Roval Terra Carbon Post: At The Finish – by Guitar Ted
With Winter having come down upon the Mid-West (and elsewhere in North America) it is time to wrap up the review of this Roval Terra Carbon seat post. I’ve been able to get plenty of rides on this post since the last update, thankfully, so I can give you all my final verdict here.
First- A little house keeping. In that last update I reported that was hearing a creak and that I needed to track that down. Well, as it turns out this was a bottom bracket related issue. After I had tightened the clamp of the Terra Carbon post, this bottom bracket creak was the only noise I heard, and that rarely. So just to be clear- The Roval Terra Carbon post was dead quiet during the final portion of this test.
At The Finish: So, is the Terra Carbon post a good item with which a rider could relieve themselves from vibrations and bumps? Yes. It does a great job taking the edge off of bumps and rough road chatter. However; this is dependent upon seat post extension. Obviously, a bicycle with a level top tube, or rider positioning that requires little seat post extension will not benefit from the Terra Carbon post. The extension length determines how much flex will be available, and it also determines any vibration reduction benefits as well. So, this Terra Carbon post will not work for everyone or every set up.
Also, this is an expensive seat post. At well North of $200.00 we are starting to look at titanium seat post prices, and while titanium posts offer their own, very different benefits, it is worth considering the differences here. To wit: Remember that carbon C-GR post I mentioned in the last update? Well, it broke about a centimeter above the seat post clamp near the end of a ride where I didn’t see a small depression in a dirt road and my body weight was pressed down on the saddle somewhat suddenly. Something a metal seat post would have dealt with all day long. Now, this is not an indictment of the Terra Carbon post, but……..considering the price of this post at $250.00, it might behoove a rider to consider a similarly priced titanium post, especially if you are putting more weight on the back via a seat pack, a ruck sack, or what have you.
Given that you might be using the Terra Carbon for racing, or longer rides with minimal gear, the Terra Carbon should perform just fine, and be nice and light. This post weighed in at 233 grams which is also competitive with some metal posts, but with the claimed flex and vibration absorbing qualities, this seat post could prove to be just the thing to make your ride that much more buttery-smooth. I thoroughly enjoyed the ride quality of this seat post and I would not want to return to a more rigid type of post after having experienced the Terra Carbon. With the right rider, bike, and expectations, this post could prove to be a winner. It does what Roval claims it should do.
For more details on this seat post see the webpage here: https://rovalcomponents.com/products/terra-seat-post#
Note: Roval Components sent over the Roval Terra Carbon Post for test and review at no charge to Riding Gravel. We were not bribed,nor paid, to do this review and we always strive to give our honest thoughts and opinions throughout.