Suspension seatpost

setspeed

I've tried searching but the search function doesn't seem to work :-(

What do people think about suspension seatposts? And which ones have you tried, are they any good, are there any cheapish decent ones?

Thanks!

Andy B

cheap ones are generally rubbish, heavy & lots of lateral play

Cane Creek Thudbuster is probably the best option.

RealMan

I think theyre a pretty pointless invention. If its for a hardtail, stop being lazy and sitting down for everything, and if its for a full sus, youve already got rear travel, so whats the point..?

setspeed

Andy_B wrote:

cheap ones are generally rubbish, heavy & lots of lateral play

Cane Creek Thudbuster is probably the best option.

Just looked that up - it's horrendous looking! Don't reckon I could put it on my beautiful bike!

Is this no good then?
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/p/cycle/7/USE_S ... 110000405/

ride_whenever

Generally buy a proper full suss or run bigger tyres softer!

setspeed

RealMan wrote:

I think theyre a pretty pointless invention. If its for a hardtail, stop being lazy and sitting down for everything, and if its for a full sus, youve already got rear travel, so whats the point..?

I'm just getting into the sport and my fitness levels aren't there yet... I'm not lazy, promise!
Just want something to take the edge off the bumps when I need a rest and can't stand on the pedals any more! It's for a hardtail btw.

setspeed

ride_whenever wrote:

Generally buy a proper full suss or run bigger tyres softer!

Well the full susser is out of the question for me, don't have the money for that :-(
Maybe massive tyres are the way forward. Probably a good idea as I'm nearly 16 stone, so the bike can probably do with any protection is can get from my heavy weight/censored handling skills!

Is there no-one here who uses a sus seatpost? I suppose that tells me something....

ride_whenever

They really are not a solution.

Try lower instensity rides to build your base fitness a little first, being able to sit down will just give you really sloppy habits for when your fitness improves.

ride_whenever

Some people who really don't want a FS bike but really suffer from lower back trouble have them, but it's the exception.

As for the tyres, just be careful they don't rub the frame!

setspeed

ride_whenever wrote:

They really are not a solution.

Try lower instensity rides to build your base fitness a little first, being able to sit down will just give you really sloppy habits for when your fitness improves.

Point taken :-)

setspeed

Thanks all for your feedback, I guess I'll bin the idea for now!

supersonic

RealMan wrote:

I think theyre a pretty pointless invention. If its for a hardtail, stop being lazy and sitting down for everything, and if its for a full sus, youve already got rear travel, so whats the point..?

Shut up.

They work well for many people - can provide added comfort on a hardtail when sat over rough terrain.

To the op - try one, and make your own mind up.

setspeed

supersonic wrote:

RealMan wrote:

I think theyre a pretty pointless invention. If its for a hardtail, stop being lazy and sitting down for everything, and if its for a full sus, youve already got rear travel, so whats the point..?

Shut up.

They work well for many people - can provide added comfort on a hardtail when sat over rough terrain.

To the op - try one, and make your own mind up.

Thanks everyone for your opinions. Is there anyone else who actually uses one?
I must admit I've never seen anyone riding a bike with one, so I gather they're not really that popular!

supertwisted

Thudbuster Short Travel looks good to me: http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/category/ ... r-st-32163

Lighter and less bukly than the full 3" travel version. Looks like it will take the sting out of a hardtail ride but not feel like a flat tyre.

May consider one myself if my back pain becomes more of an issue.

largephil

I had a Thudbuster on my HT. Deffo took the edge off the bumps for me and although its not like a proper full sus, it did a good job. The only issue was the 'launch effect' it gave going over bumps (like tree roots ect) at slow speed, but I soon got used to it.

hoolio

I've got a post moderne suspension post on an old rigid mountain bike which seems to work pretty well, but since I started riding trails on a cx bike I now wonder why I ever thought I needed a suspension seat post. Over time as your fitness improves and you both toughen up and react to the bumps without thinking about it, you might not feel the need for it.
I've got a hard tail as well, and don't have a suspension seat post on that either.

Daz555

supersonic wrote:

To the op - try one, and make your own mind up.

+1

Northwind

I used some nasty old elastomer thing, a USE I think, back in the old days, it wasn't very good but I still loved it in the days of stiff frames and skinny tyres. I wouldn't bother these days, with a decent volume rear tyre and a nice sensibly compliant rear triangle, but I can certainly see why some folks would. (also had a flexstem on that bike... Those were the days.)

(If it's a fitness/comfort issue, a big tyre might not be the answer since they're often (not always) slower and heavier, so what you gain in comfort you can lose in increased effort.)