Mark Adams The Ritchey SuperLogic Carbon Seat Post features a simple 1-bolt clamp design and offers you simple installation, smooth adjustment and elegant looks. It provides optimal strength-to-weight ratio and as part of Ritchey’s “SuperLogic” range, it’s designed for use on top-of-the-line bikes where every gram and every second gained really matters.
Features:
- Material: High modulus carbon constructed using LCT
- Finish: Matt UD carbon
- SideBinder clamp technology – single 5mm Allen key for installation and all adjustments
- Adjustable rail clamps provide compatibility with a range of saddle rails
- Cradle: 43x38mm
- Offset: 25mm
- Weight: 148g (27.2x300mm)
Ritchey Superlogic Carbon Seatpost Review:
The 1-bolt clamp on this post is so genius. It only requires one 5mm allen wrench to securely clamp/un-clamp the seat post, no more messing around with multiple hex screws. The clamping mechanism is very solid. Very straightforward & easy to use. The 1-bolt clamp allows for a lot of adjustability as well… these posts have probably the biggest range of adjustability for a 27.2mm post I’ve seen. Pretty rad. Seems like the post will stay in position pretty well too. I’ll have to see how it holds up over time… I seem to have this problem with Ritchey posts and Thomson posts. The seatpost moves over time. I’ve got 2 Ritchey’s and 1 Thomson that are all moving & wiggly… I don’t know why. I do remember seeing other WTB riders with the same problem. It can be really frustrating.
Design – What stands out to me is the sleek design of the post and how it ties in with the frame. Super clean. The color and graphics are nice too. The Ride Logic logo is a nice touch, it is like a roller coaster. I like that. Let’s think about that for a second though… It is like a roller coaster in that: You get some crazy fast speeds and it is really thrilling when the train is climbing the tracks… You are hanging on for dear life… then, there is a crazy steep drop… you’re heading for it… it’s a downhill ride… it is really exhilarating… or maybe you are going too fast… you are up into the sky… look at the sick view!… then the train is about to go over the top… it’s drop like crazy!… then you’re roller coaster ride comes to rest at the end of the track… then… it’s over.
Anodizing looks good, but not great. It has a lot of vertical lines scratched into the post. That part doesn’t bother me, but it might bother other people. The graphics are nice as well.
Weight: 2014 grams. I’m pretty sure this is heavy… It’s almost as heavy as my Thomson at 195 grams. It is lightweight when compared to a Deity or Kore post… but these are pretty much unusable… I can’t get the damn seat clamp thing to hold…. So not ready to talk about weight.
The pre-2014 clamp design had an issue where the clamp screw pulled out of the post. It was a known issue and they re-designed the seat post.
Pre-2014 Issue: The post clamp screws straight into the post. But, pre-2014 models had an issue where the clamp screw will start to pull out of the seatpost. It seems like these screws are loose, so over time, the screws will pull out of the post. I’ve seen it happen… I have a Thomson Elite that has the exact same issue I bought before 2014… Someone hacked the clamp screw back in, so it wasn’t an issue anymore… but I suspect this Thomson might bend as well. It is a little too flexy.
Post-2014 Issue: Ritchey has addressed this issue in the post-2014 models by using sideBinder technology. It is sweet.
I fucked up my Gods. I always considered the Thomson post more reliable than the Ritchey. I’ve never really had issues with just 1-bolt seat post… I have other seat posts that always moved or wiggled… Not the Thomson. I didn’t do anything wrong. Like the Gods, it just bent for some reason.
How are the Thomson and Ritchey godly? They are just regular 27.2mm Carbon posts with oversized lengths that are popular for use with XX1 or Alfine builds. I don’t get it… how is it that people think they are so godly? They are just 27.2mm carbon posts. I wish people would post reviews on how the length impacted their ride… That would be useful… I just want to know how it affects ride comfort.
Thomson Over the Top Design: The Thomson post is called the “Over the Top” design. I keep thinking that it would be super cool to have a seat post that was actually over the top of the seat. I think that would be neat.
Thomson says the “Over the Top” design makes it easier to dial in saddle height. The seat post has an up-front head that allows you to use saddle height markings on the front of the post. But, how much does this actually affect the saddle height? I think it might help a little bit, it is more about comfort than it is about saddle height.
What is critical is dialing in your saddle’s setback (from the frame) without adding any extra length. I don’t think longer seatposts will necessarily help with this. I think you just need a longer fork… I think any negative effects of adding extra length to the seatpost will ultimately be cancel out when you add a longer fork. A longer saddle will also cancel out any negative effects.
Components are just components, they all work the same… I don’t believe that one brand or style of component is better than another. I think it is all about preference… you could argue that it likely comes down to trust in a brand. It is like getting a new car… it all comes down to trust. I trust Shimano cause I’ve been using it for years and haven’t had any issues. I trust Ritchey cause I’ve been using them for years and haven’t had any issues… So how do you know to trust in Thomson? Of course, there aren’t any negative effects of using the Thomson… but is there any benefit?
Ritchey’s SideBinder system is super cool, I like it better than just about any other rail clamp on the market. I just don’t see any advantage regarding stress factors for use with XX1 and a single-bolt post. I do honestly believe that a wider saddle will help with some of the potential issues that a shorter post might cause with a short travel bike… But that is just my take.
I’m just going to say that Thomson posts are probably the best. If it aint broke then don’t fix it… just hack the shit out of it if it breaks. I’m also wondering if Shimano might be coming out with their own over the top seat post.
Shimano might be coming out with their own over the top seat post… I’m going to say that the Shimano will be better… just like everything else… I don’t think it will have the vertical line scratches that look like shit.
