# any downside to extended seatpost if you don't need it?



## Mrklaw (28 Aug 2018)

The bike (Brompton) I'm picking up today has an extended seat post - didn't spot it in the description, and it was on the website under the normal 'M6L' button so I wasn't looking for it.

Any particular downsides? I can't use the standard post fully extended anyway, so I have to find and mark the correct position. Does it affect how easy it is to carry?

I suppose worst case I could swap it out - think its only about £30 for a replacement black edition post and do they swap out easily?



(edited to add in the name of the bike..)


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## Racing roadkill (28 Aug 2018)

What’s the bike?


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## Mrklaw (28 Aug 2018)

Racing roadkill said:


> What’s the bike?



sorry - Brompton.


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## KneesUp (28 Aug 2018)

The longer post will add weight too. Not sure if that will bother you though.


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## Mrklaw (28 Aug 2018)

sounds not enough of an issue to stop me picking it up. And if it gets on my wick I should be able to pass it on to someone that wants an extended one in black.


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## Mrklaw (28 Aug 2018)

ok - it doesn't fit under my desk at work. Dealbreaker :P


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## Nibor (28 Aug 2018)

Mrklaw said:


> ok - it doesn't fit under my desk at work. Dealbreaker :P


It won't make it that tall


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## Mrklaw (28 Aug 2018)

Nibor said:


> It won't make it that tall



well it does :P I reckon I'm 3-4cm too high with the seat post down. Anyway have ordered a standard one from brilliant bikes, should be here this week hopefully. Anyone want a nice shiny black extended seat post? CBA to post it though


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## Nibor (28 Aug 2018)

Might be worth looking at the seat height setting thing when you replace it as you need the post out to do it. I am lucky the extended post is exactly the right length


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## rogerzilla (28 Aug 2018)

Main one is that it doesn't achieve the claimed folded size. On the upside, a small blinky lamp high up the seatpost won't need removal for folding.

Most men need (or should have) the extended post. It gives a max saddle height of about 31" from the BB centre. Unless you're quite short, your saddle is likely to be too low on the standard post.


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## Mrklaw (28 Aug 2018)

rogerzilla said:


> Main one is that it doesn't achieve the claimed folded size. On the upside, a small blinky lamp high up the seatpost won't need removal for folding.
> 
> Most men need (or should have) the extended post. It gives a max saddle height of about 31" from the BB centre. Unless you're quite short, your saddle is likely to be too low on the standard post.



I might need to double check how I'm sitting then. I'm 5'11" and the seat on the rental brompton I had was definitely too high. Although I think that was a telescopic, and I don't know the 'untelescoped' length to compare.


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## Nibor (28 Aug 2018)

I am 6' and 31" inside leg and it fits me perfectly at full extension (the long one)


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## rogerzilla (28 Aug 2018)

I'm 5'10" and 32" inside leg and I need the extended post all the way up (Ti extended post, which is fractionally shorter than the steel extended post). My saddle height is between 30.25" and 30.5" depending on crank length.

Yes, telescopic posts are longer than extended posts.


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## Mrklaw (28 Aug 2018)

Had a look at Brompton junction and their extended seat post seems to collapse lower than mine - not with my bike but there was about 6” between the top of the tube and the bottom of the seat on mine, and much less on theirs. Will measure tomorrow but theirs was 66cm from floor to top of seat


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## Kell (29 Aug 2018)

I hired the M3L with the telescopic seat post and found it really useful for setting the saddle height correctly. You pull out the bottom bit all the way, and then set the top bit to your preferred riding height. When folding, you only lower the bottom bit and then when you unfold and pull the bottom bit right up, it's perfectly set.

I didn't feel like I needed the telescopic one when I bought my own, so went for the extended version, which I don't need all the way up - so used the plastic shim thing to get it to the right height.

Interestingly, the telescopic one when folded using the method above went that little bit lower than the extended one.


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## Mrklaw (29 Aug 2018)

colleague at work that has a brompton came and had a look over mine. Gave the frame a squish while folded and the seat dropped another 4 inches :P Didn't even realise that was a thing


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## Kell (29 Aug 2018)

I suppose that depends on whether or not you're folding it in the correct sequence.

Seat post should go down last. If you try and put it down before the front end is tucked in, then it won't go down far enough.

Also, I forgot to add, I hacksawed about a 1/2 inch off the bottom of the rubber bung on mine. 

Long story but as I say the telescopic one I hired fitted into the back of our mini convertible when folded, but the extended seatpost was really close to not going in. So every time I had to to try and squeeze it into the boot, the seat rubbed on the lip of the opening. Even that extra half-inch makes all the difference. (oo-er missus).


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## Banjo (7 Mar 2019)

Seatpost down locks it into folded position ,sounds like something was hindering the bike folding completely.

I am 5ft 91/2. The standard post fully extended is right for me which makes life simple ,just pull it all the way and good to go.


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## TheDoctor (22 Mar 2019)

I turned the Pentaclip t'other way up on mine, and moved it about until it felt right.
Standard seatpost all the way up = perfect fit


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## kais01 (21 Apr 2019)

actually, with a 60 cm extended post my brommies just barely fit under office desks.

i am 175cm 5'9" and have by a small margin too long legs for the standard post, even with reversed pentaclip.

so have some excess margin with the extended post. to get correct extension every time when unfolding i have put two rounds of electrical tape at an appropriate height round the lower part of the post.


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## Kell (25 Apr 2019)

kais01 said:


> actually, with a 60 cm extended post my brommies just barely fit under office desks.
> 
> i am 175cm 5'9" and have by a small margin too long legs for the standard post, even with reversed pentaclip.
> 
> so have some excess margin with the extended post. to get correct extension every time when unfolding i have put two rounds of electrical tape at an appropriate height round the lower part of the post.



You could invest in the plastic shim which provides a stop when pulling the post up. 

It takes a bit of fettling (I didn’t cut mine enough the first couple of times, so the seat was too low), but eventually got it right.


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## kais01 (25 Apr 2019)

well electrical tape is an abundant asset, and does the job perfectly


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## Kell (26 Apr 2019)

Does the tape stop the seatpost coming up? Or is it a guide? 

The shim's useful as it provides a hard stop. But then mine came with the bike so it was free.


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## kais01 (28 Apr 2019)

yes, two rounds of it at approprate height gives a hard stop. saddle is raised to same level every time.

it is also easy to adjust, just remove it and apply on a different height.


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## Blaugrana (7 Jul 2019)

kais01 said:


> yes, two rounds of it at approprate height gives a hard stop. saddle is raised to same level every time.
> 
> it is also easy to adjust, just remove it and apply on a different height.



You have provided the answer to my next question. Thank you.


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