Fresh Goods Sunday - Specialized Anodized Clamp 7+9mm Seatpost Clamp conversion kit 2812-9050

 

Following of from last weeks Fresh Goods Sunday - Specialized S Works Power with Mirror saddle the seat post that comes as standard on the Creo SL Expert is an S-Works FACT Carbon 27.2mm with 20mm offset lay back. The standard saddle has 7mm round rails so the clamps come to suit. The new saddle has oval 7 x 9mm oval carbon rails so the standard clamps do not fit the oval rails. Specialized do a conversion kit which is pictured above. As mentioned last week when I bought the mirror saddle from Specialized Concept Store, Harrogate they gave me a set of carbon rail outer clamps so I could fit the saddle. The kit also comes with the inner clamp plates but I did not get any as he must have known they would also fit the oval rails. 

I had the same scenario when I went to fit my Brooks C13 saddle onto my USE Sumo TI seat post I needed to purchase the 7 x 9mm oval rail conversion kit.

Fitting is simple enough, loosen off the allen bolt and the outer caps come off, remove the saddle from the post head and slide on the new one. Place one clamp on saddle rail with the female nut and place the opposite side onto the rail with the bolt and tighten up to the correct torque. I applied copper grease to the threads before reinstalling. You have to take note that the female nut has a tab on which slides into the groove at the bottom of the clamp. After a few rides I check the torque again and jobs a good'un. 

On another note when I normally set up my bikes I have set measurements for saddle height and distance from the stem. As this is a shorter saddle design I had to take the measurement from the stem clamp middle to the rear of the saddle instead of the nose so I had the same reach on the bike. The saddle also sits higher on the rails than my Selle Italia so had to drop the seat post down so the top of the saddle was the same distance. After a couple of rides I dropped the saddle another 5mm as it felt like I was over stretching my leg at the bottom of the down stroke. 

RRP £37 and I paid £0 FOC from Specialized Concept Store, Harrogate. 

Manufacturers Blurb - 

Re-engineered clamp with an optimized centre-loaded bolt design equalizes load distribution to ease position adjustments. With this clamp set you will be able to clamp metal 7x7mm saddle rails and Specialized FACT carbon 7x9mm saddle rails.

• 7x7mm and 7x9mm replacement clamp set for all Specialized road seatposts equipped with a single-bolt cylindrical wedge clamp design.
• New design clamp for better clamping and non-slipping of the saddle.
• Compatible with: Shiv Carbon Post, S-Works Carbon Post, CG-R Carbon Post, S-Works SL Pave Carbon Post, Command Post XCP, Venge Carbon Post