Mountain Biking - seatpost for a Hard Tail

I need advice on getting a new seatpost for my hard tail..I am debating a Thud buster or getting a Ti seat post..Does Ti take much of the edge off?
I once used a Thud buster and I luved it cost is equal so what to do..who uses either

Ti is going to be just like aluminum or carbon.. The thudbuster offers some cush at the cost of looking stupid.

ti takes some of the harshness out, kinda like riding a steel bike, which is great for a road bike, but for mtn biking the diff is so little when you have a suspension a big ol tires, so yeah the thudbuster is great for being able to go over roots ect without having to stand up, but it doesn't let you do bigger obstacles cause your standin up for the big stuff anyway, FS for that. the thudbuster is also heavier and makes gettin seat hight harder cause of the sag. I'd say get the thudbuster if you really wanna have a more comphy ride when sittin, or just save ur money and go alloy

ti takes some of the harshness out, kinda like riding a steel bike, which is great for a road bike, but for mtn biking the diff is so little when you have a suspension a big ol tires, so yeah the thudbuster is great for being able to go over roots ect without having to stand up, but it doesn't let you do bigger obstacles cause your standin up for the big stuff anyway, FS for that. the thudbuster is also heavier and makes gettin seat hight harder cause of the sag. I'd say get the thudbuster if you really wanna have a more comphy ride when sittin, or just save ur money and go alloy

Well, please excuse me for a moment while I go and throw out my steel hardtail frame with a 26.8 thomson seatpost, and 26x2.2 tires, since I've been using the bike for hard offroad use and doing some harder hits on it. And go throw money into a aluminum full suspension frame, a turdbuster seatpost and 26x2.8 michelin comp 32's.

Truth is, don't make assumptions, Ti and steel definitely have a place with mountain bikes. In fact, I'd sooner have either a ti or steel frame over aluminum and carbon fiber.

I trust my steel hardtail a lot more than I did my 6" aluminum full suspension bike.

I have a Ti lay-back post on my Ti hardtail, a Thomson Al post on a steel cross frame and a Thomson Al post on an M2 hardtail (pretty much Al). The Ti/Ti combination is nice and smooth while the steel/Al combination is also nice, but not as comfy. The M2/Al combination is stiff and beats the crap out of you (but I like it).

I'm thinking about swapping the Thomson post on my cross bike with a Ti post from Eriksen (http://kenteriksen.com/comp_seatpost.html).

http://251.org/shared/bike/Eriksen/CO-UT/EriksenFruita.jpg

http://251.org/shared/bike/Eriksen/FirstRide/Eriksen-Saddle.jpg

Dropping your tire pressure by even a few psi will make far more difference than any seatpost will.. plus its free.

Dropping your tire pressure by even a few psi will make far more difference than any seatpost will.. plus its free.

... but not nearly as fun.

I'm sorry to interrupt, but what is "Ti"?

ok wait... i know what it is now.

it's Titanium right?

ok got this from wikipedia...

"Titanium is a strong, light metal. It is as strong as steel and twice as strong as aluminum, but is 45% lighter than steel and only 60% heavier than aluminum."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Titanium_alloy

yeah so i didn't mean to say that ti and steel bikes are stupid, just that i don't think having jsut a ti seatpost on an aluminium bike is not worth the money for that expensive post, I think you woudl notice a bigger difference in just the way the frame is constructed: strait stays vs flex stays vs that stupid thing GT does (that is you'd notice a bigger diff that with just a seatpost, i get that Ti frames are awesome)

also when i said big tires i meant that 2.2 tires are big compared to the 23mm tires on a road bike, so yeah maybe you shoudl stop making assumptions about what i say

251 - Mere pictures of your ride make my NC rides look like a spin around the culdesac on a big wheel.

Obviously,
Ti = Kewl
Thud = UnKewl

I've got a Thudbuster LT and I don't have to care--I'm an old man of 51 years.
;)

The thudbuster offers some cush at the cost of looking stupid.

Don't let other's opinions make your decisions.

Dropping your tire pressure by even a few psi will make far more difference than any seatpost will.. plus its free.+1. I wish my butt was discerning enough (or maybe I'm glad it's not) to feel differences between one type of metal shaft and another.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3064/2873931006_7d50b25a88.jpg

Better than any Ti, Carbo loaded material...

It can be adjusted from soft to firm ride. It is a little heavy, but worth it. By the way that is a road bike seat on a hardtail MTB.

+1. I wish my butt was discerning enough (or maybe I'm glad it's not) to feel differences between one type of metal shaft and another.

I guess you didn't get a colonoscopy when you turned 50?

Sorry, I couldn't resist.

^^ :lol: I got my first one a few years back and am in no great hurry to experience that again.

I have a thudbuster and it is needed.It works superbly and for those of you that think it looks wierd- if the butt is on the saddle- which it will be with a thudbuster- Then you won't see it.

OK- I'll admit that my butt needs some good suspension. I do have a reason for using one and that is a pilot that doesn't call out the lumps or rocks on the trail and without the Thudbuster- I would be visiting A & E to get a saddle extracted from somewhere it should never have got.

Attachments are of us on a typical ride and the Tandem pic is pre- Thudbuster. And the Solo that I still use occasionally.

I have used the Thudbuster on the solo- and barring weight- It still works. Ideal for the 60 mile Enduros I still like to do.

A few more words about Thudbusters: If you put on a "comfort" oriented saddle (Serfa Rx) it looks really dorky--I didn't like looking at it in my garage. I put a Terry Fly on and it looks fine to me, I'm a form-follows-function type of guy.
The ST (short travel) model is more compact but has no preload adjustment. The LT has a bolt running through the elastomers for preload. (I do wish the nyloc nut was easier to grab hold of when making adjustments in the field.)

^^ For the record, there are such things as Nylock wing nuts (although clearance may be tight on a Thudbuster)

http://www.kirkengines.com/Wingnut.jpg

Right, that wingnut is a better idea than carrying the 8mm Craftsman combination wrench like I do. (I don't believe a bike multitool would work.)

Ok, so I need a suspension post. I have it down to a Thudbuster or Telescopic USE or Nitro.

I wanted to see who uses either and decide which one is better?

I like the thudbuster for the smooth design and how it functions. I also like how the telescopic post looks and manysay it works well.

Any feedback ?:thumb:

Little confused here...what's the purpose of a suspension seatpost? It doesn't actually do anything to keep the rear tire on the ground or make landings more forgiving like rear suspension, so that makes me think it's purely for comfort. But on just about any part of the trail that I can think of that I might need the seatpost suspension, I'm not sitting down anyway. But I've never ridden a Thudbuster, so maybe I'm completely off here.

I'd save my money and get a Thomson. Or if the money was really burning a hole in my pocket, a Gravity Dropper or Speedball. I feel like the ability to easily get the seat out of my way would be more useful than a suspension seatpost.

Have you thought about trying a carbon seatpost? I could not even believe the difference an Easton carbon seatpost made on my hardtail. AWESOME.

I thought I was buying a "bling" component originally....just happened to have the cash at the right time. Seriously...try carbon!

There is just enough flex in the seatpost that it really takes the sting off the bum when you're in the saddle and spinning.

Try it. Really. Do it.

You know my initial idea was to go Carbon..however I heard horror stories of slippage breaking yadda yadda..I have a carbon road bike so I luv the feel but was unsure that for $100 I would get any benefit. I got the hard tail after using a Specialized FSR for about 5 yrs....I wanted a faster quicker bike but my arse misses the suspension.

what post do you have ?

I started using a USE shock post in 95 on my KonaAA and it's on my C'dale cross bike today. Still works well. Put a Rox Shox Suspension post on my hard tail C'dale in 2000 and it has also done a great job of taking the sting out of the bumps. I just purchased a Trek 8000 HT and the jarring of the rigid post has caused some back pain. (I'm 44 and did have back sugery for a ruptured disc) I believe there is a performance along with a comfort benifit with a suspension post. Where I could sit and pedal with the shock post I now have to stand with a rigid post. This spring I will probably buy another USE shock post for the Trek.

thudbuster ST short travel is great.

of all shock posts (I have used a bunch) it's just right and not too gomer

dude I am also a 43 yr olf fella my back is just beat up after aride I do miss the full suspension but was not up to spending 2K for a new rig I got a sweet Gary Fisher Tassassajar awesome..:love:

Yeah, I turn 43 this month and I decided on the Thudbuster Iam not sureif I should get the Lt or ST..I really enjoy my new HT Gary Fisher but need a suspension seat post ASAP...The USE seems to be the best telscopic post on the market but the concept seems a tad behind the Cane Creek..
But thanks for your feedback

The LT is more "tunable" than the ST. The LT has two elastomers--I ride with a black and a blue.