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review

Deda Elementi Superleggero 25mm Setback Seatpost

7
£249.99

VERDICT:

7
10
Light, comfortable and stylish, but it's not doing much that far cheaper posts can't match
Pretty light
Smooths out rough tarmac
Great clamp
Not that light
Expensive
Weight: 
132g

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The Deda Elementi Superleggero 25mm Setback Seatpost does just what most people want from carbon – it looks trick, saves weight over aluminium and increases comfort. It's a pretty expensive option, though, and you can find lighter posts.

Superleggero is Italian for 'superlight,' and at 172g this is... well, not that super. It's more 'medioleggero' really – 30-odd grams lighter than some £200+ carbon posts we've reviewed recently, but not that impressive against some much cheaper ones.

2023 Deda Elementi Superleggero 25mm Setback Seatpost - detail 2.jpg

The Superleggero gives a noticeable boost in comfort over a typical aluminium post. While it does take a little of the edge off sudden impacts with cracks, potholes and other sharp edges, the extra compliance is most noticeable in the way it softens the high-frequency chatter of old, worn-out road surfaces. It provides useful extra comfort. There's never any sense of it flexing, mind, under either power or impacts.

I tested the 27.2mm version, but there's a 31.8mm diameter post if you need it. There's also a 400mm length option.

Saddles are easy to adjust, thanks to a rugged two-part clamp that features one regular bolt and one thumbwheel. It's a bit of a three-handed faff to get everything lined up when you're attaching the saddle, but once on it's secure, creak-free and pretty quick to adjust.

The hardware is stainless steel and anodised aluminium, stayed immaculate throughout the test, and looks of a quality to easily stand the test of time.

At the other end the post went in my aluminium frame with a light coating of the cheapest carbon grip paste I could find and stayed completely slip-free without excessive torque on the seat collar bolt.

2023 Deda Elementi Superleggero 25mm Setback Seatpost - detail 3.jpg

As for the bit in between, I personally think it looks great – the mix of matt and gloss works really well, and the smooth swoop of the 25mm layback is very elegant. If you're spending the money, you won't be disappointed when you get it out of the box.

Value

There's no getting away from the price of the Superleggero.

Prime's Primavera Carbon Seatpost is more than £100 cheaper at £129.99 and weighs 185g. Meanwhile, Matthew rated the Mt Zoom Ultralight Inline Carbon Seatpost that is an impressive 148g and costs just £99.95 – okay, that's inline, and with a setback it weighs more (a claimed 172g in fact, exactly the same as this Deda) but that post is also longer at 420mm (the Deda is 350mm) and £114.95.

The Superleggera is closer to the 'premium' end, then, such as the FSA K-Force Light Seatpost SB0 that Hollis liked, which is £201 and 206g, and the Vision Metron SB20 seatpost, which is more again at £235 and 209g, and Simon wasn't convinced it added to comfort.

The Deda matches the PRO Discover Seatpost Carbon at £249.99 though, and handsomely beats its 217g weight, while avoiding the excessive rigidity that John picked up on.

Overall

This is a very nicely made post with noticeable benefits in both comfort and weight, assuming you're upgrading from an alloy one. It's lighter than some of its similarly priced competitors, and in some cases much more compliant too. There's really nothing to dislike except the price... if it weren't for the existence of far cheaper carbon posts with very similar qualities, it would be very easy to recommend.

Verdict

Light, comfortable and stylish, but it's not doing much that far cheaper posts can't match

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road.cc test report

Make and model: Deda Elementi Superleggero 25mm Setback Seatpost

Size tested: 27.2 x 350mm

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?

Deda says: "175 Grams ultralight seatpost designed and developed without compromises in terms of reliability and strength. The 1-bolt clamp system allows an easy and fast assembly. A fine adjustment of the saddle inclination is possible through the adjusting screw on the seatpost head. Compatible with oval-shaped carbon rail."

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

Material:

UD full carbon construction

Hardware: cnc alloy plates; titanium pvd black screws

Length: 350mm or 400mm (Team finish only)

Diameter: Ø 27,2 and 31,6 mm

Setback: 25 mm

Colour: Team or Polish on Black (POB)

Diameters: Team 27,2 350mm (SLSP27TEAM)

Team 31,6mm 350mm (SLSP31TEAM)

Team 27,2mm 400mm (SLSP27TEAM400)

Team 31,6mm 400mm (SLSP31TEAM400)

POB 27,2 350mm (SLSP27POB)

POB 31,6mm 350mm (SLSP31POB)

Weight: 175g (27,2mm - 350mm)

Note: Compatible with a max ø7–9.5 mm oval-shaped rail, Compatible with Deda adapter for DI2 internal battery

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
8/10
Rate the product for performance:
 
8/10
Rate the product for durability:
 
8/10
Rate the product for weight (if applicable)
 
7/10
Rate the product for comfort (if applicable)
 
8/10

Noticeably softens high-frequency vibration.

Rate the product for value:
 
3/10

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

Very well - it's light and provides useful damping against old tarmac's buzzy vibrations.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

Light, comfortable, looks good.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

It's expensive.

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

It's up there at the expensive end in the 'premium' bracket.

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes

Would you consider buying the product? Yes

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes

Use this box to explain your overall score

This does everything you could want, especially if you're upgrading from aluminium – it's light, comfortable, looks good and feels built to last. The only real problem is that some other posts do much the same thing for considerably less money; if this was cheaper it would score higher.

Overall rating: 7/10

About the tester

Age: 48  Height: 183cm  Weight: 78kg

I usually ride: Vitus Zenium SL VR Disc  My best bike is:

I've been riding for: 10-20 years  I ride: A few times a week  I would class myself as: Experienced

I regularly do the following types of riding: general fitness riding, mtb,

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1 comments

Avatar
KDee | 4 months ago
1 like

Given that it's supposed to be light, how much does this actually weigh? Did you put it on a set of scales? In the panel below the title it says 132g. In the second sentence it says 172g, and in the specification table at the bottom it says 175g (which is as per Deda's words and website).

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