Schmolke TLO Seatpost - Road | UD Carbon | Setback - 27.2 | Black Edition

Schmolke uses only the best prepreg fibers for the components of the "The Lightest One" series. For the TLO seatposts, these are wound by hand, whereby the wealth of experience in carbon processing of more than 30 years has resulted in a further refinement in the layer structure.

The combination of up to 23 extremely thin layers in particularly stressed areas and only 7 layers in stress-free zones enables an incredibly low weight without compromising the well-known stiffness and durability. Compared to conventional carbon seatposts, which only have a constant wall thickness and therefore add unnecessary weight, the lightweight seatposts from Schmolke are designed to be more flexible vertically without losing lateral or torsional stiffness. The result is a noticeably more comfortable ride without any loss of energy.

The head clamps the saddle frame at 4 points, whereby even more sensitive carbon rails are not overly stressed thanks to the slightly rounded aluminum clamping parts. By dispensing with a paint finish, the seatpost saves even more weight without compromising on durability. The epoxy surface is much more resistant than any paint finish anyway.

Technical details of the Schmolke Carbon TLO seatpost

• range of use: road bike
• material: full carbon (UD finish)
• hardware: titanium expansion bolts (Ti-6Al-4V), 5 mm
• clamp diameter: 27.2 mm
• version with offset (Setback)
• min. insertion depth: 80 mm (300 mm length)
• max. insertion depth: 140 mm (300 mm length)
• compatibility rails: round + oval (max. 8 x 12 mm)
• weight: approx. 83 g (⌀ 27.2 mm, 300 mm length; manufacturer's specification)
• max. rider weight: 110 kg

1K, 3K, 12K & UD

While the "K" fabrics are characterized by the classic carbon look, UD fabrics look uniformly black and almost painted. The reason for this is the direction of the fibers. While all the fibers in UD carbon run in one direction (unidirectional arrangement), the "K" fabrics feature a crossover (biaxial arrangement). The "K" in turn denotes the number of tiny carbon fibers (filaments) that are combined in a bundle (roving): 1K stands for 1000 filaments, 3K for 3000 filaments, etc.

The differences between the fabric types are mainly of optical significance, but there are mechanical distinctions. The carbon fibers in woven fabrics are slightly bent due to the manufacturing process, which slightly reduces the tensile and flexural strength. The correspondingly slightly higher load-bearing capacity of the UD fabrics is in turn offset by the absence of the net-like bond, which counteracts crack propagation in the event of breakage. For this reason, Schmolke always uses a fabric component on the inside of safety-relevant components.

Notes: Due to the complex structure with different wall thicknesses, the seatpost must not be shortened. However, the inner diameter allows a Di2 battery to be accommodated.