Anyone have experience of a Thudbuster seatpost?

[Hardtailrider]

I've been using a long-travel(LT)Thudbuster seatpost for over two years now and it's great! Reckon it's one of my best upgrades (apart from buying a full-susser, obviously) along with converting to tubeless.

 

Anyone else had good/bad experiences?

[DawieO]

yip. Thudbuster LT.

 

hated it. felt like I was riding a noodle.

[TNT1]

FS and thudbuster? Ok.

 

 

 

Think you need a new username?

Edited March 16, 2011 by TNT1

[Hardtailrider]

FS and thudbuster? Ok.

 

 

 

Think you need a new username?

 

 

Umm, yes, bit unclear there - full susser would have been a more substantial upgrade than a suspension seatpost but I do actually ride a hardtail

[RodTi]

Heard that when it compresses, the saddle shifts backwards, thereby effecting the pedal stroke?

 

Was this noticeable at all?

[leeu52]

It's an absolute lifesaver (backsaver?) for my tandem's stoker.

[Hardtailrider]

Heard that when it compresses, the saddle shifts backwards, thereby effecting the pedal stroke?

 

Was this noticeable at all?

 

That's true about its movement but, and I quote the manufacturer here: "As the bump lifts the rear wheel, the rear wheel pushes the saddle up and forward into the rider. The Thudbuster compresses along the exact opposite path (down and rearward) to absorb the force. The Thudbuster moves down and rearward at the same rate as the bump moves the saddle up and forward, so the net movement means the rider is unaffected by the bump."

 

Your pedal stroke distance actually remains virtually unchanged but your reach to the bars does change a bit. Slightly weird feeling at first, like having a tyre going flat, but quickly feels normal. My experience is that it really soaks up chatter but pogos a bit on bigger hits. You can remain seated a LOT more though. Pedal bob is absolutely minimal and, anyway, any losses that way are more than compensated by not having to "hover" as much as you do on a normal seatpost. Only real downside is the weight (about 500g with a 31.6 diameter post, excluding saddle)but, from a personal viewpoint, the benefits far outweigh that.

[singletrek]

How much do these things cost?

[Mojoman]

Was looking last night at them on CRC, they are on special at R1500 (normally around R1800) odd, another R50 or so for postage. Also saw some for sale in Junk Mail and Bumtree.

May just invest in one but they are expensive and I am concerned about 'bob'!!

[singletrek]

I guess it will not be as effective as a "proper" upgrade to a dual suspension, but it will take the edge of the spine destructive bumps from the alloy hard tail?

[RodTi]

I guess it will not be as effective as a "proper" upgrade to a dual suspension, but it will take the edge of the spine destructive bumps from the alloy hard tail?

 

It should, yes... Pop over to mtbr.com, they have stacks of reviews about both versions... Just keep in mind that they have rider-weight restrictions on them!

 

[Hardtailrider]

I guess it will not be as effective as a "proper" upgrade to a dual suspension, but it will take the edge of the spine destructive bumps from the alloy hard tail?

 

 

Yup, it's not full suspension, but seriously takes the edge off on long rides and, best of all, you get to keep the power transfer on climbs that only a hardtail delivers. Pedal bob is not a problem at all in my experience. When bigger hits appear, you should be standing on the pedals anyway - even on a FS bike. I run a 2.25 tubeless rear tyre to help soak up chatter some more.

[Just Keep Pedaling]

I had a LT one. It worked well - a good product if you don't want to spend the cash on a new FS frame.

Edited March 22, 2011 by Just Keep Pedaling

[D Vader]

Have both LT and short travel posts on Tandem ( Hardtail mtb tandem so both stoker and pilot), been very good, weight adjustment inserts work well.

Pricey and a bit heavy but pretty good.

[Blouduif]

I use the LT on my hardtail. Best money spent on cycling. Love my Thudbuster! Will never ride a hardtail again without this.