Hi: I’ve got a Coker Big One, but the seat post had been cut down and is a bit too short for me. I’m considering my options for a longer replacement post.
The two extremes are an aluminum seat post from Coker, or a KH seat post. I’m considering the KH because I might eventually replace the seat with a KH seat. I know a KH seat can be mounted on the cheap post from Coker (I tried it to be sure), but the Coker post doesn’t have as broad a base on the bottom of the seat as a KH post does. The Coker seat will also fit on a KH post, although it’s a tight fit, and might require slight filing of the edges of the KH seat post base (I got far enough to be confident it can be done, without forcing it all the way on).
I don’t anticipate any real extreme riding on this uni - if/when I get that far on a 36, I’ll end up buying a KH 36.
So, any reason not to just go with a cheap and light Coker aluminum seat post, even if I eventually may put on a KH seat?
Thoughts appreciated. . …
Edit: My experiments were with an adjustable KH seat post, although the one I’m considering would be non-adjustable. I assume the holes and seat base platform are the same on the two KH posts.
I’ve found that since the Coker seatpost brackets are narrower that I have to tighten the bolts further to prevent side to side wobble of the saddle on the post. After that there are no problems though.
I replaced my Coker saddle’s cover (glued and stapled) with a laced KH cover and found that it more easily fit the T7 handle bar base, which is wide like the KH seatposts. It’s not the molded seat base itself that’s making it a squeeze to get on.
I don’t think it matters much if you go for the aluminum Coker or the KH. I guess that the Coker is probably weaker so that if you pull up on your seat a lot you may eventually crack it but you said you weren’t going to be to forceful with this uni. In my limited experience such a failure of a seat post is not catastrophic and so won’t likely cause a serious accident.
Maybe somebody who has broken a Coker Al post can fill us in on it’s failure mode though.
Unless you are using a saddle mounted bar (KH T bar, GB4, or simmilar) I don’t think that seatpost strength is much of an issue for 36ers.
Personally I would just get whichever is cheeper assuming the weights are reasonably close.
Thanks for the comments.
I definitely do plan to use a handle on this uni, once I get more comfortable on it. I own a KH T-bar and a Coker pi bar; if/when I upgrade to a KH seat, I’ll probably be using the T-bar. So that’s enough to make me think I probably should go ahead and get a stronger seatpost.
My preference would be a KH forged in black at $22, but UDC (US) is out of stock. Any thoughts on the Nimbus alloy seatpost strength for use with a seat-mounted handle? Or should I just pony up the the extra $8 and get a KH forged in silver?