Deda Elementi Superleggero 25mm Setback Seatpost

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.

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.

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