Why does it seem Vado owners are getting KINEKT 2.1 vs Redshift Seat Post ?

[Stefan Mikes]

I am on the second Kinekt 2.1 seatpost on my full power Vado. When Specialized LBS was rebuilding my Vado 5.0 into 6.0 per lifetime frame warranty, they could only find a frame size S while the original was Medium. The LBS guys compared the e-bikes' geometry and determined they could use a 450 mm seat-post to get at almost the same geometry, with the cockpit being a tad shorter. So they bought a 450 mm Kinekt to replace the 350 mm original I had on my Vado before (a nice gift!)

However, the replacement seat-post came with the Medium (black) springs, and I am not that a lightweight person. When the Kinekt bottom spring was pre-loaded lightly, the saddle was compressing the spring totally, no suspension action. When the spring was set up stiffer by the adjustment screw, I was experienced severe pedal bobbing. With the spring pre-loaded even more, there was hardly any ride cushioning at the rear of the e-bike.

While inspecting the contents of my "bicycle cabinet", I found a set of Orange (Stiff) springs. It took me some time to dismantle the Kinekt for the replacement of springs, and even more time to re-assemble the thing, even if it looked easy on YouTube instructional videos. I was aware I should be very delicate with the connecting screws. Despite of my efforts, the socket for one of the screws turned out to be damaged, and I had to tighten the connection with Loctite...

The next thing on the next morning was setting the spring pre-load. It basically requires two people. The rider shall sit on the bike with the second person supporting the bicycle as it does not fall aside, and rotating the pre-load screw until it stops. Meaning, the spring is fixed at the position as set by the rider's body weight, and it only will compress more as part of the suspension action. I'm alone, so made it feasible for me. I leaned on the saddle with my forearm with my upper body weight and some extra force, then tightened the preload screw with the other hand. It has worked! (the next step is setting the proper saddle height).

Now, everything is working fine. The saddle does not drop under my body weight, there is no pedal bob, and my backside is properly isolated from the uneven riding surfaces. The seat-post works very well.

Now, you may understand why I prefer the Redshift ShockStop stem to the Kinekt. The only thing to do with the RS is rotating the adjustment barrel to the position per the instruction manual. I have never needed the optional helper spring but even adding the helper spring does not look complicated.

Otherwise, both systems offer equally excellent performance!

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Not funny! It seems my Kinekt 2.1 I use on the Vado 6.0 has just broken. As I rode the e-bike, I could heard a soft pop, and then I found myself lower on the saddle. Yes, I could continue my ride.

The inspection has showed the bottom spring assembly has popped out as the left hand side bottom screw gave up in its socket and the bottom left part of the assembly got loose. I cannot determine whether something got actually broken (that is, cracked) or the thing can be fixed. I will keep you notified.

There is one sure thing: I have not realised how much of suspension the Kinekt seat-post had been giving me until it broke. Now, the ride has become very painful for my back!

 

[6zfshdb]

Not funny! It seems my Kinekt 2.1 I use on the Vado 6.0 has just broken. As I rode the e-bike, I could heard a soft pop, and then I found myself lower on the saddle. Yes, I could continue my ride.

The inspection has showed the bottom spring assembly has popped out as the left hand side bottom screw gave up in its socket and the bottom left part of the assembly got loose. I cannot determine whether something got actually broken (that is, cracked) or the thing can be fixed. I will keep you notified.

There is one sure thing: I have not realised how much of suspension the Kinekt seat-post had been giving me until it broke. Now, the ride has become very painful for my back!

Thanks for posting this Stefan. Please post what you find.
I've noticed some looseness in one of my Kinekt posts, and I'm going to take a closer look. It has over 4K miles on it, so I guess it's time for a little maintenance.

BTW, Kinekt does sell parts, and they ship internationally: https://cirruscycles.com/collections/parts-tools

 

[rochrunner]

Not funny! It seems my Kinekt 2.1 I use on the Vado 6.0 has just broken. As I rode the e-bike, I could heard a soft pop, and then I found myself lower on the saddle. Yes, I could continue my ride.

Too many paczkis? But seriously, I'm glad you didn't get hurt. Seatpost failures can be catastrophic!

 

[Rexlion]

(2021) 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.

Do you still favor the Kinekt after all this time has passed, or have you found a new favorite? Curious to know if you think the Kinekt and the Shockstop are really close contenders or if there's a clear winner.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Do you still favor the Kinekt after all this time has passed, or have you found a new favorite? Curious to know if you think the Kinekt and the Shockstop are really close contenders or if there's a clear winner.

I tend to prefer the ShockStop now but the Kinekt was perfect until it broke.

 

[6zfshdb]

Do you still favor the Kinekt after all this time has passed, or have you found a new favorite? Curious to know if you think the Kinekt and the Shockstop are really close contenders or if there's a clear winner.

I still use both and prefer the kinekt slightly over the Redshift.

I may change my opinion though, depending on what I find after I investigate the slight play in the Kinekt mechanism. After 4K miles, I suspect it is just normal bushing wear. I have the replacement bushing kit, which I ordered with the seatpost.

In the past, I've replaced bushings on two of my Thudbuster seatposts, so they are considered a wear item. It pays to have spares on hand if you're a long miler.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Too many paczkis? But seriously, I'm glad you didn't get hurt. Seatpost failures can be catastrophic!

It has turned out my doctor had mistakenly prescribed only the half of my necessary dose of diabetes medication in July last year. During several months, I put a lot on weight. I even replaced the Kinekt springs with heavier ones some time ago. Now, I'm getting the proper dose of the drug, and hopefully I would become properly more lightweight... Certainly, the Kinekt could have got overloaded.

Fortunately, the spring popping out did not affect the riding safety. Still cannot find the time to look at the issue. Riding, riding, riding! We have a perfect weather now, and as a single person I do not celebrate Easter but am riding riding riding! Riding my Vado SL with Redshift of course

Irony is: My brother got the Trance E+ from me 3 years ago. The e-MTB had been equipped with a OneUp dropper seat-post. It turns out the pressurised cartridge is only good for 3 years, and has to be replaced. So the dropper dropped and would not rise again! My brother has now effectively one bike less thus.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Kinekt and Thudbuster are two different systems from different brands.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

I still use both and prefer the kinekt slightly over the Redshift.

I may change my opinion though, depending on what I find after I investigate the slight play in the Kinekt mechanism. After 4K miles, I suspect it is just normal bushing wear. I have the replacement bushing kit, which I ordered with the seatpost.

In the past, I've replaced bushings on two of my Thudbuster seatposts, so they are considered a wear item. It pays to have spares on hand if you're a long miler.

Now, I have had time to inspect the damaged Kinekt 2.1. It has turned out the bottom-left side bolt might have been installed too loosely, and it got sheared from the pre-load plug (into which, I guess, the bolt was screwed). First, I could confirm Cirrus Cycles in the US indeed provided repair kits. Then, I visited the website of the Dutch distributor, and indeed, the small parts were available there.

The only doubt I had was what the exact type of the Kinekt seatpost I actually owned? Now, it is either LR or XR. My latest Kinekt seatpost (450 mm) was bought for my Vado 6.0 by Specialized Warsaw to fully satisfy they warranty work on replacing the e-bike frame (a complicated story!) Cirrus Cycles says the pre-load bolt assembly is 50 mm long for LR and 60 mm for XR. However, my assembly is 55 mm long! As I only needed a new pre-load plug, I ordered the LR set.

My order has been:

• Kinekt Pre-Load Bolt Assembly (I chose LR as it was in stock)
• Kinekt Seatpost Side Link Bolts

Thanks to being in the single-market Europe, I could order the parts to Poland (of course, the shipping cost was high). Now, having the original seat-post and actually getting two spare parts I need (the plug and the side bolt), I hope I would be able to repair the seat-post. A good stuff, it would be a pity to let the expensive product go to waste!

 

[Stefan Mikes]

It is a follow up to the previous post.

Out of sudden, an envelope from the Dutch dealer for Cirrus Cycles has arrived. After 11 days of waiting from the order and two reminders! It has turned out the repair kit is inadequate: it does not contain the actually broken part, which is an aluminium plug to hold the rear end of the spring inside the assembly. I have an idea how I might repair the suspension post but generally lost my heart for the Kinekt suspension post.

Meanwhile, I ordered a new Redshift Sports ShockStop Endurance suspension seat-post in size 30.9 x 400 mm for my Vado 6.0. Redshift Sports has greatly extended its collection of ShockStop seat-posts, offering them in a plethora of diameters, lengths and flavours. I only hope the 400 mm post would be long enough for my needs, as my situation is unusual: I need a long seat-post for a frame in size Small. Hopefully, the ShockStop could be long enough for my needs! (If not, there is a return policy).

 

[6zfshdb]

Redshift has a 450mm x 30.9mm post available for the ShockStop Endurance if the 400mm doesn't work out:

https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0089/1220/7951/files/ShockStop_Seatpost_Model_Comparison_Chart.pdf?v=1712945725

I'm curious if the new Endurance is much different than the original ShockStop post I have.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Redshift has a 450mm x 30.9mm post available for the ShockStop Endurance if the 400mm doesn't work out:

https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0089/1220/7951/files/ShockStop_Seatpost_Model_Comparison_Chart.pdf?v=1712945725

I'm curious if the new Endurance is much different than the original ShockStop post I have.

The issue, friend, is Redshift Sports does not have them exported to Europe yet
I asked them.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

I need to mention Redshift Sports has -- unlike Cirrus Cycles -- an excellent presence in Europe with both its own EU warehouse as well as distribution via Amazon EU.

I guess the Endurance is the legacy model only in more sizes but I will tell you as soon as I get the seat-post in my hands.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Update: The Redshift ShockStop Endurance Seat-Post 30.9 x 400 mm installed on Vado 6.0 frame size S

I did it. Having received the seat-post, I first measured whether it would theoretically be good for my purposes (it did). Then I unscrewed the Pre-Load Plug, carefully slid out the inner parts from the tube and put those ordered in a safe place. I did all this as the installation guide read any rider heavier than 99 kg should install the inner spring (provided). I generously greased the inner spring and reassembled the unit, setting the pre-load to "3". Then I installed the saddle on the seat-post and then...

...I was lucky. I was improbably lucky. The combination of the Vado seat-tube in the frame size S with my demand to have the saddle top at 71 cm from the crank spindle was almost a Mission Impossible. As it turned out, the seat-tube depth was just slightly greater than 100 mm, that is, the Minimum Insertion Length of the seat-post. With pushing the seat-post all the way down, my seat height was 72 cm! A centimetre too high is a no-go for an advanced cyclist. So I removed the seat-post from the seat-tube, and turned the Pre-Load Plug into the maximum spring compression position. At that moment, my saddle height went 5 mm lower, that is, to 71.5 cm. Now, my body weight compresses the saddle a couple of millimetres farther, making my saddle position almost ideal. Yes, I'd like to win another 5 mm more but the eventual saddle position has turned out to be acceptable for me.

No one else could ride my Vado if their legs were a tad shorter or several cm longer! I was so close to returning the ShockStop!

The 2 km test ride was positive. The saddle does not bounce under me or causes a pedal-bob but the road vibration is reduced perfectly! After my Saturday's 70 mile demo ride, I will be capable to make a decision if I want to keep it as is or perhaps I could remove the inner spring so the initial saddle sag would be several mm deeper. I don't know yet.

@6zfshdb: I wrote this for you

 

[6zfshdb]

Update: The Redshift ShockStop Endurance Seat-Post 30.9 x 400 mm installed on Vado 6.0 frame size S

I did it. Having received the seat-post, I first measured whether it would theoretically be good for my purposes (it did). Then I unscrewed the Pre-Load Plug, carefully slid out the inner parts from the tube and put those ordered in a safe place. I did all this as the installation guide read any rider heavier than 99 kg should install the inner spring (provided). I generously greased the inner spring and reassembled the unit, setting the pre-load to "3". Then I installed the saddle on the seat-post and then...

...I was lucky. I was improbably lucky. The combination of the Vado seat-tube in the frame size S with my demand to have the saddle top at 71 cm from the crank spindle was almost a Mission Impossible. As it turned out, the seat-tube depth was just slightly greater than 100 mm, that is, the Minimum Insertion Length of the seat-post. With pushing the seat-post all the way down, my seat height was 72 cm! A centimetre too high is a no-go for an advanced cyclist. So I removed the seat-post from the seat-tube, and turned the Pre-Load Plug into the maximum spring compression position. At that moment, my saddle height went 5 mm lower, that is, to 71.5 cm. Now, my body weight compresses the saddle a couple of millimetres farther, making my saddle position almost ideal. Yes, I'd like to win another 5 mm more but the eventual saddle position has turned out to be acceptable for me.

No one else could ride my Vado if their legs were a tad shorter or several cm longer! I was so close to returning the ShockStop!

The 2 km test ride was positive. The saddle does not bounce under me or causes a pedal-bob but the road vibration is reduced perfectly! After my Saturday's 70 mile demo ride, I will be capable to make a decision if I want to keep it as is or perhaps I could remove the inner spring so the initial saddle sag would be several mm deeper. I don't know yet.

@6zfshdb: I wrote this for you

Thanks Stefan.
I also need a longer post, and am able to get the 450mm size here in the US. The clearance is close to the bottom of the seat tube on my bikes, but I'm able to get the right saddle height with a few mm to spare.

With the Kinekt, the post end can be trimmed if necessary, but not so with the Redshift, since the preload mechanism is inside the tube.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

With the Kinekt, the post end can be trimmed if necessary, but not so with the Redshift, since the preload mechanism is inside the tube.

I do absolutely agree!
Now, I have an idea. I have just ordered 165 mm Praxis cranks for Vado/Como/Levo/Kenevo (SKU: EC-SBC-165A) from Italy. I guess cranks shorter by 5 mm would make the way I feel on the Vado just ideal!

 

[Stefan Mikes]

The clearance is close to the bottom of the seat tube on my bikes, but I'm able to get the right saddle height with a few mm to spare.

Insert a measuring rod into your seat-tube. The minimum insertion height for the Redshift seat-post is 100 mm. (It is 90 mm for Kinekt).

 

[AvalancheRun]

Even though I’m a very happy Redshift owner, I wanted to note that I watched a couple in-depth YouTube comparisons and the Kinect came out on top. For a heavier bike it seems like the more comfortable and better option. Very happy that my Redshift is light enough for my acoustic gravel bike however.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Even though I’m a very happy Redshift owner, I wanted to note that I watched a couple in-depth YouTube comparisons and the Kinect came out on top. For a heavier bike it seems like the more comfortable and better option. Very happy that my Redshift is light enough for my acoustic gravel bike however.

Well, I accepted the Kinekt once (as there was no other "native" 30.9 mm option at that time). However, even with the heaviest springs and a solid pre-load, the seat-post was bouncy and pedal-bob happened often, especially at high, energetic cadence. The cup of bitterness runneth over when one of the bolts sheared from fatigue on both sides. The remains of the bolt stayed in the preload plug, making the expensive seat-post useless.

I bought small parts, and the set did not include the preload plug! Meanwhile, Cirrus Cycles seem to have modify the design (no 2.1 anymore, it is LR or XR). For instance, the preload bolts are now 50 or 60 mm, while the original bolt was 55 mm! I decided to give up on the Kinekt, as I cannot spend a lot of money on an unit that broke just after a year's use! I don't trust any repair kit available nowadays would be practical for my existing Kinekt 2.1 seat-post. The maximum I can do is try removing the sheared bolt from the preload plug, use spare connecting bolts and hope the thread in the plate on the other side is intact...

I don't trust Kinekt anymore. Meanwhile, a Redshift ShockStop has worked very well on my Vado SL for almost three years!