Is this gravel bike suspension? Ergon CF Allroad Pro Carbon - Install & Review

Detailed install and review of the Ergon CF Allroad Pro Carbon seatpost (previously known as the CF3 aka Canyon VCLS post) for Gravel &/or comfort/endurance bikes. Utilizing their VCLS carbon leaf spring design. Comfort and/or Suspension?

Tools used:
4mm Hex wrench
Torque wrench 2-15nm (5 & 7 nm settings)
Plumb bob
Spirit level
Yard/Meter stick

0:21 Does it flex?
1:34 Install
7:31 Conclusions

#gravelbike

[MattieHagedorn]

For the past 20 years I've been riding on a USE titanium post that's so thin and flexible it offers an impressive amount of ride smoothing capabilities. You can actually grab the seat and see it flex. After seeing all the labor this leaf spring post requires, I'm glad I bought the Ti post 20 years ago. Lots of people out there don't realize how comfy a high end Ti post is.

[fukairen]

Dude, excellent video and your voice is so comfort!

[mfosiecki]

Excellent review and commentary. I've run an Ergon/Canyon seat post for four years. All the setup tricks are spot on, and yes, if you're saddle-adjustment obsessed, this is indeed not the post for you. For washboardy gravel, this post most certainly is worth it, especially on rugged descents, allowing me to stay seated much longer than with a rigid post. It was also necessary to shim my post to get the creaks out. Dust and small stones get wedged between the two halves over time, so I dismantle and clean all the parts every time I replace my tire sealant.

[NilfNilf]

A point often missed: A flex post also gives better GRIP, just like the suspension in a car does:

(Reason: The spring mechanism will ‘press’ the bike into the road’s depressions & unevennesses faster than gravity alone would)

[zdravo]

You said Aluminium, now you have my attention and respect 👍

[nekekaminger]

Interesting that you found the setup so painful. I think it's much more user friendly than most other seat posts I've had to deal with so far. Especially changing the saddle is super easy, just loosen two screws, take out the saddle, put in the new one and tighten again. No need to disassemble the whole thing and even the angle stays the same without having to readjust anything. I don't generally use saddles with carbon rails though, so that might make a difference.
Incompatibility with DI2 is a real bummer though, I'd love to have one of these on my Aethos.

[manabiker]

If you want to test gravel suspension come to Michigan, with the freeze thaw every year, the roads are mean, the road crews try but they lay down rocks not gravel to fill the mud in, the potholes are the size of a car, I love the snowpacked roads cuz' the snow fills in the holes, rocks, and makes for smoother roads below 30f the lower you go the getter the roads, the sun comes out and ruins everything, , seat post/stem work, but some actual light weight suspension is needed.. 40+mm tires help, but I hit a wash out across the road on my Epic EVO as 40mph and bottomed out the 120mm Rock Shox Ultimate.. set up for trails.. Gravel is mean in Michigan..

[thecappy]

I have the ergon/canyon post on my road bike. It really does help especially skinny tire shitty pavement. My gravel bike has di2 so I use the syntax carbon post on that. That also has some nice flex to it.

[jonhume]

fwiw I have run both the RedShift (works well) and ThudBuster LT (creak fest) seat posts for extended periods, and the Ergon will give similar large amounts of flex to those solutions. They all worked brilliantly to improve saddle comfort but are no longer on my bikes. The unfixable problem with the large amounts of flex approach to comfort is that every time a bump is hit, all that extra flex significantly shortens the seat height relative to pedals and mucks up bike fit. Extra flex ends up being a great for short blasts - possibly longer smooth rides - but on longer and bumpier rides it will unfortunately absolutely kill the legs.

[charliewhiskey]

Have been eyeing this one for years, but I could never get past the cost.

[teragira]

Mantap masukannya... Inti nya upgrade sesuai kebutuhan, sesuaikan dengan kekuatan fisik dan gaya bersepeda kita, jangan tujuannya upgrade malah jadi downgrade krn fisik tidak mendukung

[jameshoward]

Very good review! Genuinely, I do think comfort is often the limiting factor for gravel - the surfaces around me are course sub-base and 4 hours or so is a number! That said, I've been thinking of these, but while I can see a compression/extension advantage, I can't see much benefit for chatter. And then two workshop issues maybe you've had: build up of grit between the 'leaves' and water drain down between them and into the bb?

[tonyg]

Just by watching the beginning and seeing your seatpost I could tell there was room for improvement in terms of comfort. Straight, round seatpost with no offset is bound to be less than optimal on gravel.
I myself am a huge fan of Spesh CGR, yeah ugly I know but super comfy. Too bad they dont make them anymore.

[steveco]

I think the Redshift Shockstop suspension post is a better option which uses springs for actual suspension. I use it on my XC hardtail. Get the spring rate right and it doesn't bob or feel too bouncy. I think it looks pretty discreet as well.

[matthewyaron]

Interesting seat post, i think you should set the angle first while not locking it down while it's in the seat tube, than mark that angle with a piece of tape, pull it out than lock it down if that makes sense!! My 2 cents!! Cheers

[gnorts]

Did you experience any problems mountain this saddle?
The instructions say that the distance between the rail guide lines must not exceed 42mm.
That's why the saddle doesn't fit on the seat post clamps at all. I'm afraid of bending the rails or that it will break if I force it in there.

[ellerybice]

Try an ISM saddle, they have a trial test program to assist in proper selection.

[aaronpyre]

What about the brooks rails won’t work with this seatpost?
The carbon rails on the Cambium carbon saddles are the standard 7x9mm.

[gabrielmarias]

Hi, i wonder if with a 7kg bikepacking saddle bag could brake it...

And since i dont have too much space between my frame and saddle, how much cm need to be out at the frame at the minimim height?
Thanks

[peterliljebladh]

Wouldn't it be easier to mount the post, adjust the angle and mark it. Then remove the post and tighten it at the corespondent mark? Or is the resistance too great once inserted into the bike?