CAAD12 seatpost (Save vs Thomson vs ?)

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are
Posts: 147
Joined: Fri Sep 05, 2008 1:15 am
Location: Los Angeles

by are

Yet another Cannondale setpost question ... I have a CAAD12 w/ the Save seatpost. Seems fine, but it is a bit ugly and I don't want the setback. If I switch to a 0-setbackThomson, will comfort take a noticeable hit? Also, I love the looks (and weight) of the mcfk seatpost, but it seems to have a little setback and it's expensive. Aside from weight, is it better than the Thomson? For people who might have experience w/ some of these seatposts, any recommendations would be appreciated. Thanks!

(My default thinking is that at 25.4 diameter almost no seatpost will be especially uncomfortable, so the Thomson is probably fine.)

by Weenie


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cristianx
Posts: 23
Joined: Wed Jan 31, 2018 5:14 am

by cristianx

My experience with a Thomson has been great (29.4mm diameter)
Not uncomfortable at all.
No experience with the 25.4 Thomson however
I do have a straight carbon post from Aliexpress on my CAAD 12 and its been great.
2-Bolt saddle rail clamp, about $30 from memory

robertbb
Posts: 2179
Joined: Thu Jul 23, 2009 3:35 am

by robertbb

I get why carbon layups can affect comfort, but when it comes to alloy why would one post be any more or any less comfortable than another (for a given diameter)?

burglarboycie
Posts: 988
Joined: Thu Jan 22, 2015 6:58 pm
Location: Northamptonshire UK

by burglarboycie

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Hylix-Carbon ... vzWlcnQkVg

Check out the Hylix carbon post. Very cheap and light for the price too. I've got the setback version in my Caad12 and it's great. I had the same one in my Supersix previously too and never had any issues.

10Caad
Posts: 33
Joined: Wed Jan 15, 2020 7:10 am

by 10Caad

Not 100% apples-to-apples, but I’ve always had a 27.2 Thomson masterpiece on my CAAD10 and have never had any issues or discomfort. For reference, I’ve done quite a few gran fondos (~160 km) and triathlons on this setup.

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superdx
Posts: 524
Joined: Sun Jun 29, 2014 1:27 pm

by superdx

ENVE makes a 25.4mm. If you can get it dialed in, then it's a pretty solid seatpost. Doesn't slip vertically. I like the graphics on it!

And here's the disclaimer to stay away: Trying to level a seat using the two bolts is a serious exercise in frustration. If you've never adjusted it before, buy a second set of the bolts and wedges (they come together as a package). Adjusting the saddle fore/aft is not difficult, but getting 0 degrees in your seat is SO HARD, and even using a torque wrench you may find yourself snapping the bolts trying to get that last 1 degree to flatten it out.

Tips:
- Tighten extremely slowly on both bolts, alternating between both, SLOWLY
- Try to maintain 0 degrees (or whatever angle tilt you're going for) with each turn of the torque wrench until you get to torque spec (see below for more on this)
- I've found that the design of the wedges tend to tilt the seat UP. To counter this I would push the seat DOWN while I was tightening the front bolt
- The two bolts may end up tightened to different torque specs, that's OK as long as it's 4.5Nm
- Set your torque wrench to 4.5Nm instead of the recommended 5.5Nm. The seat should still hold at 4.5Nm unless your rails are very slippery
- 5Nm is about as high as I would take it
- 5.5Nm using a very precise torque wrench I bought from Germany snapped the bolts twice

I love this seatpost, but it sure is a pain in the ass (and costly)

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