Cane Creek eeSilk Suspension Stem and Seat Post

[Djangodog]

I have been using a Cane Creek Carbon eeSilk suspension seat post on my Yamaha Cross Core for a little more than 1,000 miles. Besides being nice looking, (my opinion), and light weight, it also works flawlessly. I never notice any movement, but I immediately noticed that the ride was much smoother, so it does exactly what I hoped it would. The standard elastomer seems perfect for my weight, (168 pounds). I ride a lot of gravel/dirt road and tarmac. I also run Maxxis 40mm Receptors at 40 psi on DT Swiss CR1600 Spline Wheels, so the ride is pretty plush, but still sporty enough for an old guy on an e-bike.

Up front I am running an 80mm Red Shift Stem which is set as recommended for my weight. I like it quite well, but I was wondering if the Cane Creek eeSilk stem is worth the money. The Cane Creek has a small lever or switch on top so that you can nearly lock the stem out on smooth terrain. The eeSilk appears to be more compliant as well. The near “lock out” feature may be more useful on the eeSilk than it would be on the Red Shift because it is more compliant. In short, I am not unhappy with the Red Shift and I would highly recommend it, but I am curious about the Cane Creek. Please share any experience or opinion.

 

[J.R.]

I used a CC Thudbuster LT for years commuting. I was doing about 170 miles a week. It was a game changer in its day. My only real complaint at the time was the bushings, that look similar to the eesilk, would get noisy. It didn't start out noisy it got noisy as time went on. About once a month I would have to disassemble it and lube with Park Tool synthetic grease. Full disclosure, much of my commute was on packed limestone rail trail. That fine dust gets in the worst places, cover or not. I would often have to service pedal and freewheel bearings as well. I eventually moved on to the Kinekt. Quiet as a church mouse and no maintenance. Since then so many other brands and models have been introduced. Good to see Cane Creek with some new offerings.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Try another elastomer piece, Django. The one you use might be too soft or too hard. Redshift ShockStop stem should cancel any rough surface ideally.

 

[BikingSoCal]

I have close to 1000 miles with the eeSilk+ and has worked great fro me. I use a #2 elastomer and my ride is very comfortable. I have no need to try anything else since I am very happy with it. If you change the elastomer, the screws are delicate and you need to make sure to to over tighten.

 

[DiggyGun]

I’ve recently changed to the Cane Creak eeSilk+ and find it to be very comfortable.

Previously I had the Cane Creak Thudbuster ST. it too was comfortable, but I had one massive issue with it; I just could not get it tight enough to stop the saddle raising up at the nose. Every time it went over a bump, it would move a small fraction, eventually being uncomfortable. Even put a larger stainless steel bolt through to try and get a bit more torque, but to no avail.

The eeSilk+ uses a different saddle clamp system, so the saddle now stays in place.

 

[mata2maui]

I just could not get it tight enough

I have the same issue; problem is the clamp design pinches the seat rails horizontally instead of clamping down on them vertically. If you over torque the clamp bolt your flirting with disaster should it snap while your going fast.

 

[mata2maui]

it got noisy as time went on

I had to regularly apply mineral oil to the bushing to stop the squeaking.

 

[Djangodog]

After putting about 2300 miles onto to eeSilk Carbon seat post, I moved it along to my Carbon acoustic gravel bike and replaced it with an alloy eeSilk+.

The Carbon post is and has always been silent. The alloy plus model groans and snaps a bit. I will be taking it apart and adding some PTFE dry lube to the linkage.

Aside from the groaning I do like it. I also replaced my Redshift stem with an eeSilk. I like it quite well, but I wouldn’t call it an upgrade. It is stiffer than the Redshift so I went with the softest insert and never lock it out. It is most effective when I am using the inner bar-ends. I think that it would be great on drop bars, but it is a bit stiff at 80 mm on flat bars.

 

[Djangodog]

A little update: I had been happy with my Carbon eeSilk, so I bought an alloy eeSilk+ for my eBike and put the Carbon eeSilk on my gravel bike. After a very short time the eeSilk+ started creaking. It’s clean and I applied some dry lube, but it still creaks and the linkage is sloppy, (it feels like the saddle is loose). I hope that Cane Creek provides more than lip service.

Being Frank: Rough Silk - Cane Creek Cycling Components

We were excited about the eeSilk seat post when we introduced it. We believed it provided a compliance benefit that rivaled more complicated bicycle frame designs. This meant someone could expand their riding to rougher backroads and gravel roads without having to drop thousands on a new bike...

canecreek.com

I decided not to put up with it any longer, so I bought a Redshift seat post. I only have one ride on it, but so far it’s great. I set it for performance but it is still more comfortable than the eeSilk+ and it is quiet and smooth. The only negative is the weight, but that’s not such a big issue on an ebike.