Lay-back posts

I don’t get it, why do so many people use lay-back posts?

Seems to me lots of people who wouldn’t dream of buying a frame with a ‘relaxed’ 71 deg seat tube angle go and buy one instead with a 73/4 deg angle - but then they fit a lay-back post so that their saddle position relative to the pedals is the same as it would have been with a 71 deg frame.

I know some of them might say a straight post would make their riding position too short, but then doesn’t that just mean they should have chosen a longer frame?

Surely you should get the right length of frame and only adjust lay-back/seat tube angle in relation to how powerful/active a pedalling position you want to have - 74 deg and a straight post being powerful/active, while lay-back or a 70/71 deg seat tube angle (which are equivalent) both give you a less powerful but more relaxed pedalling posture?

Or is this yet another of my many blind spots?

I'm with you on this one.

the only thing is that a lay-back post would allow a more vertical seat-tube an therefore a shorter back-end

they look better.

Wu-Tangled":1tjuzw78 said:

they look better.

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My sarcasm sensor failed to pick up anything here.
They look dreadful!

Wu-Tangled":3r0trp69 said:

they look better.

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Are you blind :!:

I agree with Anthony, I think layback posts look rubbish, and from my experience a layback post is a good way to get a sore back. The seatpost angle is 73deg for an ergonomic reason folks (only those with abnormaly long/short femers would need anything else).

If I see a nice bike with a layback Thompson on it you can be pretty sure the owner is a poser not a rider :twisted:

Plus you can't drop the saddle all the way into the frame for those really sketchy descents

messiah":253xp7w6 said:

If I see a nice bike with a layback Thompson on it you can be pretty sure the owner is a poser not a rider :twisted:

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Looks like you summed me up there then.

I bought mine as the forks I had at the time were suspension corrected & sat the front end up too much - now I'm on the look out for an inline post but purely because I'm a little too stretched out now. I dont think they look ugly, but each to their own.

I never had any back issues, etc & certainly wouldnt consider myself a poser

Just looked at my green jockey wheels & I'll take back that last comment

as you have said for a frame with a given reach when seated you can achieve this by either a steeper seat tube angle and a layback post or a slacker angle and an in-line. However this does not mean that all is equal because the bottom bracket position swings forward with a slacker seat angle to maintain the same reach, meaning that when your standing up out of the saddle the bike feels shorter than an equivalent frame with a steeper seat angle. Whether this is a good thing or not is up to how you like your bikes to feel.

Ever since way back when, I have always used in line posts. First bought a USE as it was real light. Then realised that my pedalling was much better with a more forward postion.

Now I cannot buy a post unless it is inline. Bear in mind though that none of my backs are of the slack angled variety.

Also, bent posts do just look bent to me :? Not wright.

Wu-Tangled":1d9641c1 said:

Looks like you summed me up there then.

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Looks like you've been rumbled Gus!!

messiah":1d9641c1 said:

Plus you can't drop the saddle all the way into the frame for those really sketchy descents

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Isn't the above perhaps confusing layback posts e.g. USE Alien, Race Face XY with those with a 'kink' (insert joke of choice here) e.g. Thomson? Surely a regular layback post could drop as far into the frame as an inline?