Weight Weenies

I want to replace my carbon post with Ti for my Ti frame. I know USE has replaced their old (and troublesome) clamping system with a new one. Does anyone have experience with the new clamping system, and experience with their Ti post, or can anyone suggest a better Ti post option? Dean, Ericksen, Black Sheep all make Ti post at @ 200.+ and I can get an Alien Ti (new) closer to 100.

The new 1 bolt clamp is easier to use than the old two bolt but it is still hard to micro adjust like a two-bolt seatpost like a thomson

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Anyone have experience with Dean, or Eriksen. I agree, Thomson is difficult to deal with and not my first choice. My Syntace P6 is very easy to use as is the Fizik Cyrano.

I have an older style u.s.e. Alien ti post. I used it on my mtb. Worked well.

Difficulty is in the eye of the beholder. I behold that the Thomson system is easy to adjust.
Finger tight to where you want you seat to be with a level on the seat.
Look at the guide lines on the seat post clamp and tighten 1/4 turn each bolt in alternating pattern.
I doesn't take much to tighten the bolts after you have finger tightened them.

I've just checked their site and it seems their troublesome clamping design remains unchanged.

I do use one alien seatpost myself. It won't accept oversized carbon rails (you have to purchase carbon specific head) and you cannot micro-adjust anything without completely unscrewing the clamping bolt.

If you look around you can find some twin yoke style ti seatposts without spending too much, such as this one http://www.torontocycles.com/images/Ul_Seatpost.jpg sold at $80.

The Moots Cinch post is one of the best designs on the market, full stop, and it's Ti - look no further!

For one thing, the USE Alien Ti is fairly light while lots of the other Ti-posts available are bloody boat anchors... I've used the Alien Ti post on various bikes, including a downhill/freeride-bike with some fairly serious crashes where the seat hit the ground and bent the seat rails - but the post was fine every time. As for comfort on a normal MTB it actually stands out... prefer it to many carbon posts for that reason...

The clamp is a mess for micro adjustments... but that's just initial and total time spent fiddling is like 15-20 minutes more than any other post, what's that weighed against hundreds and hundreds of hours riding the post once you've set the saddle - I for one wouldn't rate that as a reason to look for another post when this one is so good in every other aspect...

Ive been using one on my Merlin since before the "new" clamp and I like it. It's a pain in the ass to adjust, but solid, lightweight and very attractive.

I had the carbon version and took it off my bike after a while. Could never get the angle of the saddle quite how I wanted it by the time the bolts reached 3.5Nm. More than once I wanted to crush the damn thing in a vice.

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stella-azzurra wrote:Difficulty is in the eye of the beholder. I behold that the Thomson system is easy to adjust.
Finger tight to where you want you seat to be with a level on the seat.
Look at the guide lines on the seat post clamp and tighten 1/4 turn each bolt in alternating pattern.
I doesn't take much to tighten the bolts after you have finger tightened them.

Same here. In my 30 years of cycling, I have never found a post as easy and reliable to use as a Thomson. The clamp is easy to adjust and great for making small tilt adjustments - loosen one bolt a smidge and tighten the other the same smidge.