The Cost of Obtaining Titanium

I like titanium. In particular, I like titanium seatposts. They give that added butt cushioning as it flexes back and forth on those long, grueling climbs. Almost like a .5" of travel for the rear. I've had them on my Bontrager for the better part of a decade and wanted to bring some of that good feeling over to my Fuel.

Well, the dilemma starts when an old Syncros Ti ProPost hits ebay and it is the right size... 31.6. All the research up to this point shows that the only company to make a 31.6 titanium seatpost was Syncros. And that was the old Syncros before they were acquired by another company. Anyway, I fell just short of the bidding. Bummer.

So on went my quest for a titanium post. I hit dead ends everywhere I looked. I even shrugged off offers for carbon posts or even nice Thompson posts. I wanted titanium. And that is what I intended to get.

So months went by as I waited for another to pop up on ebay or craigslist or the MMBA classifieds. No luck. I contacted Dean Bicycles to see if they make, or would make, a 31.6 titanium post. No sir. I have yet to contact Moots... but probably will send a note shortly after I finish this entry. No luck, no luck, no luck.

I looked into seatpost shims and looked for either a 26.8 or a 26.0 adapter to 31.6. No luck. They only make them for 27.2. I picked up a shim on the cheap - a Pyramid on ebay for less than $5 including shipping. Some more time on ebay turned up a Syncros described as mechanically A+ and cosmetically A- in the 27.2 size. I bid. A little later, the seller bikechain added that there is some crimp marks on the post. On a post described as A- cosmetically based on a little wear on the lower "S" of the logo, how bad could they be? Well, I won the auction. They took about a week to get it out and that was prompted by me sending THEM and email to remind them I won it a week ago and paid withing a few minutes of the auction end (I was excited to get the post).

I got it a few days later.

(insert solemn music here)

Those crimps... HUGE. Me... feeling a bit let down. A+ was more like a C and the A- was at a B-. I took some time to think about it and look over the post. A few people thought it was structurally questionable. None of my other posts ever crimped like that. I even cleaned up and re-lubed the screws and brass fittings since the post never seemed to be properly serviced. I eventually contacted the seller and they offered a refund if I was dissatisfied but would take out the fees. I informed them that a refund done properly would only cost them the initial ebay listing fees and that all the rest, including the PayPal fees would be refunded. Of course, they completely disagree with my assessment of the post and stand by their A+/A- rating. :-| And that they would include a spreadsheet with all of the fees taken out. Jackasses. Plus I'm sure to loose shipping, both ways. :-\ I have to decide what I want to do with this situation. Send it back and take the losses, put it on anyway or I could always put this post on my road bike and pull the carbon one out for trial on the Fuel. They are the same size. Nonetheless, it is not a long term use post.

So, as of today, I am back on the trail to find a suitable titanium seatpost for my Fuel.