Fizik Cyrano Seatpost

The Cyrano is Italian saddle maestros Fizik, sorry Fi'zi:k's first bit of metal hardware and expectations in quality and performance are high. It doesn't disappoint. There's not much that a seatpost needs to do, just hold a saddle securely, not creak, bend or snap, being easy to adjust and fit a saddle onto it is always nice, sometimes it needs to be light and to some it has to look good as well. Despite years of practise with countless designs some seatposts still have a hard time getting it right, sometimes though you get get it right first time and that's what Fizik have done here. 

Perhaps conservatively from a company that uses composites quite freely in their saddles the shaft of the Cyrano is made from good old dependable 7075 aluminium, not that there's anything wrong with it mind you and they fiddle with it a lot. The walls are internally ovalised to be thicker at the front and rear and thinner at the sides to retain fore-aft rigidity whilst still shaving weight, and fingering the inside of the seatpost reveals that the bottom 50mm has been machined away for added lightness, with the angle-cut end further aiding that cause.

The body of the post is finished in a pleasing gloss black all the way down to the 80mm min insertion mark from where it's a matte surface, to aid seatpost stiction, and Fizik, sorry Fi'zi:k, logos are stylishly picked out in both a matte finish and white on this shiny upper section of the Cyrano. The front of the seatpost is subtly marked with 10 insertion lines, each a centimetre apart, useful if you regularly remove and replace the saddle for whatever reason. To back this up there's a a silicone donut ring on the Cyrano that's designed to be slid down to the seatclamp junction to mark the level of insertion should the seatpost be removed making returning the post to the same height tape-measure free, and it also gives a certain level of protection from rain water and road grit running down and seeping into the seat-tube, although this feature might be compromised by the hole in the top of the seatpost underneath the clamp that could be a way for some errant moisture to enter the frame. It's a nice feature but not perfect as the Fi'zi:k donut is not impervious to being carelessly knocked off kilter when out of the bike.

The business part of the seatpost, the clamping mechanism, is a understated yet brilliant work of art and fitting a saddle to the rails takes less time than it took you to read this sentence, and not just those that have to follow with their finger and mouth the words. Although fitting a saddle is not something you usually do every day it's nice that the Cyrano makes it so ridiculously easy, especially since some seatposts start the relationship on the wrong foot by being awkward and needing three hands and the patience of a whole ministry of saints to fit a saddle. On the Fi'zi:k simply undo the rear allen bolt and front thumbwheel a bit, no need to completely undo bolts and remove clamp parts and fiddly washers here, lift up the elegantly sculpted top-clamp, slide one saddle rail into the clamp and then the other. Easy. Tightening the saddle up and setting the right angle is a matter of adjusting the front thumbwheel, which is still a cinch to do with the saddle in place, and then tightening the rear 4mm allen bolt, the correct torque of 8nm is even printed there so you don't forget. Done. The bolt and thumbwheel adjustment makes the saddle angle truly micro-adjustable which is a blessing for those with sensitive bottoms. The only minor issue in all of this is that the head of the 4mm bolt is a little shallow which could lead to slippage and rounding if you use a cheap or worn allen-key, but you wouldn't use an old and tatty allen-key on this seatpost would you? Thought not.

Layback on the Cyrano is between 18mm or 25mm, depending on whether it's measured from the centre of the top or bottom clamps. The top-clamp on the cradle is a mere 25mm long compared to the rangey 45mm of the lower clamp. The extra length of the bottom section spreads clamping forces and gives valuable extra support for lightweight tubular and carbon railed saddles, or if you're one of those riders who likes to smack their saddle all the way back, old school, while the less stressed top clamp is shorter at 25mm to allow plenty of fore and aft movement. The clamp internals are designed to accept both 7mm round rails and those with an oval cross section up to 10.3mm in height.

Saddle on and greased into the bike there is nothing to say about the Cyrano, nothing at all. And that's a good thing when it comes to seatposts. No creaks, no groans, no untoward flex and no uncomfortable stiffness. It's held the saddle at the required height and angle for several months with no complaint. Despite being made from boring fuddy-duddy aluminium rather than sexy on-trend carbon it's not a solid seatpost by any means, even at a short extension by todays pylon seatmast standards buttocks weren't saddle-fisted but it's not a flexy seatpost either so if you're looking for that kind of pliant comfort then point your sensitive cheeks to the spendier carbon version of the Cyrano. The alloy version is light but not gossamer so, but then it's not gumpy heavy, and it even looks nice with refined looks that will compliment any frame. What more can you ask? What more do you need? How about the little Fi'zi:k logoed black sack the Cyrano comes in? Maybe.

Weight - 231g (330mm, 27.2)

Verdict

When a seatpost works there's nothing to say about it, you can't complain about the fiddly saddle mounting procedure, and then you can't whine about the creaking and either the worrying flex or arse-punching rigidity. So there's not much to say about the Fi'zi:k Cyrano, especially as it's a not cheap aluminium post lost in a forest of carbon. But setting up the Cyrano is an absolute joy, after years of fiddling with countless awkward seat-clamps fitting a saddle into this seatpost actually caused laughter with it's simplicity, and then sorting the saddle inclination was similarly joyous. The extra length of the bottom clamp is a great reassurance for those with delicate saddle rails or those run a ways back with the extra strain that puts things under, and it poses the question of why no-one had ever done that before. And even though the little Fi'zi:k silicone post-ring is pretty redundant when the classic bit of unmovable electrical tape does the job just as well it's a nice marketing touch.