Even when a thief can't steal a complete bike, they'll still pilfer parts off of it – and that includes components such as the saddle. That's where the Quick Release Seatpost comes in, as it allows riders to quickly remove and replace the saddle themselves.
The problem with saddles is that while they can be taken off of the seatpost fairly easily, putting them back on is quite a fiddly process. As a result, not many cyclists are likely to bother removing the things and taking them away in a bag or backpack, when leaving their bike locked up on the street. Some remove the entire seatpost with the saddle still attached, but that's a lot of stuff to tote around.
And it was with this problem in mind that Italian cyclist Roberto Monaco created the Quick Release Seatpost.
The device consists of two parts. There's a top section that clamps onto the rails of a third-party saddle, along with a bottom section that's attached to the actual seatpost via a single Allen bolt. The two sections engage one another using a side-loading slide-in/slide-out mechanism, not unlike what's utilized on a quick-release camera tripod. A lever on the bottom section is used to lock and release the system.
Users don't need to readjust their saddle's settings each time they put it back on, as the fore/aft adjustments are maintained by the top section, while the tilt adjustments are held in place by the one on the bottom.
Monaco is now funding production of the Quick Release Seatpost via a Kickstarter campaign, where backers can get a complete setup – if everything works out – for a pledge of €75 (about US$82). The seatpost is available in tube diameters of 27.2, 31.6 or 30.9 mm, and in black or silver finishes. Its saddle-removal/replacement function can be seen in action via the Source link below.
And as an interesting side note, New York-based startup SeatyLock recently took a different approach to the seat-theft problem, by developing a modular saddle in which the padded shell can be quickly detached from the rails.
Source: Kickstarter