Do you need an integrated cockpit & proprietary seatpost?

Bike componentry has gone Buck Rogers, but are these ultra-aero parts worth it?

- Michelle Arthurs-Brennan

Some people cannot tolerate the word ‘cockpit’ in a cycling context. It’s a bike, not a fighter jet! Apologies if the lexeme makes you reach for the eject button, but not all modern-day bikes have what you’d traditionally call a ‘handlebar and stem.’ Arguably, naming these creations after the flight deck of an aircraft isn’t so fanciful: neither is compatible with amateur fettling.

The pursuit of improved aerodynamics has meant a race for greater integration. Enter handlebar/stem duos – cockpits – and proprietary seatposts. These are designed with the frame to create smooth lines.

Is this a good thing? Well, it depends on what you want from a bike, your mechanical prowess, or, the budget you have available for future maintenance. There are a few factors well worth considering before you make a purchase.

FIT AND TOUCH POINTS

Most cyclists buy complete bikes as opposed to selecting a frame and building it up with their chosen parts.

Complete bikes come with stock-sized touchpoints – handlebars, stems, seatposts (and cranks, which we’re not discussing here) – that are suited to the rider who sits on the line of statistical averages for the frame size. However, few cyclists will attest to being the perfect example of Mr Average, and, if you’re a Ms, you’re not the ‘Average’ customer at all in most cases. There’s nothing new here – except that if a rider wants to enjoy the watt-saving benefits of integration then they’re now locked into using the matching integrated cockpit. And at the rear end, the proprietary seatpost.