Originally Posted by
jnbrown
Interesting discussion about the pros and cons of suspension post. We too had a Thudbuster ST on our Santana and I don't think my stoker would have ridden without it. It could partly be perception and/or placebo effect. When we got our Calfee not only did she not need the suspension post, it is more comfortable than our old tandem with one. On the Calfee I also used a Specialized Pave carbon post (with Zertz) on the back just to make sure although I am not sure how much it helps if any, so you might try that instead of a full on suspension post. Suspension systems can potentially suffer from resonances where if you hit the right bump or series of bumps it can actually amplify the shock. I am not sure if this actually happens with a Thudbuster
Fortunately, the seatpost I'm going to get her to try is a Specialized with Zertz inserts - I'm also not convinced of the Zertz effectiveness, but it can't hurt.
When we go over speedbumps on the road then the Thudbuster definitely does cause problems, because some of them cause the seatpost to compress and then release at just the right speed that she gets launched into the air, which doesn't happen with a rigid post (it doesn't absorb the impact, but it also doesn't have the pogo stick effect). So, although I said that the Thudbuster absorbs bumps well, it can also magnify bumps of certain sizes. I'm less and less convinced that a suspension post is a useful thing when riding on the road.
However, if the question is simply which is the best suspension seatpost, then my vote is definitely with the Thudbuster because I've seen many others fail very quickly. My only question is whether using any suspension seatpost actually increases long-term comfort when riding on mostly smooth roads - I'm thinking maybe not. Just like with saddles, the ones that are softest and widest look like they would be the most comfortable, but are not actually when riding on them for anything more than 15 minutes, then you want something a bit firmer - I'm starting to think that the same may be true for seatposts.