Roval Terra Carbon Post: Checkpoint – by Guitar Ted
Seat posts like the Roval Carbon Terra have been around a good while now. These seat posts that have a certain amount of flex which can make a bicycle feel smoother on rough roads. This is a passive form of suspension that is different from vibration reduction. As rough road/gravel riders, it is the vibration reduction part that matters the most.
The Terra Carbon post from Roval, which we introduced previously here, has a claimed vibration reduction. It also has a claimed 18mm of ‘travel’ to help reduce rider fatigue and smooth out the ride. In this post I try to separate that flex from what the Terra Carbon might be doing to reduce vibrations.
Ride Performance: I’ve had many hours now on this seat post and I will say that, while I don’t know the exact amount of travel, that there is noticeable relief from bumps and sharp edged features which you might find on gravel or back roads. I’ve ridden the Specialized CGR post a fair bit right before this Terra Carbon post was installed and there is a similar smoothing out of bumps with it compared to the Terra Carbon. So, if you’ve been on a CGR post, you could expect similar results, depending upon how much seat post extension you have.
Vibration reduction is another thing altogether. Does the Terra Carbon have anything to offer there? In my opinion, it does, yes. I have noted less vibrations coming through the saddle now with this post than I have with some others. In fact, it edges out my previous favorite post, the PRO brand Carbon Discover post which I also reviewed.
There is a bit of a gremlin I have been chasing down with this seat post. That would be an occasional creak when I am putting down the power going up hills, as an example. Re-torquing fasteners has helped almost eliminate the noise, but this is not 100% resolved yet. It should also be noted that it may have nothing to do with this seat post. Hopefully by the next update I will have determined exactly what this is.
So Far… The Roval Terra Carbon post has a definite smoothing effect upon the ride, if you have a fair amount of seat post extension with the bicycle you install it in. The compliance is there, but so is a perceptible amount of vibration reduction coming up through the saddle. There is a bit of a creaking issue I have been tracking down but a tightening of fasteners on the clamp for the saddle rails seems to have taken most of that away. I’ll report back in my final update dubbed “At The Finish” soon.
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.