eeSilk or eeSilk+ ?

[4speed]

I am about to treat myself with a suspension seat post for my commuting, and currently trying to decide between eeSilk and eeSilk+. Road is 17+17 miles of all tarmac/asphalt but with a little too many cracks, patches and such. Bike is a rigid 29" on 37 mm tires, with a Brooks B17 and my 210 lbs on top of that.
Is there any good reason not to go for the eeSilk+ ?

 

[Asher]

Their website recommends eesilk non plus for road biking, but then they recommend the thud buster for casual e-bikes. I think the eesilk+ is the right call for an athletic/light e-bike. I'm leaning toward this over the redshift, will call Cane Creek for their advice on silk vs plus.

 

[R3K]

Resurrecting an old thread here, but I'm curious to know which post you guys ended up with and what was the deciding factor.

 

[Deacon Blues]

Just by looking at Cane Creek's webpage I'd say the '+' with its 35mm of travel, is for rough pavement/gravel pathways, while the regular eeSilk, with its 20mm of travel is for road bikes on decently smooth pavement.

 

[4speed]

Resurrecting an old thread here, but I'm curious to know which post you guys ended up with and what was the deciding factor.

I ended up with the eeSilk+ mainly because a used one in mint condition appeared nearby. In reality the actual travel under load of course is not near the free unloaded 35 mm but rather 20-25 mm max, so I believe a non-plus version would have been too stiff for me anyway. A patch or crack in the road that is nothing in 10 mph can be pretty disturbing in 25 mph imho.

 

[R3K]

I ended up with the eeSilk+ mainly because a used one in mint condition appeared nearby. In reality the actual travel under load of course is not near the free unloaded 35 mm but rather 20-25 mm max, so I believe a non-plus version would have been too stiff for me anyway. A patch or crack in the road that is nothing in 10 mph can be pretty disturbing in 25 mph imho.

Thanks for the reply! How do you like it? Any pedal bob to deal with? Which elastomer do you typically use?

 

[R3K]

I think I made the cut. Gonna try the eeSilk+. That little bit of extra travel should save my lower back from disaster, and I can always use a stiffer elastomer to firm things up if needed

 

[DiggyGun]

I think I made the cut. Gonna try the eeSilk+. That little bit of extra travel should save my lower back from disaster, and I can always use a stiffer elastomer to firm things up if needed

I used the eeSilk+ (with Medium elastomer) for a number of months. But changed to the Firm elastomer, which made an improvement as the Medium was bottoming out. Never noticed any bobbing.

However, I recently changed to the Kinekt XR and this has made a significant improvement.

DG…

 

[R3K]

I used the eeSilk+ (with Medium elastomer) for a number of months. But changed to the Firm elastomer, which made an improvement as the Medium was bottoming out. Never noticed any bobbing.

However, I recently changed to the Kinekt XR and this has made a significant improvement.

DG…

Diggy - Curious how much you weigh and what kind of riding you typically do that you were bottoming out the medium elastomer on the eeSilk+? I'm still using the medium and haven't had any issues, but I'm on a Specialized Turbo Vado SL that I ride on paved path 99% of the time to no ruts, holes, or bumps to deal with. As I said before, my biggest concern with any suspension seat post was the possibility of pedal bob...none of that with the Kinekt XR? What do you think has made it feel so much better over the eeSilk+? I've got a few buddies kinda interested in a suspension seat post, and even though I'm happy with mine, I'd like to explain about others to give them options.

 

[DiggyGun]

Diggy - Curious how much you weigh and what kind of riding you typically do that you were bottoming out the medium elastomer on the eeSilk+? I'm still using the medium and haven't had any issues, but I'm on a Specialized Turbo Vado SL that I ride on paved path 99% of the time to no ruts, holes, or bumps to deal with. As I said before, my biggest concern with any suspension seat post was the possibility of pedal bob...none of that with the Kinekt XR? What do you think has made it feel so much better over the eeSilk+? I've got a few buddies kinda interested in a suspension seat post, and even though I'm happy with mine, I'd like to explain about others to give them options.

I weigh around 100kg and the Medium elastomer is for a weight range of 68-95kg, whereas, the Firm is for a weight range of 90-113kg. Last year, I did weigh over 130kg.

Consequently, with the Medium, there was no rebound, whereas, with the Firm, there was rebound and it was doing its job properly.

Generally ride a mixture of terrain; road tarmac, tarmac cycle path, gravel cycle paths, hard standing, compacted cycle paths, forest trails. Try and ride daily, where I can and ride anywhere between 20 and 35 miles.

Although these may be cycle paths, they are not that well maintained. So plenty of holes, ruts and bumps.

The eeSilk+ (with Firm) did a reasonable job. However, the Kinekt XR does a much better job for my style of riding. Don’t notice any pedal bob. Just more comfortable and can ride for longer with less discomfort.

To complete the information, my bike is a R&M Nevo3 GT Vario GX, with Schwalbe Marathon Plus MTB tyres.

DG…

 

[R3K]

I weigh around 100kg and the Medium elastomer is for a weight range of 68-95kg, whereas, the Firm is for a weight range of 90-113kg. Last year, I did weigh over 130kg.

Consequently, with the Medium, there was no rebound, whereas, with the Firm, there was rebound and it was doing its job properly.

Generally ride a mixture of terrain; road tarmac, tarmac cycle path, gravel cycle paths, hard standing, compacted cycle paths, forest trails. Try and ride daily, where I can and ride anywhere between 20 and 35 miles.

Although these may be cycle paths, they are not that well maintained. So plenty of holes, ruts and bumps.

The eeSilk+ (with Firm) did a reasonable job. However, the Kinekt XR does a much better job for my style of riding. Don’t notice any pedal bob. Just more comfortable and can ride for longer with less discomfort.

To complete the information, my bike is a R&M Nevo3 GT Vario GX, with Schwalbe Marathon Plus MTB tyres.

DG…

Thanks DG! I'm still using the medium elastomer, and feel it's working great, but I really should pop the firm in and see how much of a difference I notice. I was looking hard at the Kinekt initially, but felt the sprint would allow too much bounce in my ride. Now you've got me curious about that one as well. Might have to try that on on my regular Giant road bike!

 

[DiggyGun]

Thanks DG! I'm still using the medium elastomer, and feel it's working great, but I really should pop the firm in and see how much of a difference I notice. I was looking hard at the Kinekt initially, but felt the sprint would allow too much bounce in my ride. Now you've got me curious about that one as well. Might have to try that on on my regular Giant road bike!

Since I fitted the Kinekt XR, I don’t feel any bumps (unless they are very big) through the saddle.

I know that they are there as I can feel them through the forks, the Kinekt XR just seems to absorb them.

DG…

 

[4speed]

Thanks for the reply! How do you like it? Any pedal bob to deal with? Which elastomer do you typically use?

This is an embarrassingly late reply, sorry. I like it a lot. It is not a whole different world, but a clear improvement. I am usually around 95 kg and use the Firm elastomer.