In addition to a half dozen cheapo spring suspension posts, I have the Kinekt 2.1, the Redshift Shockstop, the Thudbuster LT and Thudbuster ST posts.
All have their pro's & cons with some being better suited to a particular bike, riding style or road surface. These are my observations:
- For very rough trails, the Thudbuster LT works best for me due to it's 3" travel range. All the other posts have just 1.5" of travel. It's elastomer is easy to change & adjust.
- Due to it's vertical movement, I like the "float" effect of the Kinekt when properly adjusted. However the 1.5" travel range is compromised a bit to achieve this. I like this post best for semi smooth surfaces.
- For rougher surfaces, the Redshift is a bit better since spring tension adjustments (preload) does not affect the travel range. The springs are in the post itself and the adjustment is made at the bottom end of the post.
- Another advantage of the Redshift is it requires less seat rail to seat tube clearance than all the other posts. This is an important factor for many who are looking at suspension posts.
- The Thudbuster ST is my least used post. It's elastomer is difficult to change and getting the correct adjustment is difficult. I mainly keep it on one of my conventional Trek MTB's which is used infrequently now for short rides.
One of the biggest advantages to having multiple posts is this: I often ride long trails and sometimes switch posts mid ride. I do this by starting the ride in the middle of the trail and riding in two directions. I stop at my vehicle on the way back and switch from the Redshift to the Kinekt or vice versa. It's surprising how much it lessens "buttitis" and extends my comfort range.
If I had to choose a single post right now, for the average type of riding I do, it would be a close call but I would likely choose the Kinekt. A year ago, it would have been the Thudbuster LT. The Redshift is fairly new though and maybe next year, I'll say it's the better post. Keep in mind that these are just my opinions based on my own experience. The best seatpost is the one you are happy with and the one that works well for your own personal needs.