SAN MARCOS NOTES Note Nr. 1 - May 16, 1994
Integra MSA Seatpost Compatability - The new Integra MSA elastic monohull saddle is the first of a new generation of San Marco saddles which revolutionize saddle engineering. The saddle has no rails in the conventional sense. Instead, 3.5" mounting rails are molded as an integral part of the shell. There are several items of note:
-The rail sections are 11mm tall, so seatposts with the 1/2-barrels clamp designed for 8mm rails, such as Control Tech and Ringle, require special clamps available from those manufacturers. -Syncros, and other seatposts which mimic their sexy design, focus lots of pressure on a very small section of the seat rail. With the leverage of bodyweight added, the Syncros design is very hard on all saddle rails. In the case of the new Integra saddle, this design also allows excessive lateral motion because the rails are clamped over such a short section. A certain amount of floatation is a designed feature ot he Integra's active suspension system. This is achieved with conventionally designed seatposts whose clamps fix and support rails over a longer section. -The Integra's shell is made of a proprietary mixture of nylon, polypropylene, and carbon molded to provide active suspension. By eliminating rails, saddle weight is reduced to a mere 170g.
For additional information, please call Velimpex: 1.510.231.0488
