Pro Koryak All Mountain seatpost, black

Review from MBR April 2010 Rating: 8/10 Taking its name from a Siberian mountain range and not a Czech Gravity Racer as our Tech Ed assumed, this package of contact points doesn't join Shimano-owned PRO's growing list of signature products endorsed by the likes of Vanderham and the Athertons; instead the stem and seat stilt collection simply forms a no-nonsense package of mid-level affordability. But none of the items could be accused of being middle of the road either in aesthetics or performance. The off-gold/rust accents or 'Mag' as PRO tags the finish, scores well on style points, and the neat 3D forging and milled handiwork ticks all the XC/all-mountain The Koryak seatpost uses a simple single bolt clamping configuration adjusted on the arch of the forged 6061-T6 series aluminium backbone. An effective clamping wedge makes micro-adjustments a doddle. The stem in 60mm guise has an exceptionally refined feel about it, set off by the precise machining and chamfered edges of the four-bolt faceplate and profiled main beam. It's a great little aftermarket stubby to liven up any overstretched and sluggish front end. Paired with the 31.8mm diameter riser, in its fairly generous 680mm width (just shy of 27 inches), the shaping straight away felt natural - it combines a one-inch rise with up and back sweep figures on a par with similar offerings from Easton. The bar has a durable feel to it, and paired with Koryak's diamond embossed, single locking collar grips, it creates a tidy control panel. This trio is £25 cheaper than any of the finishing kits we tested in Jan 2009; it's 20g heavier but it's the sort of hardware any tough trail rig or all-mountain slugger demanding endurance over gram shaving.