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review

Pro Vibe Seatpost 27.2 Layback

8
£79.99

VERDICT:

8
10
Comfortable, easy to adjust, strong and looks great, but there are lighter posts out there
Weight: 
250g

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The Pro Vibe is a very comfortable seatpost with easy adjustment of the saddle angle. It's strong, too, but you can go quite a bit lighter for the same money.

  • Pros: Easy saddle angle adjustment, very strong, comfortable on rough terrain
  • Cons: There are lighter options at this price point

Seatposts are not the most glamorous of components, but a good one can improve your ride and make maintenance much easier. I found this Pro Vibe post to be very strong and comfortable both on and off road.

> Find your nearest dealer here

I used this seatpost on both my road and cyclo-cross bikes. Both times, it was easy to set my saddle height and get the saddle nice and flat. Out on the road, I experienced no slips in height or angle at a torque of 5Nm.

pro_vibe_seatpost_27.2_layback_5.jpg

Swapping over from an inline post, you can certainly feel the benefit of the 20mm layback. The post kills road buzz really nicely. That means you could run slightly higher tyre pressures for the same comfort, but I was pretty happy with how the bike felt at 80psi.

After swapping this over onto my cross bike, I was happy to find the post continuing to hold the saddle firmly in position, even after a few heavy landings during remounts. The post performed very well in a crash that saw the bike bouncing down the CX course. No movement of the saddle – although I wouldn't recommend testing it yourself!

Weight is often a key reason for changing your seatpost and at 250g, the Pro Vibe is good, but not the best. Thomson's Elite seatpost (£79.99) comes in at 228g in the 16mm layback option. Personally, I find that the best way to lose weight from this component is to cut it down. After all, you only need the minimum insertion length to ensure the post's safety.

pro_vibe_seatpost_27.2_layback_3.jpg

Whereas the Pro uses a single bolt in the saddle rail clamp, the Thomson uses a two-bolt system. Both are easy to use, though you might find the Thomson better for very fine saddle tilt adjustments.

pro_vibe_seatpost_27.2_layback_2.jpg

You could also turn to carbon posts, but then you're looking north of £100 for a negligible weight saving. The carbon version of this post, for example, is £199 and weighs 214g.

> 9 ways to make your bike more comfortable

Pro doesn't advertise this post as being Di2 compatible, but you can easily fit a bung, or even more easily, wrap the battery in bar tape and wedge it in. I've done this for a few seasons now and it works perfectly.

This is a very good post that offers a decent weight and very clean aesthetics. You can go lighter, though.

Verdict

Comfortable, easy to adjust, strong and looks great, but there are lighter posts out there

If you're thinking of buying this product using a cashback deal why not use the road.cc Top Cashback page and get some top cashback while helping to support your favourite independent cycling website

road.cc test report

Make and model: Pro Vibe Seatpost 27.2 Layback

Size tested: 27.2mm, layback

Tell us what the product is for and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?

From Pro: "Seatposts can easily be mistaken for a simple alloy or carbon tube. But it's an essential part of your equipment. The amount of flex in a seatpost determines the comfort of your ride. Our Vibe seatposts have the right amount of stiffness to ensure maximum power transfer without losing your comfort out of sight. Align all forces to work in favour of you – Go for our PRO Vibe seatposts."

Pro seems to have got this spot on. I got some comfort out of the post with the road buzz being muted well.

Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?

From Pro:

Vibe Alloy seatpost

Material: Alloy

Length: 350mm

Diameter: 27,2mm

Weight: From 234g

Layback: 20mm

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
9/10

The single bolt clamp works well and looks very tidy.

Rate the product for performance:
 
9/10

Really nice. Easy to set up and then comfortable out on the road.

Rate the product for durability:
 
9/10

At 5Nm, the seatpost clamp hasn't bitten into the post. There are also no signs that it's been crashed.

Rate the product for weight (if applicable)
 
6/10

It's okay, but there are lighter options.

Rate the product for comfort (if applicable)
 
8/10

This 20mm layback seatpost soaks up road buzz very well.

Rate the product for value:
 
5/10

You get a great-looking and strong seatpost that will last, but there are lighter options for the same rrp (and currently cheaper).

Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose

It was very good. I could feel the difference between the 20mm layback on this and the inline seatpost that I was using before.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

The post is really strong making it perfect for CX use.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

The weight is slightly higher than its rivals.

How does the price compare to that of similar products in the market, including ones recently tested on road.cc?

The RRP is the same as the Thomson Elite but that one is lighter – and currently discounted.

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes

Would you consider buying the product? Yes, this would be perfect for my CX bike.

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yep

Use this box to explain your overall score

The Pro Vibe seatpost gains points for being easy to set up, comfortable to ride and strong in a crash. It loses a few points for being heavier than other options at the same price.

Overall rating: 8/10

About the tester

Age: 24  Height: 177cm  Weight: 62kg

I usually ride: Cannondale Supersix Di2  My best bike is:

I've been riding for: 5-10 years  I ride: Most days  I would class myself as: Expert

I regularly do the following types of riding: road racing, time trialling, cyclo-cross, commuting, club rides, general fitness riding, I specialise in the Cafe Ride!

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