# Why so few steel seatposts out there?



## eccentricbottombracket (Nov 13, 2006)

I know this is not a directly singlespeed related question. 

I can't help but wonder. I have a layback XTR chromoly seatpost from the mid nineties. It has suffered endless abuse, and is still my favorite seatpost after many years of riding. Aluminum ones do not compare-they are so stiff. The steel one is springy and comfortable.

There are titanium ones around, but no steel. Why?


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## plume (May 26, 2006)

carbon fiber happened.


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## Sparticus (Dec 28, 1999)

plume said:


> carbon fiber happened.


I would not consider a carbon post... I've seen shattered carbon fiber. Do people worry about this? Maybe I'm being a Chicken Little.

--Sparty


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## Ryder1 (Oct 12, 2006)

I think with the growing market of 29er SSs and hardtails, there might be a market opening for steel posts - I know I wouldn't even consider an aluminum seatpost for such a bike. Carbon suits weight weenies and/or those who embrace the throw-away culture; titanium is pricey. So yeah, I think there's a market opening for steel posts. Salsa should make one out of 4130 or OX Platinum and put it on their El Mariachi build.


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## shiggy (Dec 19, 1998)

eccentricbottombracket said:


> I know this is not a directly singlespeed related question.
> 
> I can't help but wonder. I have a layback XTR chromoly seatpost from the mid nineties. It has suffered endless abuse, and is still my favorite seatpost after many years of riding. Aluminum ones do not compare-they are so stiff. The steel one is springy and comfortable.
> 
> There are titanium ones around, but no steel. Why?


For the same reason there are few Ti posts: Limited tubing diameters. Much easier and cheaper to make aluminum posts in the vast number of diameters needed.


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## yoginasser (Sep 14, 2006)

Sparticus said:


> I would not consider a carbon post... I've seen shattered carbon fiber. Do people worry about this? Maybe I'm being a Chicken Little.
> 
> --Sparty


Stupid is is stupid does.


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## felixdale (Mar 15, 2006)

My 27.2 aluminium layback Salsa post is nice and flexy at 10" extension. I had a steel XT post once - whatever I did it slipped in my steel frame, was heavy as anything and not at all flexy!


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## ohalrighthen (May 4, 2007)

Zoom made some chromoly steel seat post in the 90s - was never popular though. I have one on my GT Bravado commuter bike and it is easier on my arse than my Syncros on other hardtails.


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## Dekes (Jan 3, 2007)

I have a steel post on my 1993 matador, it's rusty but still strong, I have only used it for commuting.


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## CB2 (May 7, 2006)

Campagnolo used to make a steel post. The weight wasn't even that bad (I believe it was the Daytona group's post).
The Bicycle industry is so much about keeping up with the Jones and what's next, that some products that work get left by the wayside for the next big thing.


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## Pudgerboy (Nov 17, 2006)

Sparticus said:


> I would not consider a carbon post... I've seen shattered carbon fiber. Do people worry about this? Maybe I'm being a Chicken Little.
> 
> --Sparty


ouch. you're not alone - something about shattered carbon fibre and proximity to my backside makes me scaredy too.


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## plume (May 26, 2006)

steel's real.






























real heavy.


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## zahgurim (Aug 12, 2005)

Steel has to be painted/coated too, or it rusts. Good luck keeping a painted post from wiggling in your seattube.


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## eccentricbottombracket (Nov 13, 2006)

*Somebody should bring back the steel seatpost.*

Aluminum does not rust, as somebody pointed out, but it does corrode and bond to the frame. Stainless steel certainly will not rust, and I doubt very much that it would bond to any frame. I find the rust explanation a bit weak. After all, people buy steel frames, and they certainly rust. My steel seatpost has no rust, and I never maintain it. There is no place for water to collect.

Its true, as Shiggy points out, that aluminum is easy to manufacture, being soft. Tools speeds can be maximized, and tool life is extended. Important considerations to manufacturers. But 4130 steel is not that tough to work with. It is not nearly as difficult as titanium, and people still make titanium seatposts. As for variety of tube sizes, large manufacturers can have tubing drawn to any diameter, aluminum or steel.

As for durability, I don't remember hearing horror stories about steel seatpost failures from the 1990's. They worked as well as any other seatposts, and were just as light. There is no reason why a seatpost from Reynold's 853 or Tange Prestige, or True Temper OX would not be as good as or better than anything out there, including Thomson or Syncros.

It is very strange that there are no steel seatposts.


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## shiggy (Dec 19, 1998)

eccentricbottombracket said:


> Aluminum does not rust, as somebody pointed out, but it does corrode and bond to the frame. Stainless steel certainly will not rust, and I doubt very much that it would bond to any frame. I find the rust explanation a bit weak. After all, people buy steel frames, and they certainly rust. My steel seatpost has no rust, and I never maintain it. There is no place for water to collect.
> 
> Its true, as Shiggy points out, that aluminum is easy to manufacture, being soft. Tools speeds can be maximized, and tool life is extended. Important considerations to manufacturers. But 4130 steel is not that tough to work with. It is not nearly as difficult as titanium, and people still make titanium seatposts. As for variety of tube sizes, large manufacturers can have tubing drawn to any diameter, aluminum or steel.
> 
> ...


There is still the diameter issue. Just try finding a Ti post in a size other than 27.2.

It is not so much that aluminum is soft but that the required wall thickness of the material (and other properties) makes it pretty much ideal for the application.


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## Dekes (Jan 3, 2007)

It's also really crappy that there are so many diametres, why can't frame manufacturers not just stick to 27.2 and 31.6 ?


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## eccentricbottombracket (Nov 13, 2006)

shiggy said:


> It is not so much that aluminum is soft but that the required wall thickness of the material (and other properties) makes it pretty much ideal for the application.


I think that between aluminum, steel, titanium, and carbon fiber, the variety of wall thicknesses, diameters, and material properties offer a variety of suitable solutions to the same problem. The same is true for aluminum, steel, titanium, and carbon fiber frames. A vast selection of these frames are available in the marketplace, but not seatposts.


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## fishcreek (Apr 10, 2007)

Dekes said:


> It's also really crappy that there are so many diametres, why can't frame manufacturers not just stick to 27.2 and 31.6 ?


or 26.8


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## itsdoable (Jan 6, 2004)

You can get steel BMX seatposts up to 27.2 easily, but they are on the heavy side. Most are Chromed for rust protection. They are also made to accept a larger diameter seat rail.



eccentricbottombracket said:


> Stainless steel certainly will not rust, and I doubt very much that it would bond to any frame. I find the rust explanation a bit weak....


SS tends to gall easily. I have fond memories of steel seatposts rusted into steel frames, but they were easier to remove than aluminium seatpost corroded into steel frames...



eccentricbottombracket said:


> ... 4130 steel is not that tough to work with. It is not nearly as difficult as titanium...


Ti is actually a lot easier to machine than steel, you just need to maintain a sharp tool bit. Drawing tubes takes longer though, as you have to anneal between draws.


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## skyfish (Sep 20, 2005)

eccentricbottombracket said:


> , but no steel. Why?


Because Walmart bought all of them


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## frontierwolf (Sep 28, 2005)

*XTR Seatpost*

I have that same steel XTR seatpost from the 90's. Probably got it around '95.

I've had that post on at least 6 bikes and it's now on the beater bike I was riding today. Alot of the black has rubbed off the lower half over the years but there isn't any rust and it's still working like it's supposed to.


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## shiggy (Dec 19, 1998)

eccentricbottombracket said:


> I think that between aluminum, steel, titanium, and carbon fiber, the variety of wall thicknesses, diameters, and material properties offer a variety of suitable solutions to the same problem. The same is true for aluminum, steel, titanium, and carbon fiber frames. A vast selection of these frames are available in the marketplace, but not seatposts.


You are still missing my point.


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## PeanutButterBreath (Oct 7, 2005)

The obvious answer is that there is no sustainable market for steel seatposts. Either because they are not cost effective to produce or there is too little demand. Probably a combination of both.


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## bike_rider81 (Jan 15, 2004)

*Why not aluminium?*

whats wrong with an AL seatpost? lightweight, no rust problems, probably more flexible(comfy). I think some are going overboard trying to be "real". Next will we have people asking for high end steel rims?


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## kapusta (Jan 17, 2004)

Sparticus said:


> I would not consider a carbon post... I've seen shattered carbon fiber. Do people worry about this? Maybe I'm being a Chicken Little.
> 
> --Sparty


I've seen a broken aluminum one.


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## billygoat80 (Jun 12, 2007)

If you want a quality ride just buy this saddle:

https://www.khurramweb.com/images/seat.JPG


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## eccentricbottombracket (Nov 13, 2006)

*I understand your point.*



shiggy said:


> You are still missing my point.


I understand your point. I just do not agree.

The number of tubing diameters available is large in all materials, steel included. Tube manufacturers can, and do, make steel, carbon fiber, aluminum or titanium tubes in a variety of sizes, specifically for bicycles. So why don't they for bicycle seatposts as well?

My 300mm x 27.2mm XTR steel seatpost is in the 225 gram range, on my scale. This compares favorably with Thomson, Syncros, USE and other aluminum posts, so weight does not explain the preference for aluminum. Titanium and carbon fiber are another matter in this regard.

I do not believe the agument that aluminum is the "ideal" material for the component function. Like frames, there are posts of all materials available, with no one more ideal than the other. Why would the post be any different? It is essentially an extension of the frame.

Aluminum is the most widely used frame material, does that mean it is the "ideal" frame material?

I suspect that steel is ignored because it drives up manufacturing costs, without being able to command a higher price. It does not have the 'cache' that carbon and titanium have. A well marketed steel post could gain market share in proportion to the market share of steel frames.

Perhaps I should build one and sell it. Anybody interested in a steel seatpost?


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## fishcreek (Apr 10, 2007)

billygoat80 said:


> If you want a quality ride just buy this saddle:
> 
> https://www.khurramweb.com/images/seat.JPG


hemorrhoids anyone?


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## kapusta (Jan 17, 2004)

bike_rider81 said:


> ......probably more flexible(comfy).


Actually, it flexes less than steel, and is more harsh. To be more precise, I think it's an issue of steel being able to bend more without losing it's integrity than aluminum can, so it can be built to allow more flex than aluminum can. That's why some people prefer it for hardtail frames.

I would consider a steel seatpost if it were the same price as aluminum, but if it is going to cost the same as carbon fiber, I'll stick to carbon fiber (if I ever decide to drop that kind of $ into my seatpost).

However, this being the ss forum, I spend so little time in my saddle on my ss that it makes little difference to me what the seatpost is.


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## meatpuppet (Apr 18, 2007)

Weird topic chaps. The history of cycles probably figures as strongly as anything.

First everything was steel (actually not as cane rims were fashionable at one time), gradually weight savings came from aluminium alloy components including seatposts, but frames were impossible to manufacture from aluminium without threading and high performance glues (Alan was one of the first frame manufacturers to attempt it).

After a layoff of some years I came back to cycling to find that virtually all frames were aluminium and suddenly titanium and carbon were beginning to make an appearance. Nobody wanted steel anymore, aluminium was light and strong and the more it was used, the lighter the bike became.

Steel seems to be making a bit of a comeback for MTB frames, I was seriously thinking about getting a hardtail in steel until I picked up an 853 frame.......heavy, much heavier than the 531 road frames of the past.

I think steel is not used because it has simply not been the popular choice, the market has moved with the fashion and tooled up to work aluminium alloy. If there was a big reason to turn back to steel, then the manufacturers would jump on that band waggon.


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## number2 (Dec 11, 2004)

Campy Centaur post is steel


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## shiggy (Dec 19, 1998)

meatpuppet said:


> Weird topic chaps. The history of cycles probably figures as strongly as anything.
> 
> First everything was steel (actually not as cane rims were fashionable at one time), gradually weight savings came from aluminium alloy components including seatposts, but frames were impossible to manufacture from aluminium without threading and high performance glues (Alan was one of the first frame manufacturers to attempt it).
> 
> ...


Actually there were more than a few companies making aluminum frames in the late 1800s-early 1900s.


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## ssinglesspeed (Apr 17, 2006)

Steel MTB seatpost are available, although not plentiful, on ebay. Some months back I picked one up while looking for a cheap seatpost. I think it was 27.2, cromoly 4130, some type of hard glossy black finish that hasn't scratched. I bought from a store vs a person. I didn't get out the scale (recovering WW), but it seemed about the same weight as your run of the mill aluminum post. As for comfort, I'm not really sure which bike I put it on, so it must not be a big difference.


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## Hurricane Jeff (Jan 1, 2006)

When I owned Hurricane Components, I contacted both, True Temper and Reynolds about sourcing seatpost shafts, I knew they made them in the past, I did not recieve an answer from either of them, so I gave that idea up.
I think it is a good idea, you can get the SP quills quite light and strong as long as you use the right tubing, and offer them at a better price than if you used aluminum, titanium or carbon fiber.


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## KristofU (Apr 20, 2007)

Most MTB's are made from alu.
Steel and alu do not play well together. When they touch a current starts flowing that makes the steel rust a lot quicker and also because of this the seatpost gets stuck in the seat tube.
That's why you need to apply a tiny amount of grease to a steel seatpost when installed into an alu frame. 
But as far as alu goes, there's no material that is that easy to process and still has such good qualities.


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## astro_nomenoff (May 21, 2007)

Aluminium is easy to machine to fine tolerances, this helps a seatpost manufacturer make many different diameters while only actually starting off with about 3 basic seatpost diameters. Higher end seatpost manufacturers machine the inside and outside, cheaper mass produced ones just the outside.
Steel would need to be drawn to the specific diameter and all the diameters would need to be drawn individually.
Fixing of the top clamp is easier with aluminium - cheaper ones are swaged in, higher end ones just held on by the clamping force of the saddle rail clamp bolts.

I used to have a nice pair of Reynolds 753 tubing handlebars though, they were swaged onto a ribbed mandrel giving an internal 'octagon' profile. I think Raleigh or Saracen marketed them.


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## dailyrider (May 9, 2021)

Well the aluminum composite seat post that came with my cargo bike broke at 1500 miles, the quick replacement I bought just broke to today after 1000 miles. Now I'm a big boy at 300+lbs, but my old REI touring bike from 20yrs ago had a milled solid aluminum seat post that has lasted for 20,000+miles. Granted I was only about 260-280lbs back then, but still it lasted. I would like a similar seat post or a steel one like when I was a kid. Never had a seat post failure till new 2019 bike. That's progress, composite aluminum tube or Carbon fiber.


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## dysfunction (Aug 15, 2009)

kapusta said:


> I've seen a broken aluminum one.


You can break anything


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## kapusta (Jan 17, 2004)

dysfunction said:


> You can break anything


Thank you. I have been patiently waiting for 14 years for someone to acknowledge my point, here.


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## dysfunction (Aug 15, 2009)

kapusta said:


> Thank you. I have been patiently waiting for 14 years for someone to acknowledge my point, here.


I still hate the Recommended Posts crap. Why don't they just turn that off, so we don't have 20 year old threads dredged.

Screw it. It'll be easier to not bother


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## dailyrider (May 9, 2021)

dysfunction said:


> I still hate the Recommended Posts crap. Why don't they just turn that off, so we don't have 20 year old threads dredged.
> 
> Screw it. It'll be easier to not bother


LOL, sorry to post, but the reason is this post is STILL relevant after all this time! I came up with a solution. Going to machine a steel rod to fit inside seat post with maybe thin coat of jbweld and crimp the bottom to keep rod in. Should strengthen it a lot plus if tube still breaks at least it won't fall off.


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