seatpost really seems to take some of the sharpness out of small on-trail roughness. It feels like 5 or 10 psi has been let out of the rear tire. This is what I had hoped, and was the reason I was looking for a Ti post. My rigid aluminum hardtail was taking a toll on my backside.
It seems to be creaking a bit, but is not slipping down. Installation was a snap, but I did take a few extra minutes to clean-up the machining; I filed some of the rough edges, deburred the tapped holes, etc.
This post is very light, and is also very long (400mm). The design is good – very similar to Moots or Litespeed. Great value if it stands the test of time. We’ll see.
Submitted by
JJ
a Cross-Country Rider
from don't matter
Date Reviewed: November 10, 1999
Strengths: absorbs a lot of trail crap
Weaknesses: ?quality?
Bottom Line:
Needed something to lighten the beating my back was taking from a hardtail. Got this and fell in love with it. My wife said that she could actually see the thing flexing. Felt like it moved a lot but it was at least 1/2. Unfortunately with my weight (185lbs) the thing has a permanent bend in it just above the seat tube line. Slight bulge so it won't go any further into the seat tube. I'm curious if it's definitely my weight or if it's a quality problem. Considering my dealings with Airborne so far, I'd guess it's a quality problem. REMEMBER THAT MAIL ORDER COMPANIES CAN'T SERVICE YOU LIKE A LBS CAN!!! Airborne's customer service is poor (forget second to none, how about second to last?)
Similar Products Used: first Ti seatpost Icon alloy
Bike Setup: 16.5 Airborne Lucky Strike Z2 Bam Mustang/XT wheelset SRAM and XT drivetrain Selle Italia Flite Gel saddle
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Submitted by
Dale Steel
a Cross-Country Rider
from Jackson MS
Date Reviewed: August 1, 1999
Strengths: Just the right amount of shock absorption.Great looking also.
Weaknesses: None
Bottom Line:
After breaking 2 Easton CT2's I tried the ThomsonGreat post but seemed to loose the benefit of having a Ti frame=stiff.The CT2 post was great while it lasted....great ride...too bad they don't last.Hopefully Easton will work this out because it was the smoothest.Suspension post weigh a bit more and also seem to get sloppy after time.Syncros would,nt stay in adjustment.What this all comes down too is that this post has been rock solid in its adjusment and has not moved and its somewhere between carbon and aluminum in forgiveness and shock disperstion.Great Post!
So the other week I went to drop my seatpost a bit (riding the pump track at Rays MKE) and it was hard to go down, so I put my body weight on it and it dropped a bit but not much, Read More »
Hello,
I'm looking for a Seven Ti stem 120 mm 6° and a Seven Ti seatpost.
please let me know if somebody wants to sell theirs.
Cheers,
Peter Read More »
No, not on accident, but to create a "setback" post....
I have 2 Ti, zero setback seatposts that I bought off ebay for about $50 (actually, I bought 1 and received 2). I actually Read More »
I currently have a Ti 29er hardtail with a Sunline V1 alloy post.
I want to upgrade it, and also gain around 20 - 25mm setback.
For those riding Ti frames, can you tell a lot Read More »
