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Goodie but oldie, should I get it used or brand new?

As I gather parts for my frame build up I continually have to address the question: should I buy used or should I buy new? Unless you have an unlimited budget I’m sure you’ve probably asked yourself the same question.

Much of this answer will be determined by how much your build budget will allow and what level, or weight, you’re hoping to achieve. In my situation the bike I’m building up is a full suspension 29er and my budget is “really small” while also shooting for durable, weight conscious (not weight weenie) bike.

Sounds like an oxymoron right? Finding parts that are durable and weight conscious but are light on the budget are typically not compatible features in bike parts. But, I think it can be done or maybe I just hope it can be done. To help along this process, I had to consider buying used equipment. But what should I buy used and what should I buy new?

Durable and weight conscious, too bad it’s not cheap

For some advice on this, I turned to a friend who enjoys shopping for bike parts and asked for his thoughts. His rule for his bikes, of which he has many, is that drivetrain stuff like cranks/cassette/chain should be purchased new as to avoid weird wear patterns from prior usage. Control stuff like handlebars, stems, saddle, seatpost, can be bought used as long as they’re not too used.

Practical advice. Another piece of advice that I’ve learned is to be patient. A major factor I have on my side is time. I am not in a rush to build this bike up because I have access to other bikes. This gives me the option to wait for great deals to come along or to search the classifieds.

Score! Time permitted me to wait and I was able to nab this for cheap!

Having time allowed me to score a great deal on some gently used Easton Monkey Lite XC bars. Initially I had set my sites on any brand’s high end aluminum handlebars as this fit my “durable and weight conscious but also wallet friendly” budget. I figured that a manufacturer’s top of the line aluminum bars would be light weight and durable but not as expensive as carbon fiber bars. However, since I had time I was also keeping my eyes peeled on the used market which turned out pretty well, if I say so myself.

In the case of these bars I was able to achieve all of the parameters previously outlined for the build. Will this happen for all the bike parts? Probably not. But a man can hope, right?

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There’s been a considerable amount of questions regarding this particular seatpost, and for good reason. As I stated previously, if this seatpost worked it could very well be one of the best deals out there. At a selling price of $34.98, it is approximately 15% of the cost of the 2nd least expensive offering(Gravity Dropper). First off, let’s take a quick look at what else is available in the dropping seatpost market.

(Left to right)

Gravity Dropper($239.98)

Maverick Speedball($248.86)

Crank Bros Joplin($274.98)

These are prices I got from different websites but you may be able to find them for fairly cheaper(or fairly more expensive). Also note, I have not tested any of these other seatposts. All have a handlebar switch which the Ryde seatpost does not. A minor downside if this one worked correctly. My hope was that this would be the Sam Cassell of seatposts…not the best looking but still a champion.

The red lever is all you have to deal with on the Sette Ryde ST-850. It’s just that simple. However, the one “issue” you’ll run into is weighting the seatpost at the proper angle. At first I was jumping and slamming my weight straight down, with little result. I’m 155 pounds so I was afraid I was too light. This was most definitely not the case. It’s a very easy technique but took me about 3 rides to figure out and perfect. The video below shows me weighting the seat with my arm but here’s how to make your Ryde seatpost work in the real application.

How to weight your Ryde ST-850:

I’ll assume we’re all riding along as this is the whole point of the seatpost: so that you don’t have to stop to adjust. This requires a fair amount of balance and obviously you’ll have to be able to steer with one hand, while the other goes for the trigger which is right near your…uhh, saddle bag. Here’s where the technique comes in. You’ll want to scoot your ass up towards the front of your saddle. Second, grab that trigger(it’s extremely easy to pull and can be done with one finger). At the same time, with your weight toward the front of the saddle you’ll have to lean your body back, as if you were in a recliner, until your weight is in line with the angle of your seat tube. When you hit this angle you’ll know it as your post will drop ever so comfortably and easily down. Simply let go of the trigger at this point(if you don’t the post will pop back up to full mast). Viola…now you’re ready to punish some downhill.

As soon as the hill starts pointing up just reach down, get your ass off the saddle, and pull the trigger. Bam! Seatpost is back to climbing height in less than a second. After a while it’ll become second nature to you. I can adjust the post up or down within about a second, either way with ease. Believe me, the extra leg room is a welcome luxury on descents when you’re riding a bike with no suspension.

First ride with the Ryde(that’s redundant) was the mud and clay filled mess you see above. The post did get that “sticky” feel but I lathered some grease on there, pumped the post a few times and its been going strong for months.

The only technical downside, in comparison with its high-priced brethren, is the lack of adjustments through the 3-4 inches of travel. But think about it a second. Are you really going to need to adjust your seatpost that much? When I’m riding I don’t want to have to worry about weather I need my post 1 inch lower or 1 3/4 lower. I either want my post up for climbing or down for descents. Don’t make me think beyond that, dammit! I just want to ride my bike.

The Ryde ST-850 lets you do just that. Hey, but the Ryde doesn’t have a cool cord and handlebar knob! Ya, well, if you need shiny parts and a little bit more makeup on your post then get out your credit card and have at it. You’ll be spending 85% more for a post that, in reality, does the same exact thing! After riding this post I look at the pricey alternatives and laugh. This is the greatest deal I’ve ever come across in mountain biking components. The shear savings from the alternatives is reason enough alone to buy the Ryde ST-850. Its durability and ease of use are icing on top of a very inexpensive, but delicious cake.

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With the WTB saddle the Sette Ryde seatpost is working like it should. While trying on the Bandersnatch for size I shot a little video of how this thing works.

Just pull the lever

Pretty simply operation. When you’re ready to go downhill, pull the switch and down you go. When you want to go back up, unweight the seat and pull again. So easy.

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