Folding Bikes - Seatpost Suspension?

As my tush is often saddened by inescapable arrays of potholes and cracks on the road, I figure some ride cushioning would make me happier.

Now all of this is done via my bright red Boardwalk along assorted areas of L.A. County. Some spots are so damaged, I end up standing through the whole mess, whilst others are not so bad/pretty good.

So I've looked into a bunch of seatposts, and I see that much of my ride really isn't all THAT bad. These seatposts appear to be for mountain bikers and tourers, rather than some kid exploring city around the university. (Research Source: http://www.mtbr.com/cat/suspension/Suspension_Seatpost/PLS_150_911crx.aspx )

I've perused thorusa.com and as cool as the thudbuster appears to be, it costs about as much as I originally got my Boardwalk for (if not more). I'm curious why no one really mentions the Biologic Suspension Seatpost. It looks like it'd do its job.. but is it really that noticeable?

So I'm figuring, since I've also got to get lights before shoving off to college, should I just hunt out a comfy seat? or actually bite the bullet and get some seat post suspension? and if so, how?

I do not use suspenson seatposts so I do not know. I suggest you get a sprung saddle. Seatposts come in different sizes and lenghts, and may not fit the next bike you buy. If you buy a saddle you can take it with you to the next bike if you want.

I suggest you do NOT gt a soft gel saddle, go for a firm one w springs. If you can afford a sprung Broos that is what I suggest, shop around on the net, prices vary a lot.

If not maybe look into the Electra saddles that folder Fanatic uses, look around un this page, there is an older thread on the topic that is just brought back to life.

A picture of your ride showing seat height, stem height and so on could help us .

Edit: Also the air preassure of the tires and the tire size counts when trying to get a folder more comfy. Fat tires with low airpreassure gives the most comfy ride.

Hi

I am suspicous about suspension in general, altho I have never had a bike with suspension. In my mind suspension just adds extra weight, the tyres are my only suspension.
Get bigger tyres.

G

Upgrade to a Jetstream. The ride is superb.

I use suspension seatposts on all my bikes, and I've been baffled for a long time why they are not more popular. For me the comfort factor is way more important than the extra weight. Yes using a larger tire has the same benefit, but I want to stick with my high pressure, fast and thin tires. btw, this is assuming one is using a high quality sus post. Mine (Rockshox) don't bob at all.

I have tried the Thudbuster and, for the price paid, was underwhelmed. I kept reading these rave reviews that it was like a Full Suspension equivalent and it was not. It's more like a road dampener. For mini bumps like riding through old brick layed streets it was ok. But, when you came across a significant dip like from a driveway to a curb then street, you still had to raise your tush.

I got a Downtube full suspension and that is working great. I can still run high pressure tires so my speed will not suffer as it may with fatter tires. I can fine tune this suspension by turning a screw and, I believe, that you can swap the stock suspension for those fancier high-end MTB ones (I haven't done this upgrade, though).

There are multiple way's to accomplish what you want. I've always been a fan of the sprung saddle for comfort, although for airflow/sweat reasons, I find myself enjoying a non-sprung saddle on my main bike right now. On my small wheel bike, I picked up a "Butt Buddy" suspension system, which is an extra piece that fits between your seat post and your seat. I didn't get it for its suspension properties, but because I was out of seat post and needed to get the seat up another inch for comfort. The bike in question has both the Butt Buddy and a sprung saddle. I find it comfortable, but I don't know that I can attribute it more to one or the other, if either. My main ride has no suspension, and I find it comfortable, too, so who can say?
I have since then seen the Butt Buddy marketed since under another name, but I can't remember what it was. I seem to remember it not being too pricey, too, so hopefully it's not much of a risk if you wanted to try it out, and it didn't work.

EBAY Has them too, cheap.

I also thought the price was too high for the Thudbuster and bought the Biologic Seatpost instead. I'm somewhat satisfied with it but I think the change from stock tires to Big Apples was a much more significant upgrade for suspension so you might want to consider that first.

I just got a Cloud 9 gel seat w/ rubber "springs" at Amazon for $25 including shipping. The "horn" is a little wider than I'd like, so I might return it (not decided yet), but it is a very comfortable seat besides that. This might be all the comfort you need. I would try it, or any cushy seat w/ springs or rubber "springs", as an option. Or, Ebay has many suspension posts for about $10-15, I think. Good luck!

My cheap aluminium hybrid is very stiff, it transmits every bump. It came with a suspension seat post... which I hate! Because the seat moves up and down, it is always at the wrong height. I'd rather have a sore bum than sore knees.