• Syncros FL Micro-Adjust 7075 seatpost
• £54.99
• www.jungleproducts.co.uk; www.syncros.com

Here’s a blast from the past. Syncros was founded in Vancouver in 1987, with its two-bolt micro-adjust seatpost one of its first products alongside the iconic Cattleprod stem. While the two-bolt saddle clamp is commonplace today, back then it was something of an innovation. Syncros has passed through a few owners since then, the Cattleprod has fallen by the wayside, but the Micro-Adjust post is still in the range. We can’t think of many other currently-available MTB parts that have remained essentially unchanged for over 20 years.

The shaft is still 7075 aluminium, while the alloy head is now cold-forged rather than machined. It’s essentially an in-line clamp, although it’s very slightly biased to the rear of the post. It’s no wonder that the design has become so prevalent – it’s easy to set up and adjust and stays put when it’s done. The post is available in 350 or 400mm lengths and a choice of 27.2, 30.9 or 31.6mm diameters, which covers most contemporary bikes. Claimed weight is 210g for a 27.2 – unsurprisingly the 30.9 we had weighed a whisker more, but it’s still a respectably light post.

As well as the graphics shown here, the post is also available with Syncros’s current “grunge” graphics. Obviously if you’re putting together a retro-themed bike you’ll want to plump for good old black and white, although the 2009 graphics aren’t the same as the 1987 ones so you’ll be rumbled by the real retro geeks.

Syncros puts the Micro-Adjust post in its “FL” XC/Marathon category, although we wouldn’t have any qualms about running it on something a little more big-hitting. In theory the bonded-on head is a potential weak spot, but you’d have to try pretty hard to break it. It’s not a particularly scary price, either.

Ups and downs

Positives: Retro of the best kind – it worked then, it works now

Negatives: Habitual breakers of posts may want something one-piece; if you need layback, look elsewhere

Verdict

We don’t ask much of seatposts, really, and the classic Syncros ticks all the boxes – holds the saddle up, stays quiet, hasn’t broken. If you’re hard on posts then you might want to seek out something with a one-piece shaft and clamp, and if you need layback then you’ll need to shop elsewhere, but it’s still a very good post. And the old-schoolness alone will be enough for many riders…

Ratings

Performance: 4/5
Value: 4/5
Overall: 4/5