Which suspension post for a comfort upright bike

[Gionnirocket]

The Suntour mechanism has a vulnerable, point of contact metal to metal, wear surface that does not hold up over time. The Kinekt has easily replaced nylon bushings at all contact point. I have not ridden either one to the point of failure but have put over 18,000 miles on the Kinekt in the past 2.5 years.

Kinekt also has an easily accessible adjusted preload and interchangeable, color coded springs based on rider weight. I think the Kinekt is more effective at delivering smoother comfort, without excessive bobbing when properly sprung and adjusted.

Both companies offer good warranty service. Kinekt is made in the USA in my home town of Bellingham, WA, really good people that I can vouch for.

Thanks!
Wow.. With that many miles I can see why you want the absolute best.
And made in the USA is another excellent reason to choose the Kinekt

My initial thought looking at it was that it was over designed.. which in my experience doesn't always mean better but more of a reason to justify the price. In this instance I'm glad I'm wrong.

 

[antboy]

Ordered the ShockStop on Sunday, and it arrived Tuesday. I love it.

Ended up getting the stem as well, and the 10% off meant I could pay for the express shipping.

I installed the seatpost immediately, and did a couple of rides with that, to dial in the bounce, and make sure the angle/distance worked, then installed the stem.

With the seatpost installed, bumps felt like gentle undulations, while the keys rattled in my trunk bag. It was a weird sensation, but good.

BikeRadar's review is spot on.

Redshift Shockstop Seatpost review

All-road, vibration-free comfort

www.bikeradar.com

As for the stem, I was worried about it not working with my bike. Redshift mentions that swept back handlebars might not see any dampening. My 35 degree sweep bars put the outer part of my palms in line with the pivot point, so I decided to take a chance, and use a slightly less stiff elastomer setup. This seems to be JUST enough to get rid of the chattering on irregular cobblestones, small rando potholes, and light trails.

I suspect that for handlebars where the grip is behind the pivot point, the stem won't do much.

 

[tomjasz]

The Suntour mechanism has a vulnerable, point of contact metal to metal, wear surface that does not hold up over time.

Hey Alaskan! Can you point to any threads where this is discussed?

 

[Alaskan]

I can look around. I recall a reviewer talking about metal wear at the point where the roller slips over the cap on the piston.

 

[CdnShaun]

Quick update to share in this awesome thread. Sorry if I'm repeating these details as I did read the thread quickly to catch up.

Cane Creek had to cancel all orders of their eeSilk model this year due to supply chain issues. Got a full refund of my order and understood the challenges of 2020 was having for them.

I ended up going with their Thudbuster ST, current generation (ordered from them directly). While I thought 5cm of travel would bother me and hence I wanted the eeSilk with only 2cm travel, I'm super happy everything worked out this way. I do not notice the 5cm travel at all (impacting my riding position), made sure to order their Extra Firm elastomer (rated up to 315lbs)....and oh boy...

For a 270lb rider out for 4-6 hour rides like I have been this last month - it's a game changer. While my under carriage still gets a bit tender after the 4th hour of riding, all my back pains from last year - totally gone.

Up front (only as it's related) I went with the RedShift ShockStop Stem to complete the setup to soak up all the road buzz and wear on my lower back.

Cane Creek ST:

Cane Creek Thudbuster ST Suspension Seatpost - Cane Creek Cycling Components

The Thudbuster seatpost from Cane Creek is the most effective and versatile suspension seatpost available. Tunable for your rider weight!

canecreek.com

Redshift ShockStop Stem:

Redshift Sports ShockStop Stem | Jenson USA

www.jensonusa.com

Cheers everyone,
Shaun

 

[reed scott]

I just got my Kenekt from Amazon. They have em. Or they did.

 

[Gionnirocket]

Ok... My dyslexic arss may have flock'd up.
I decided to pull the trigger on a Suntour NCX... so I pulled out my current seatpost and saw that it was marked 26.8mm. Double checked it with calipers and it was dead on.
So when searching I saw that it was offered at 27.2 and 28.6 with a bushing, so I ordered the latter.
About a half an hour or so later something was telling me to double check my measurement and that's when I realized 26.8 and 28.6 are two different numbers
So then I measured the seat tube and it measures exactly 27.2mm
The seller offers free returns.. But I'd hate to see them go through the trouble of sending it out and having to cover a return..

Having never replaced a seatpost, anyone have any experience on how tight the tolerances are on these things and if the one ordered if used without the bushing should work?

Looking thru some old bike hardware for something else I found that I had a 27.2mm post from many years ago that I could use to test fit in my seat tube.
Slid in easily and snug.
So I guess a 26.8mm works in a 27.2mm seat tube as that's how the bike came new. I always wondered why I had to snug the nut and use more force than I thought was appropriate on the quick release.
Anywho.. I though some might be loosing sleep over this and better post an update
Now we wait for the NCX to arrive.

 

[Gionnirocket]

I bought an SR Suntour seatpost from AliExpress.
Very good quality and what a difference!

I used to have this cheap one that's similar to Zoom suspension seat post and it is a lot smoother.

76.76US $ 24% OFF|SR SUNTOUR NCX Bike Suspension Travel Seatpost 350mm/400mm*27.2/30.9/31.6mm Bicycle Seat Post Tube|Bicycle Seat Post| - AliExpress

Smarter Shopping, Better Living! Aliexpress.com

www.aliexpress.com

83.07US $ 35% OFF|SR Suntour NCX Bike Suspension Travel Seatpost 350mm * 27.2/28.6/30.0/30.1/30.4/30.8/31.6/33.9 Bicycle Seat Post w/ Case|Bicycle Seat Post| - AliExpress

Smarter Shopping, Better Living! Aliexpress.com

www.aliexpress.com

Got mine from Aliexpress yesterday and it arrived very well packaged and it seems to be authentic. This looks like a well made piece of hardware and I have to agree on the improvement coming from a spring loaded Zoom as you did.
Thanks @Timpo for the recommendation

 

[justforfun]

Wife and I are using BodyFloats.

 

[Sifu Ben]