The introduction of carbon to bike manufacturing was a game changer for seatposts. Not only can it help to reduce the overall weight of the bike, but the way in which carbon components are manufactured – by building up layers of fibres –can be adjusted to give it the perfect blend of compliance and stiffness. From damping to deflection, the best carbon seatposts can help soften vibrations and take the edge off impacts. How much is the nose of the saddle behind the BB measured vertically with the bike on level ground?

Construction material plays a large part in comfort. Alloy, titanium and carbon are the three materials to choose from. Like handlebars, wheels, and nearly all other bike components, seatposts come in a variety of materials, the most common being aluminium and carbon fibre. As always, carbon commands a higher price tag, but it usually weighs less and can be constructed in a way that dampens more vibration while maintaining directional stiffness in a way that will benefit the rider. In short, no. Seatposts are an area where bike manufacturers seek to make gains in weight, aerodynamics and comfort – so there are a whole range of different types that come with different bikes.Leisure riders just need to make sure they’re buying a seat post with the correct diameter and in the correct length. If you’re in doubt, remove your existing seat post and have a look towards the end of the post and chances are it will have the diameter and length stamped on it. The same brand is also responsible for bringing dropper seatposts to the road audience: the Specialized Diverge, in its S-Works form, features a 'Command' dropper post. The theory is that those riding the adventure road bike, like mountain bikers, will want to be able to adjust their saddle height to suit the terrain. Finally, there are a number of ‘non-standard’ seatpost designs worth mentioning, the primary ones being aero posts (for road and TT racing) and dropper posts (for trail and gravity MTB riding). As is consistently the case, aluminium is perfectly adequate and will do the job. Carbon seatposts, however, offer greater dampening from road vibrations and are lighter.

There are very few at the moment but some manufacturers have cradles which can only be used with their corresponding saddles. These will have a patented rail system which is unique to that manufacturer and cannot accept any other saddle.If it has a round seatpost, however, you are likely to have far more options – but diameter becomes all-important. The two standard diameters are 27.2mm and 31.6mm and all of the seatposts featured in the guide will fit one of those two sizes, while some have more options in between. A key factor is the diameter of the seat post. This must directly match the internal diameter of the seat tube of your frame. The majority of modern seat posts are 27.2mm, 30.9mm or 31.6mm wide, with the latter often described as oversized. Aero posts: While most posts (and seat tubes) are circular in cross-section, many manufacturers are now making aero posts for road and TT racing, with an elliptical ‘blade’ cross-section which offers improved aerodynamic performance by offering less frontal area to the wind. However in the case of ‘full’ aero seatposts you will require a frame with a matching seat tube, which limits the options when it comes to changing or upgrading. Some manufacturers get over this by offering posts with a shaft featuring a ‘normal’ bottom half, with the part above the seat clamp then shaped to a bladed aero profile. At 300mm in length, the Enve seatpost is available in 0mm, and 25mm-offset versions. While quite a few carbon posts have a metal clamp head bonded on the top, the Enve post is carbon through and through.