Suspension seat posts any good ?

[BADGER.BRAD]

Just wondered what people who have actually used them thought ? I have the use of hard tail mountain bike ( my lads) and as we are limited on space I thought about trying one rather than getting another bike. I tried a Diamond Back MTB with limited rear suspension and found it to be a big improvement over the hard tail on one of my corrugated routes.

 

[All uphill]

I hated the one supplied on a Genesis.

Continually changing geometry (saddle to pedal distance) really was unpleasant for me.
It weighed an absolute ton too, but I still managed to throw it over the fence into the neighbour's pond.

I'm a believer in maintaining the minimum unsprung weight, so tyres are my first, and only, bike suspension.

 

[Sharky]

I'm a believer in maintaining the minimum unsprung weight, so tyres are my first, and only, bike suspension.

And your legs!!!

 

[Aston]

Not really a solution reply to this... but I was thinking today how lovely the springiness (hope that's a word) of by Thorn Club Tour with a Brooks B17 was over bumps, definitely soaking up bumps and making the ride enjoyable.

 

[Hilldodger]

It depends on the type of cycling you do. I have one on my Raleigh Motus E bike and another on my green lane/bridleway bike and both are superb in those situations. But then, I've never been obsessed with weight reduction.

 

[Electric_Andy]

When I had my Wisper ebike, I fitted a cane creek thudbuster. It was expensive, about £100, but worked well. I've nothing to compare it to, but it was nicer than a rigid post

 

[Pat "5mph"]

A bike I bought years ago came with a suspension seat post: I didn't like it, took the spring inside off so it became like a rigid seat post.
But the bike was a cheap BSO, I can't say if an expensive combination of bike and post would be a better experience.
I don't really need suspension on the bikes, haven't looked further into it.

 

[HLaB]

It might be a coincidence but the one time I used one was the one time I got a knee injury.

 

[BADGER.BRAD]

Not really a solution reply to this... but I was thinking today how lovely the springiness (hope that's a word) of by Thorn Club Tour with a Brooks B17 was over bumps, definitely soaking up bumps and making the ride enjoyable.

Funnily enough I decided to take my folder out for a spin today ( admittedly a bumpy gritty road route rather than full off road)) It is equipped with a super cheap sprung saddle ( £10) and couldn't believe just how smooth it was. I thought after the MTB I would feel everything with only having 20 " wheels . May be I should swap the seats as a test ?

 

[Drago]

It depends.

Some ofnthe cheap posts are appalling and short lived. Some of the more expensive ones, particularly the parallelogram type, are incredible.

Comfort seat posts would be a better term for them. Suspension exists to maximise the wheel's contact with the groubd and thus improve primary aspects of chassis behaviour, with comfort as a seconfwry function. These posts do no such thing, existing, merely to minimise the buzz making it through to your arriss.