Carbon seatposts

[Rouleur]

Do they noticeably reduce road buzz? I'm looking at doing one or two upgrades to my aluminium framed road bike and if a CF post reduces the vibrations a little then I'll get one.

Any recommendations? I'd be spending ~£60 so something like a USE Sumo, Cinelli Neo or Deda Black Stick maybe?

Thanks

[Raven Flyer]

No they don't.

The tube is too short, too thick walled and used in compression, so it won't affect road buzz. There is one (forget the make) that has some sort of gel junction. That may work.

Buy one because they are pretty, not for any other reason.

[timbo48]

And if you do, there's some special lubricant for use when fitting carbon seat posts to alu frames that also prevents the post from slipping down into the seat tube, although that might not be such a problem on a road bike compared with an mtb I suppose.

[itsnotarace]

Absolutely what Raven Flyer said. Tyre choice and, more importantly, tyre pressures have infinitely more effect at damping vibrations

[Rouleur]

Thanks for the replies, I guess there's no point then, especially as I don't have a huge amount of post exposed.

[dubbs]

You should definitely get a carbon post... And forks....













...and frame..!

[shalmaneser]

Raven Flyer said:

No they don't.

The tube is too short, too thick walled and used in compression, so it won't affect road buzz. There is one (forget the make) that has some sort of gel junction. That may work.

Buy one because they are pretty, not for any other reason.

That's a massive oversimplification.

If you have a decent length of seatpost showing then a good quality full carbon post (ie not an aluminium wrap) will certainly reduce road buzz.

[Raven Flyer]

shalmaneser said:

That's a massive oversimplification.

If you have a decent length of seatpost showing then a good quality full carbon post (ie not an aluminium wrap) will certainly reduce road buzz.

It's not an over simplification, it's the way it is.

Frames cut down on buzz by not allowing the high frequencies to resonate through the thin wall frame tubes that are in tension. The downtube and chainstays act like dampers/silencers to these frequencies.

Because of the small tube diameter, a seat post needs to be thick walled. This greatly reduces its ability to damp out high frequencies. A decent thick walled seat post, is in compression and will transfer virtually all vibration that a frame has transmitted to the seat post tube.