Suspension Seat Post

[gannet]

I am finding the ride over most of my normal roads on my commute a little jarring and wince worthy

I have never been a fan of suspension bikes for the road - too bouncy etc but that's a different debate

I have seen these suspension posts though which sound like a good idea but there are so many to choose from it gets confusing...

Can anyone recommend any?

Looking for something to take the sting out of all the bumps on the roads.

Thanks in advance

 

[tyred]

What about a Brooks B66?

 

[corshamjim]

I find the Brooks Flyer saddle can bounce a little too much when I'm pedalling fast. Just pottering around it's very comfortable though - especially with 1 3/4" tyres too.

 

[gannet]

hmmm not immediately to my style (or price bracket)

any other suggestions or other sprung seats ??

 

[Zoiders]

Sus posts tend to be either - cheap and not worth the effort - or very expensive and massive over kill for all but serious off road use on a MTB.

 

[david1701]

I stand up when it gets dead bumpy, could that be a budget option?

 

[gannet]

Sus posts tend to be either - cheap and not worth the effort - or very expensive and massive over kill for all but serious off road use on a MTB.

ok, thanks for that - needs more thought then.

 

[gannet]

I stand up when it gets dead bumpy, could that be a budget option?

indeed a budget option

I fear I never sit down though

 

[corshamjim]

Are big fat tyres an option?

 

[ColinJ]

You can take a lot of the sting out of rough roads by lowering your tyre pressures a little. Assuming that you have them both at over 100 psi, try lowering the front by 15 psi and the rear by 5 psi. (You don't need as much pressure in the front because more of your weight is on the rear wheel.) That's assuming 700x23c tyres. I tend to have mine at about 85-90 psi front and 95-100 psi rear and I'm quite a big lad.

If you have the pressures too low then the rolling resistance is too high and you risk getting snakebite punctures and damaged rims. Too high and the ride is uncomfortable on rough roads. I find that there is a band of about 10-15 psi between those two extremes and it is worth experimenting to find your 'sweet spot'.

Are big fat tyres an option?

That definitely helps because you can run fatter tyres at lower pressures.

I do have a suspension post on my MTB. It's a USE Shokpost which cost me about £60 ten years ago. They still seem to be about that price now. It is quite effective at softening the ride on my hardtail MTB without adding too much weight or complexity to the bike. It doesn't have the setback of most seatposts so you might not be able to get your saddle far enough back if you tried one of them.

Lower tyre pressures really do make a big difference. Try that approach before spending any money!

I also put Marsas shock-absorbing foam under my bar tape - I think that helps at the front end.