What a light seatpole!
“It feels almost forbiddingly light in my hand. After fitting, I check the flex by pushing the saddle forwards and backwards with my hand. I can see how the carbon works and I’m delighted: it looks really comfortable!” Eric Gutglück, Roadbike editor.
For more information on the test, see Seatpost test ROADBIKE 2022-04
Construction
Like all our products in the TLO series, our straight full carbon seatposts are hand-wound (about carbon) from the best prepregs available on the market to suit your weight and riding style. Compared to standard carbon seatposts, these lightweight seatposts are designed to be more vertically compliant without sacrificing lateral or torsional stiffness, resulting in a noticeably more comfortable ride without losing energy. The head clamps the saddle frame at 4 points. Thanks to the slightly rounded aluminium clamping parts and the large contact surface of the carbon half-shell, even sensitive carbon saddle racks are not subjected to excessive stress. The saddle mount is designed for both oval and round saddle racks. The width must not exceed 8 mm and the height 12 mm.
The 5 mm Ti6Al4V titanium bolts are designed as expansion bolts to withstand MTB stresses without damage. The tube is only constructed from up to 23 extremely thin layers of carbon fibre prepreg in the particularly stressed areas. In the stress-free zones, this number drops to 7 layers. Unfortunately, this sophisticated construction is very complex and cannot be realised in Asia. Cheap “Chinese seatposts” are only built with a constant wall thickness, which greatly simplifies production but adds unnecessary weight. For lightweight carbon seatposts in particular, countless test bench trials are necessary to work out the optimum design for each length and diameter. We also take into account different rider weights so that we do not supply the heavy standard seatpost for light riders, as companies with standard production have to do.
Weights and Sizes
| Total Length in mm | 250 | 280 |
300 |
350 |
400 |
| Minimum insert in mm | 75 | 80 | 80 |
85 |
90 |
| Length outside the frame in mm | 125-175 | 150-200 |
160-220 |
195-265 |
230-310 |
| Weight ø27,2 Road UD | 75g |
77g |
81g |
87g |
- |
| Weight ø30,9 Road UD | 77g |
79g |
83g |
91g |
- |
| Weight ø31,6 Road UD | 78g |
80g |
84g |
92g |
- |
| Weight ø27,2 for MTB | 80g |
82g |
86g |
95g |
105g |
| Weight ø30,9 for MTB | 85g |
87g |
91g |
100g |
110g |
| Weight ø31,6 for MTB | 88g |
90g |
94g |
103g |
113g |
| Weight ø34,9 for MTB | 93g |
95g |
99g |
107g |
116g |
Specifications
| Weight | 100g |
| Diameter | 34.9mm, 30.9mm, 31.6mm, 27.2mm |
| Length | 190mm, 200mm, 220mm, 250mm, 280mm, 300mm, 350mm, 400mm, 450mm |
| Rider Weight | 0-75kg, 76-95kg, 96-110kg |
| Bike Type | Gravel, MTB, Roadbike |
| Colour | Black edition, Team Edition Red/White |
Ordering information
Our seatposts are reinforced where they are loaded by the seatpost clamp, so they must not be sunk too far into the frame! Please do not buy a seatpost that is too long in order to saw it off! We want to customise the overall length and flex of your seatpost as much as possible. Therefore, please measure the extension of the seatpost from the top of the frame to the centre of the saddle rails. You can then use this measurement to determine the required overall length of your carbon seatpost using the table above. If, for example, your exposed seatpost length is 170 mm, the 280 mm seatpost is the best for you (length outside the frame in mm 150 – 200). The 250 mm seatpost would be too short (length outside the frame in mm 125 – 175). Please let us know the measured extension!
Surface options
All our lightweight carbon seatposts are unpainted to avoid adding unnecessary weight. Above all, the epoxy surface is much more resistant than any paint finish, so it won’t get scratched as quickly. All our lightweight carbon seatposts come in the current matt look. TLO seatposts can be ordered in 1k fabric or UD. 1k is the classic carbon look with (biaxial) crossed fibres. With UD (unidirectional), all carbon fibres run in one direction. This gives the surface a uniform black, almost painted look. In general, UD carbon parts are a few grams heavier than 1K carbon parts. You can find out more about UD and 1k here
Color options
To create the perfect look on your bike, all TLO seatposts are available in 3 different logo colours: Schmolke Edition (red / white), Black Edition and White Edition.
You can find the UD version of the seatpost here.
Installation manual for TLO Road seatpost
Installation manual for TLO MTB seatpost
Always use a torque spanner for installation!
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More layers, less weight
No question: carbon is light. But the weight alone says nothing about the quality and thus the durability of a seat post. The decisive factor is the layer structure, i.e. the arrangement and alignment of the carbon fibres (prepregs). SCHMOLKE always relies on a component-appropriate design with an intelligent layer structure and a precise angular arrangement of the hand-laid carbon layers.
The TLO (The Lightest One) seat posts are made of high-quality T1000 carbon fibre. The tube is made up of up to 17 extremely thin carbon fibre layers (prepregs) only in the particularly stressed areas. In the “stress-free” zones, this number drops to 6. Countless test bench trials are necessary to work out the optimum structure for each seatpost length and diameter.
„This sophisticated construction is very elaborate and not feasible in Asia. Cheap Chinese props are built with a constant wall thickness throughout, which greatly simplifies production but adds unnecessary weight,“ Stefan Schmolke reveals.
Click here to learn more about the quality and workmanship of our products.
Higher flex, perfect finish
SCHMOLKE Carbon seat posts are not only light as a feather, but also tough. They noticeably dampen vibrations when riding on the road and absorb bumps when graveling or mountain biking off-road. The hard rear of the bike becomes much more comfortable thanks to the high elasticity (flex) of the seatpost – the pressure on the rider’s seat area is reduced. You can invest the saved energy perfectly in your performance.
A few words about the finish: All our lightweight carbon seat posts are unpainted, which saves additional weight. The epoxy finish in noble matt black is much more resistant than any paint finish – and it also protects against surface scratches. TLO seat posts can be ordered in 1k fabric or in UD. 1k is the classic carbon look with biaxially woven fibres. With UD (unidirectional), all carbon fibres run in one direction. This gives the surface a uniform black, almost painted look. UD carbon parts are only minimally heavier than the 1K carbon parts.
The SL and TLO seatposts regularly achieve top values for flex and weight in test series. Click here for the test reports.
The table gives you an overview of the weights and dimensions of the lightweight TLO 1K seatpost with diameters of 27.2 and 31.6 millimetres for road bikes. They fit all road bikes without adapters – for a perfect bike fitting.
By the way: no Setback please
In the past, seatposts with setback (i.e. with offset) were the order of the day. In today’s modern frame geometries they hardly play a role any more. Seatposts without setback are straight, the saddle is directly above the seatpost without offset. You sit more centrally on the bike. And you achieve a stronger, forward leaning riding position. Without setback, the seatposts are lighter because they do not require additional wall reinforcement.
3-years warranty on SCHMOLKE Carbon seatposts
In addition to the legal warranty of 2 years, you receive a one-year warranty on top of all SCHMOLKE carbon seat posts. For the full warranty claim, simply register your product directly after purchase.
Even after the warranty has expired and in the event of irreparable damage (e.g. due to an accident), you can make use of our Crash Replacement Service. If you buy a new SCHMOLKE Carbon product as a replacement, we will grant you a discount on the respective list price. The discount depends on the age of the product. Therefore, please be sure to send us proof of purchase.