Tandem Cycling - 29.8mm dia suspension seatpost?

Does anyone have recommendations on a suspension seatpost to fit the stoker position on my Burley Samba. I've picked up a child specific saddle (thanks for everyone's input on that) and installed that on the original seatpost. Now I'm thinking about the different stokers that ride with me and rather than swapping the saddles when switching from a child to an adult stoker I think I'll purchase a second seatpost and attach my wife's saddle to that one. That way the switch is easy and requires no tools and little adjustment. I think my wife would enjoy the ride even more if the new seatpost were a suspension post, but it appears that the Burley seat post diameter is unusual (29.8mm). I'm looking for recommendations on a good suspension post that might be in that size or the best size solution if I can't find one in that size--do I have to shim? etc, etc. Thanks in advance, the knowledge of this group is fantastic and I appreciate everyone's willingness to share it!

http://www.gtgtandems.com/parts/sposts.html

http://www.tandemseast.com/parts/seats.html

http://www.precisiontandems.com/catalogpartsweb.htm#seatposts
Note: This one will take a while to load, even with high-speed DSL

The links are perfect TandemGeek. Exactly what I needed. Now I just have to choose a seatpost. Thanks!!

Now I just have to choose a seatpost. Thanks!!

You might want to Email or call Rich (Gear-to-Go), Mark (Precision), or Mel (Tandems East) to get their thoughts on what would work best for you and your stoker(s). Once they understand your needs and budget they'll be able to make a good recommendation which could save you some head scratching as suspension seatposts are not all created equal and it's often times hard to separate the chaff from the wheat based on what's available on the net. There are some previous posts here at BF on suspension posts that you could dig up by doing a search on 'suspension post' against the Tandems Forum.

I had two really bad suspension seatposts on single bikes I rode as commuters. Mostly sticktion and trouble getting a good seat height, so I'm not interested in going cheap (in quality). The parallelogram design looks like a good one to me--I'll check out what's been posted previously here. Thanks, again!

We're big fans of the Thudbuster ST (not the mondo-travel LT). It's light (for a suspension post, that is), and very, very well made. My 65 pound, 10-year old stoker needed the softest elastomers (white) that don't normally come with the post, so that cost a little extra, but we found the cheapest prices were from www.thudbuster.com, the inventor's website (official Cane Creak factory outlet for the Thudbuster line). Wonderful service; even when shipping problems happened, Joe helped track it down and got it to me in time (had to have it before the metric century ride last month, you see).

No stiction, as far as I can tell, and I hear nothing but rave reviews from the back seat...well actually, I don't hear anything. Nothing like: "My bum's sore...my bottom hurts...please, no more bumps...Dad!!, Call it out next time...etc." from behind. So in a way, not hearing anything is a very good sign that the post is doin' it's job.

As I said, couldn't be happier. Cost was just under $150 including the extra elastomer and 2-day shipping. Questions...just ask.

Oh...I should point out that there's a minimum extension of 98mm from the top of the seat tube to the center of the saddle rails. Depending on the size of your stoker, that might be an issue; it isn't for us. Also, they don't have a "native" 29.8mm post. What they do is send you a 27.2 and a shim to fit the 29.8 at no extra charge. Personally, I don't see a downside with this for the stoker (no need to attach a stoker stem like on the captain's post). Besides that, if you ever switch frames, you can just get another sized shim. Just thought you ought to know...

Eurastus-What makes you prefer the Thudbuster ST over the LT?

Eurastus-What makes you prefer the Thudbuster ST over the LT?
The ST is much lighter, has no pre-load (meaning it does not sag when the stoker puts her full weight on it--or if it does sag, it's such a small amount that I can't detect it, which might be the case with only 65 pounds to support), is better looking (but only in comparison to the LT...it is still ugly compared to a normal post :rolleyes: ), and gives us more than enough travel. I should have mentioned that this is used exclusively with a on-road tandem. 1.3 inches of travel is more than we need. I'm a pretty careful pilot and, frankly, don't jostle her around that much.

Besides that, when it's only 65 pounds that's suspended, the LT is just overkill in my opinion. This girl's skinny as a rail, her mother (who occasionally stokes) is not much over 100 pounds, and both upcoming potential stoker-boys (who still need a few years growth to have required leg-length) are lightweights as well. I guess we're just a skinny bunch.

Now...if we were an off-road team, or had more normal-sized stokers, then the LT might be our choice, I don't know.

You know, you're right. I should have added all this info in the original post. It's part of the decision process. I made some assumptions on the original poster's situation...like that he rides the same kind of terrain that we do, that his stoker-kid is approximately the same size as mine, etc. It could well be that these are invalid assumptions. But even if they are, unless his child is very large for his/her age, or they spend all their time on seriously bouncy off-road conditions, I don't think the 3 inches of travel in the LT justify it's weight, longer required minimum extension, etc. Besides that, and this is just my opinion, I think the LT is nasty ugly. I don't want to ride a Rube Goldberg-equipped contraption. I offends my sense of cycling aesthetics.

Thanks for the info on the Thudbuster, Erastus. This is one model I am considering and I appreciate your opinion on the ST vs the LT. Any suspension seatpost is out of the question for our 8 yr old because she needs the seat as low as possible to reach the pedals, but she's growing like a weed so I'm not considering investing in a child stoker kit. The suspension post would be for the 12 yr old and my wife who are both plenty tall and would appreciate a cushier ride. I also like the notion of having a 27.2 and shimming...I think it would fit my moutain bike as well so it could get some dual use.

I've heard nothing but compliments on the Thudbuster LT seatpost, but yes, it does exhibit a certain lack of grace in it's looks.