Suspension seatposts

[Davidc]

Do they work?

As with any suspension they must consume some energy, which must come from pedalling, but how much?

I've just ordered one in error. It arrived today. If I change it I have to pay the postage so it's not really worth it, and it appears to be an and of line sale item so may not get exchanged anyway. The new seatpost is/was due to have my Brooks B17 on it and go on my Dawes Horizon. Should I put the Brooks on the suspension seatpost or is that sacreligious? Should I just spend a few quid on another seatpost and be more careful over what I'm buying?

 

[Recycler]

I've got one. I'm not really sure how effective it is but, frankly, I would just try it and see. It certainly doesn't absorb much energy.

I often see reports on bikes with carbon fibre forks which say how good they are at absorbing bumps in the road. I've never seen anyone suggest that the forks should be stiffer as they waste energy.

 

[Sittingduck]

They suck, IMHO. Means the distance between the top of the saddle and the bottom of your crank isn't a constant. That's going to play havoc with your quads. One came fitted with my hybrid and I binned it in favour of a cheap 'normal' seatpost, following some sage advice from folk on here who clearly know their onions.

 

[srw]

It depends on the brand. Mrs W swears by the USE suspension seatpost on the back of the new tandem - so much so that we've now got one for the old tandem, having rejected a solid seatpost. I suspect that it's adjusted to have very little "ride" in use. Certainly it's not obviously interfering with her ability to pedal hard.

And, of course, a tandem is a special case - as a tandem stoker you've got much less control over your positioning than a soloist would have.

 

[ColinJ]

It depends on the brand. Mrs W swears by the USE suspension seatpost on the back of the new tandem - so much so that we've now got one for the old tandem, having rejected a solid seatpost. I suspect that it's adjusted to have very little "ride" in use. Certainly it's not obviously interfering with her ability to pedal hard.

I have a USB suspension post on my hardtail MTB and find it good for taking the pain out of unexpected bumps.

I don't have a problem with it sapping my energy because there is very little movement in normal use. My biggest criticism is that the saddle position is higher when I am not sitting on it compressing the suspension, and that can result in the nose of the saddle snagging my shorts when I try to sit back down. To avoid that, I have to raise myself higher before moving my bum back. It soon became second nature and I rarely have a problem with it now.

 

[lukesdad]

They re pants

 

[Peteaud]

Had one on my old hardtail.

Not needed imho

 

[Electric_Andy]

Mine came with a suspension seat post but I could barely notice it, and when I adjusted it it had a "pogo" effect. I decided to bite the bullet and get a CaneCreek Thudbuster (ST). Suspension-wise it is fantastic, it really takes the pain out of potholes and even really large sunken drains. IMHO it is better than a traditional sprung post because the angle if suspension is more accurate (i.e. it suspends up, down and forward). The negatives to consider are these:

1) The post sits back further than a normal post so is harder to set up into the right position.
2) As mentioned by someone else - when uncompressed it shoves the nose of the saddle in the air.
3) at £140 they are really expensive, meaning I have to take it with me when I go into town.

But I'm glad I bought it, (and if you buy from e-bay US you can get it for around £50 cheaper). Suits me as I have flat bars and ride in a very upright position because of my back.

 

[ohnovino]

I've got one on my hybrid - I think I'd had it about a year before I realised what it was. Can't say I've ever noticed it making any kind of difference whatsoever, either in terms of soaking up bumps or sapping my awesome power. If I had another post in my spares box then I'd swap it (just because it would make fitting accessories easier) but I'm not in any rush to get rid.

 

[Davidc]

Thanks all, that gives me some idea what to expect. I'll put it on and in the meantime get a proper one for if (when?) I don't like it! This is a cheap one so probably cr@p anyway.

 

[Psycolist]

As with all equipment, there's good and bad. I've tried ALOT of these and can only recomend 1. I've tried Thudbusters, LR and SR types, as well as standard pogo types, cheap and expensive, but the only one I have found to be worth its name is the quadrilateral design by Suntour. Sadly it is no longer in production, but instead of bobbing up and down, it gives a forwards and backwards rocking motion, which keeps the distance to the crank a constant, solving any muscle problems. It also continues to operate beyond the first week of its life like some of the pogo types, and it dosnt need a mortgage to be able to afford like the Thudbusters. For me, it ticks all the boxes. There is a company on eBay thats found some old stock and is knocking them out for @ £40 P+P paid. Suntour NEX I have 1 on each bike as well as a spare for Justin,....just in case. I really cant say too many good things about these. But generally, in my experience, suspension seatposts are not worth the extra weight or expense.

 

[Salad Dodger]

My electric bike came fitted with one. I bought a solid seatpost in an attempt to get the saddle a bit higher, but the ride was a lot harsher with the solid post. One particular unseen pothole gave my lower back some bad news, and I went back to using the suspension post. It's a cheap non-branded item but it takes some of the sting out of lumpy roads, and I would probably buy another (cheap) suspension post if this one failed.

 

[HLaB]

Its probably been said above but I think a cheap suspension seat post causes injury problems the constant changing of leg length. It might be coincidence but the only time I've had a serious knee injury (ITB agony) was when mistakenly tried one.

 

[Crankarm]

I have the Cushy SL Post Moderne. It has been brilliant. It takes out all the vibration and means one can ride longer distances without any numbness. No issues what so ever with bobbing up and down or distance to pedal changing, loss of leg power or efficiency, I never experienced any of these or lateral movement in the head. I think it must move up/down about 5mm max even when going down into and up the other side of the typical pot hole. But as the GBW is super smooth except when you hit horse shoot then I guess it is redundant but still use it as it takes the "buzz" out of the seat post which you get from a solid post. The suspension seat post needs to be adjusted correctly for your weight though. Evans were clearing their stock of them recently. Normally £49.99 they were down to £14.99 so I bought x3.

I wouldn't have thought that they would add much to an MTB with suspension or a hardtail as they tend to have huge tyres to soak up bumps and vibration which road/touring bikes don't having larger skinnier high pressure tyres

 

[tyred]

I have never used one so probably shouldn't comment but I have always considered them a solution in search of a problem.

If you feel you need something to take the shock out of riding, buy a Brooks with springs.