Laid Back Seat Post Comparison

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GasX

New Member
Oct 7, 2011
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Florida
I now have both the Pirate Cycles and Sportsman Flyer laid back seat posts and thought I would share my impressions.

Pirate Cycles
This seat post is heavy and solid. It uses a steel bar to offset the seat post. Essentially no mind was paid to asthetics as the bar is wide and unwieldy, but it functions well and allows you to set the seat back a lot farther and lower than the Sportsman Flyer model. You could go to town with a grinder and round off the edges to make it less obtrusive, but you'd be grinding a while as there is a lot of metal to lose... One functional drawback that I see is that the seat post is not very long and a heavy rider on the seat would transmit a lot of lateral force to a short section of seat tube which might cause some problems if the frame isn't up to it.

Sportsman Flyer
This post uses an extension at about 45 degrees to set back the seat. It is a lot less obtrusive that the Pirate Cycles model, but does not let you put the seat as low or as far back. The seat post is also a lot longer. While the seat is not as set back, the lateral forces generated are less and more spread out. One other drawback I noted was that the angled seat post allows the seat to rotate from side to side if you haven't tightened it a LOT.

Overall, I prefer the seating position of the Pirate Cycles version, but feel a lot less stress being put on my frame with the Sportsman Flyer post.

Pics below should help illustrate my points...
 

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culvercityclassic

Well-Known Member
Sep 27, 2009
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Culver City, Ca
Both work good but I tend to build my own like the Sportsman type, the flate plate design does not do it for me. Ya know you could just build your own, cut the tube at the angel you want then have the local welder take care of the rest.
 

leadfarmer

New Member
Sep 30, 2011
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VA
I bought one off the swap shop that is similiar to the Pirate Cycle design, a massive piece of metal that also has a gusset with lightening(decorative?)holes in it,welded to it. I wanted something solid as I have a fear the layback will break and dump me on the back tire, at the worst possible moment.
I have no fear mine will break.
 

sportscarpat

Bonneville Bomber the Salt Flat record breaker
Jun 25, 2009
1,839
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california
Hi GasX,
Glad I caught this comparison. Just a couple thoughts. You mention that the seat cannot go low enough with the Sportsman post. Part of the problem is that you don't have the seat guts installed properly on your seat. You need to flip the clamp 180 degrees and you will find that you can go much lower. On my Panther build I can almost scrape the tire with the seat. As for length of set back I purpoosely keep the horizontal section short. Since I can almost reach the tire with the seat there is no need to make it very long and I also have to consider the fact that I will no doubt run into 250 pounders making their best attempt to bend the post. By the way I start with good quality chromoly seat posts for added strength. I will try to dig up a picture showing the seat guts rotated like I mentioned.
Pat
 

sportscarpat

Bonneville Bomber the Salt Flat record breaker
Jun 25, 2009
1,839
471
83
california
Here are a couple pictures showing a lower method of post installation. Not the best pictures but this is the correct way to install the post. Flip those guts around and you'll see you can practically drag your rear end on the tire! By the way Jeff is right about the two designs. I used to use the plate design and switched a long time ago. Asfor length of post in the frame I have been making them shorter. Current length is established by what fits in a USPS flat rate envelope!


seat 1 by Sportsman Flyer, on Flickr


seat 2 by Sportsman Flyer, on Flickr

Here is the same post you have with a Brooks saddle. About as close as you would want to get to the tire.


Sportsman Flyer by Sportsman Flyer, on Flickr
 
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GasX

New Member
Oct 7, 2011
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Florida
I flipped the hardware and it is a REALLY tight fit and the bar is right under the leather. I am going to have to try it out and see if bumps make me feel the bar pushing on the leather... (Brooks B72 btw...)
 

rustycase

Gutter Rider
May 26, 2011
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Left coast
Gosh you build nice mab's Pat !
...facts be what they are, I'm in that 250 class so I'll be needing struts for a layed back seat...
Best
rc