Seat Post Advice

[Carry Pine]

Would anyone out there be an authority on seatposts?
On the bike I just purchased it has a BBB brand carbon seatpost. When I took it off I noticed that it had a metal tube inside (perhaps aluminium) and was covered with carbon.
I have seen a Record seatpost which is all carbon fibre, inside and out. Am I being too picky here or is this a rip off?

Carry Pine

[bsrlee]

Not an 'expert', but an aluminium core in a carbon fiber tube is not uncommon - top grade arrows were made for years that way, an aluminium core with a carbon fiber jacket. If it is a thin aluminium tube then it is probably just a mandrel used in manufacture & its easier & cheaper (?) to leave it in.

[felixe]

Cheaper "carbon fibre" seatposts only have the CF wrapped around the outside for looks.

BBB are an average brand, so you really do get what you pay for.

If you want Quality you should look at Pro, Ritchey, Bontrager, Answer etc.

[Colin Howkins]

What Felixe says is true. Record is just about top of the tree BBB is probably just a rung or two up from the bottom.

Would not get too concerned as the weight difference between one and the other would not be much, whilst I have a fair bit of carbon fibre on my bike, I do think a lot of it is more to do with looks - it's just cool!:2tsup:

[felixe]

This is true.

[Carry Pine]

Thanks for the advice guys.....and don't worry about the three months that I have been enduring those vibrations you-know-where, thinking it must be my fault cause i've got a carbon seatpost!
My first suspicions were correct. (I really am grateful for the replies).

Graham

[witch1]

carry,
carbon fibre does not nomally bend under extreme pressure, it just reaches the stage where it will snap quite suddenly when under pressure. the aluminium alloy centre tube may be an insurance against injury should your seat stem reach this stage, the manufacturers of the better quality seat stems would likely have more confidence in their product. I would stick with the one you have now.
apart from the weight factor its probably a case of six to one half dozen the other.
regards witch1