Jarrel finally managed to get me an Easton EC90 zero-offset carbon seatpost after many attempts. I picked it up on Tuesday along with a new Fizik Nisene MTB saddle. The post is all carbon with the exception of the fasteners – the monocoque quill and both rail clamp pieces are carbon fiber! The 27.2mm x 300mm post I got is supposedly around 160 grams. Seat mounting and installation are similar to other zero-offset seatposts like the original Syncros and the current Thomson. The threaded barrels that sit in the top clamp piece are provided with thin stainless steel shims that allow them to rotate freely and not bind against the carbon.
On initial inspection, the quality on this PRC-made post is very good. I had ordered early on hoping for a Mexico-made one, but was too late – that was part of the reason for the delay in getting this as the PRC factory tooled up for production. There are no mold marks or hackish cleanup overgrind marks on the quill or clamp pieces. The high-strength non-stainless hardware has a cheap zinc finish, and the head shims have razor-like burrs on their edges. If I have time or the compunction, maybe I’ll swap out the bolts with Thomson ones – possibly the barrels too if they are the same length and diameter.
Removing the old Syncros 7075 aluminum post and Selle San Marco Titanio 200 saddle, I found the new assembly was noticably lighter, even with the Ti-railed Nisene being rated at 290-grams – almost 150% the weight of the Titanio. There was a little insertion resistance, so I checked inside the frame. The fellows at Ellsworth had thoughtfully put the anodizing conductor inside the seat tube – raising two sharp cheese-grater points inside the tube about 8mm apart. I took those down with a needle file and chamfered the mouth of the seat tube for good measure. The seatpost went in fine after that.
Test riding to make sure I got the height right, I noticed the post was a little more flexible than the Syncros, and it took the edges off whatever jolts managed to make it past the plush suspension on the Moment. I’ll have to get a full ride in before passing judgement on the new saddle, but initially, the shape and padding are not much different than my favorite Titanio.
Seatpost was around $182 USD retail (ouch!), and saddle around $72 USD on closeout (it’s discontinued). No, of course I didn’t pay that much – why do you think I work at a bike shop?!
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