Which suspension post for a comfort upright bike

Bigal1463

Well-Known Member
I ride an Aventon Pace 500, which is comfortable on smooth surfaces, though there is no suspension. i generally ride on bike paths and sometimes the street. Going over frost heaves and small divots make it uncomfortable. There are many suspension seat posts out there, and I’m looking for something that will make the the ride softer and more comfortable. BTW, I do use an inexpensive Satori, but I’m looking for something more comfortable. I’m willing to spend for a worthy post. Any and all recommendation are appreciated.
 
I would recommend a parallelogram type suspension post... stay away from the spring shock type. ;)


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I should’ve mentioned that I’m 145 lbs. Have read that the suspension is not very good for light weight riders. Is there a way to test these seat posts before buying?
 
I should’ve mentioned that I’m 145 lbs. Have read that the suspension is not very good for lightweight riders. Is there a way to test these seat posts before buying?

Most of the parallelogram systems have an adjustable preload to dial in the weight of the rider.

If all else fails, then use the Amazon Prime free return policy. ;)


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Cane Creek has the ST and LT Thudbuster seat posts that have been reviewed many times here on EBR.

The LT travels quite a bit and even the ST model has 50mm of travel - great for trail and rough riding I'm sure. For my road riding I wanted something for the long rides and when the pavement gets rough, but not too much travel as I enjoy the 'fit' my road ebikes have now....

I have ordered recently the Cane Creek Thudbuster eeSilk to give a try:

20mm of travel, just enough to take the edge off the road riding I do, is what I hope for without impacting the fit and positioning of the seat too much. Ordered from Cane Creek so I could be sure to get the #9 elastomer rated for the 250lb+ riders (comes with a 3, 5 and 7 elastomer for lower weight ranges) which I'm still in for another 23lbs. ;-)

Bigal1463 - The #3 elastomer included in the package is rated for 100-160lbs for your notes.


Important note - not cheap - $290 USD for the post and first 3 elastomer's and $13 for an extra elastomer if needed, plus shipping. With my goal to ride 5,000kms+ every year I figure this is a good investment in my riding comfort.

I will report back in a few weeks when I have received it and had a chance to ride it a few times.

Cheers
Shaun
 
I should’ve mentioned that I’m 145 lbs. Have read that the suspension is not very good for light weight riders. Is there a way to test these seat posts before buying?
The Suntour has different springs to install. I got mine from Germany and I bought with two different springs for a very small amount extra. It may not be as good as the Thudbuster or Kinekt but it helps quite a bit.
 
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You can't leave out Cirrus Cycles Kinekt. Generally viewed as the best among the suspension seatposts and a price tag that reflects it.

Fully agree. If/when I decide to add seat post(s) to my mountain bike/fat bikes (all hard tails) I will be choosing between Kinekt and the Thudbuster ST or LT, all great choices and often compared to each other.
 
I have the Satori Animaris. Works well at a reasonable cost for my 72kg on a hard tail. Not noisey but the rubber squeaked on the metal when new so I put some graphite powder on the contact points and that has stopped the squeaking. Didn't use grease as I didn't want it collecting dirt.
 
I have the Satori Animaris. Works well at a reasonable cost for my 72kg on a hard tail.
Not noisey but the rubber squeaked on the metal when new so I put some graphite powder on the contact points and that has stopped the squeaking.
Didn't use grease as I didn't want it collecting dirt.

I agree... The Satori Animaris is probably the best value/quality of the bunch for only $79. YMMV ;)
 
I just received the Suntour post. I was surprised by the weight, it’s heavier than I thought it would be. But that’s on me; I could have looked it up. I also got the heavier (red) spring. After swapping it in, it occurred to me how easy that was to do and that the posts should be offered with the desired spring off the shelf.
 
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Cane Creek has the ST and LT Thudbuster seat posts that have been reviewed many times here on EBR.

The LT travels quite a bit and even the ST model has 50mm of travel - great for trail and rough riding I'm sure. For my road riding I wanted something for the long rides and when the pavement gets rough, but not too much travel as I enjoy the 'fit' my road ebikes have now....

I have ordered recently the Cane Creek Thudbuster eeSilk to give a try:

20mm of travel, just enough to take the edge off the road riding I do, is what I hope for without impacting the fit and positioning of the seat too much. Ordered from Cane Creek so I could be sure to get the #9 elastomer rated for the 250lb+ riders (comes with a 3, 5 and 7 elastomer for lower weight ranges) which I'm still in for another 23lbs. ;-)

Bigal1463 - The #3 elastomer included in the package is rated for 100-160lbs for your notes.


Important note - not cheap - $290 USD for the post and first 3 elastomer's and $13 for an extra elastomer if needed, plus shipping. With my goal to ride 5,000kms+ every year I figure this is a good investment in my riding comfort.

I will report back in a few weeks when I have received it and had a chance to ride it a few times.

Cheers
Shaun
Quick note/update here -

Cane Creek cancelled all orders of the Second Gen eeSilk posts based on quality control/testing issues with no prediction of when this model will be available again for purchase.

I'm back to this thread and researching options. I believe all I want is something with a small amount of absorption, hence the mere 20mm max travel of the eeSilk was my initial choice - as I ride strictly road and appreciate a good 'fit' for the multi hour rides I go on, not wanting to have a seat this could impact the fit I have on the bike by too much.

Any thoughts/suggestions would be appreciated. I will share here once I decide on what to try next.

Cheers
Shaun
 
Mine a Spec Como 4.
Hers a Spec Como 3.
Me 6-1, 225.
Her 5-6, 125.
They both have "the cup" saddles.
I'm not fond of the saddles at all.
She's ok with saddle.
I recently installed T-buster ST on mine with appropriate elastomer.
I liked the difference.
I took it off and installed on hers with appropriate elastomer.
She liked the difference.
I didn't like not having it.
Getting another ASAP.
 
I’m heavy (237lb in riding gear), which limits my options.

It was a tough choice between the Kinekt post, a fancy Ergon saddle, and the Shockstop.

in the end, I went with the Kinect 2.0. Properly set up for my weight, there’s no bobbing, just the right amount of vibration and impact reduction for my riding style, and quick, tool-less adjustment for rough conditions. Despite the bulky-looking mechanism, I was able to store an AXA chain in it’s under-saddle bag without having to modify the mounting straps.

I suspect that the Shockstop would have been as good or even a little better if my riding conditions were more consistent, and it would have saved me a few bucks. The Shockstop also looks less intrusive, making it less of a theft magnet.

However, I’m not just commuting. I like to switch It up a bit by riding a bit of light urban off-road on my Gazelle Medeo T9 HMB. I will often cover smooth pavement, potholes, gravel and grassy trails in one ride.

In those situations, it’s great to be able to soften up the Kinekt occasionally without having to break out a wrench or remove my seat post. The adjuster knob for the Kinekt is optional, but Shockstop doesn’t even offer any external adjustments!

Also, Kinekt offers a nicely-designed drawstring “sock” which covers the mechanism and avoids drawing attention to the fact that there’s a few hundred bucks riding just under my saddle. Very stealthy.

An unexpected benefit of the Kinekt, is that I’m no longer shopping for a fancy saddle.

The stock seat seemed very uncomfortable when it was the only thing sucking up the flinty ride of a heavy hard-tail e-bike with a stout alloy frame and high-pressure tires. Now that the Kinect is eating the bumps, the Gazelle saddle feels like riding on cloud nine, and I’m able to keep my tires hard for low rolling resistance and excellent range per charge.
 
I went for the Thudbuster LT for myself (300lbs) and the wife (125 lbs) purchased on Amazon. I lucked out and found a "used" Thudbuster for less than 100. on Amazon. When received, it was clearly new, and had probably been returned because somebody ordered the wrong size seat post. Which is my point really. Know that there are several sizes of seat posts available, and you need to know what size yours is when ordering.
 
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