cyclezen

My 'go to' road bike since 92 has been my custom softride. As a consequence, a bunch of other perfectly good ferrous flyers of high stature have been hanging and rusting in my bike 'storage'.
So now I want to break them out again and make some of them frequent riders.
Problem is, I'm addicted to just cruisin over most irregular road surfaces with barely a nod to any change of tempo, line or weight compensation. Big Ring power a section and up ahead is 30 yards of teeth rattlin washboard? No Problemo - full steam ahead!
SO Iff'n I'm gonna ride my Pasta Pedalers, can I replace my C-record post with a suspension post... with some success?
For all the other kooks, geeks and freds, like me - my Qs:

1. What suspension seatpost have you ridden or still ride on your roadie?
2. How well did it work for you?
3. Benefits/Drawbacks (as you experienced)?
4. If you've ridden them for a while - which do you prefer, std solid post or your suspended post, why?
5. Any comments of 'make' and quality/durability are appreciated.

Other qualifying parameters of mine - I'm 5'11'', 165#s, less a masher than a 'tempo' rider, decent bike handler, more than comfortable 'on a wheel' or knuckle to knuckle, aged but not 'used up'.

This is a serious Q, so iff'n you're gonna reply why I shouldn't, how bad it is, how kooky it is, that the 'style' police will expatriate me, the pope will ex-comm me, don't bother poundin the keys.

If, however, you've given any road bike oriented suspension a try, I'd luv to read what you have to say.

Thrifty1

My Trek 1000C came with an Inline brand suspension seat post, My wife's LeMond Big Sky came with an InLine suspension seat post, and I just exchanged the solid/rigid seatpost on my 2005 Trek 1000 with a RockShox suspension seatpost. The supspension seatpost take the "edge" off the teeth rattling asphalt cracks/expansion strips. As for appearance....I live in North Dakota.....I just returned from riding 36 miles and saw 2 cars and 1 truck......no one here to comment on "style". I think the added comfort "edge" contributes significantly to one's abilty to "go the distance" especially for my 60 year old body.

Doggus

My wife got rid of the RockShox seat post in favor of the Thudbuster. She said it's almost as good as a the softride beam on a tandem we tried except for without the side to side. Not sure if they're any good on a single but worth a read.

Thudbuster ST

cyclezen

I have a RockShox on the way... I couldn't wait.
Can I ask how much you weigh? What size frame do you ride?
I'm looking forward to giving it a try.
After ridin the softride for almost 8 years, I've come to appreciate the benefits of 'suspension' on a road bike. Much easier on the bod, easier on the wheels and certainly allows powering over surfaces that would normally throw you off the bike.

Re the other post. about thudbuster. Checked those out, just decided to start with a RockShox and continue on from there.
looking forward to experimenting with seat 'suspension'

phinney

I've got one in a drawer around here somewhere. IMHO a sprung saddle is a much better way to go.

filtersweep

I don't have one on my road bike, but I have one on another bike that I use on the road- and it really doesn't seem to be much of a solution for anything. It makes adjusting the seat difficult, since I need to predict where I'll be once the seat is loaded. Also, once loaded, the post doesn't function like a susp. fork- in fact the suspension is very rudimentary- and it bottoms out easily when hitting a big bump.

I think they function to create the impression that the bike is more comfortable to entice newbie riders. The pros don't even use them on Paris Roubaix... well the vast majority, anyway...

Frankly, I'd recommend a good fitting bike and saddle, and wider road tires rather than a suspension post.

Thrifty1

I am 6' 1", weigh 197, and my frame is 58 cm. The seatpost "pre-load" is adjusted to about two turns from maximum clockwise movement of the adjuster. The supension seatpost merely take the "edge" off hard (large & uneven asphalt cracks etc) bumps. My RockShox has not "sagged", swiveled, bottomed out or affected stability/handling. It is like riding a non-suspension post except the bumps don't rattle my teeth.

cyclezen

Zactly what I'm looking for - just enough to take the 'edge' off. I'm getting the post off ebay - and likely no instructs on adjusting it - so iff'n I don't find instructions online, I'll prolly ping you for adjusting tips - OFF-forum, of course.
Thanks for the good info

TexasGuy

rofl. I gotta give a shout out to a fellow NDer
I didn't know cycling in ND was possible seeing as how I swear 1/3 of the roads are gravel rural routes

Fas

just seems to me you could lose potential power with a suspension seat post...same reason why you don't see suspension forks on a road bike. The give in the suspension would take away power on down strokes...particularly if you stay seated on climbs.

61north

Actually, for the 2005 Paris-Roubaix, Trek added suspension to the rear of George Hincapie's bike. See this article for more information and photos.

https://www.cyclingnews.com/road/2005.../hincapie_bike

Perhaps "suspension" road bikes are in everyone's future...

Fas

Thanks for the article. I stand corrected...but it has to be a special kind of bike to maintain power.

Thrifty1

Hello TexasGuy.
A more accurate estimate of ND rodes would be about 60% are gravel/rural. That's why it's about 30 miles to "go around the block" on paved roads. I can ride 160 paved miles with no traffic lights, fence posts, bilboards, usually no phone/power poles, and 6 to 10 vehcles is way too much traffic. When I stop for a liquid break, every car will stop to chat and offer to help. I am about 30 miles north of Minot and 30 miles south of Canada.... what area of ND are you from?

cyclezen

I'm in agreement there. Once suspension is both 'tuned' and brought in line with acceptable weights as compared to non-suspended components, then suspension will become a decided advantage for both competition and general use. Motorcycles of any reasonable level of performance have been suspended for over half a century or more. And on recent decades have found finely tuneable components be 'stock' on daily riders.
The idea of having an Ohlins system for a bicycle seems inevitable.

I remember when, on showing up at races and training rides with early versions of clipless pedal designs, I was told how kookie, unnecessary and downright dangerous that whole idea was, by 'expert' roadies.
We know where that went...

Per the other poster's comment about robbing.scavenging power. That, of course, is patently false. The bio-mechanics of powering the pedals has much to do about position, but the saddle only provides a supportive function that also helps keep the relative positions and movements of your body in a constant position/place. Even on the softest beam available I never experienced anything that would cause a drop in exerted force and power. A properly adjusted suspension post really moves even less than the softride beam does. Suspensions are still in their infancy of development and I would expect steady improvements in them until the inevitable point where itz a downright penalty to not be using one.

Thrifty1 - thanks for all the info. Got my post yesterday - had it on in a snap (left the setting to what I guess was the stock position - I'm a bit lighter than your stated weight at this time). Setting height was a piece of cake - just like setting fork 'sag' on a motorcycle - had it done in 5 minutes.
Went for a ride on my favorite piece of crappy, bumpy, heavily patched roadway. Just like you said, the post takes the 'edge' off the sharp bumps and holes! Felt great. Never really noticed the 'movment', other than the shocks were all much softer. My favoritve section of long washboard, which I usually power over on the softride, also felt great. No need to back off the pedaling or lift off the saddle (and thereby rob pedal power or screw the pedaling motion) like my 'hardtail' roadie would cause. I could actually feel the rearwheel going over the washboard and keeping nice contact with the road surface - very cool.
On the softride, the wheel movement is so isolated that you rarely feel the bike and wheel movement under the beam, even though you know itz working under you.
The biggest problem with the softride beam is that you;re adding a weight penalty of some 2.5 lbs over the equivalent size non-beam bike. Even 10 years ago, that was acceptable, but now pushing into the late er 50s, every ounce feels just THAT much heavier.
Anyway, the post worked and felt better than I expected! I'm getting suspension seatposts for all my traditonal seatposted bikes. They will prolly make the hairier long descents around here a lot more fun also. Gonna do some climbing 2morrow and test on a few of those descents.

misssparklies

Y'all sound like the kids in the Dirt section- quit worrying and ride. You'll like suspension better if you set it up so firm sag isn't a real factor- but the shock will still be a huge improvement. It'll eat up the hits, but if you feel the sag it's too sloppy. Best post I've ever had is a cheapo UNO whith a big stiff stiff spring in it under a hard rail of a saddle. Put the same kit on both my mt and road bikes and it was great on both. Since I've raced dirt on hardtails and run a farm off a full suspension knobby I'm familiar with suspension. The pros don't use it, incidently, because it was banned. Tradition! They have carbon fiber and young bodies instead. Both are superior equipment. And suspension forks with short travel are great on the road; you haven't got them because when they came out 6- 7 years ago nobody bought them and the industry went for carbon forks. When I tore up a rotator cuff I put skinny slicks on a hardtail XC bike with a 80mm travel fork and swapped to 170mm cranks- rode some lovely tours on awful roads. Sweet handling and 60 miles a day - I reccomend this. It's a common set up around here.
A great solution though- MOOTs put a urethane puck in the seat stay of a hardtail and made a wonder bike about a decade ago. This is reapearing in road bikes, I think it's Treck doing it. The urethane acts as a itty bitty short travel rear shock but keeps a rigid rear end- perfect for the road. Worth looking at if you're shopping.

But like I said- tune your suspension tightish. Sag is for downhill dirt bikes, magazine articles about how to fiddle with things, and getting you to buy more stuff. You should still have great handling on any type of suspension.

cyclezen

Thanks for the tip. Kids? of course! wouldn;t be/have it any other way
'Sag" actually I didn;t adjust any of that, left to 'stock' - I meant adjusting seat height with compensation for 'sag'. Ziptie eay enough to do.
The plan was/is to set and ride for some measureable miles, and then make another 'sag' adjustment and another 'reading' off the Butt-O-meter, til I get to full lock position. Then pick a setting I like the best.
Gonna be racin a crit on Sunday, so I'll have to come to some decisions quickly by 2morrow. Like I said, my 1st ride was already way better than with a rigid post. Off work early today, so I'm gonna be able to get some easy miles in and will carry some paper to note setting changes and 'comments'.
the whole suspended road fork thing needs to be revisited again at some point...

Thrifty1

Cyclezen; Glad I could help. Out of 6 bicycles, 5 have suspension seatposts. My 2004 Specialized Allez Comp Triple has a carbon seatpost with zertz insert that is supposed to absorb the "jolts". The only reason that I have not converted it to suspension seatpost is that it is an expensive post and a suspension post would add weight to the only bike that I am trying to maintain low weight. All of my suspension posts are adjusted to 85% to 90 % from maximum preload after riding/dialing in. After setting my seatpost height I placed a piece of masking tape on the seatpost at the clamp to mark the height to enable removing/replacing the post for preload adjustments while on a ride. I am very happy with my RockShox post. Happy jolt free cycling!

cyclezen

reporting back... to sortta close the loop

noted the above and the settings used by Thrifty 1...

went out and did adjustment sessions. do a setting, note the 'turns' in and the sag measurement, ride some miles over an 'average' road surface - do the whole exercise again (same road section).
Went from sloppy loose to full-on no perceived give.
...again, before i comment, my perceptions are based on some 10 total years of riding mostly a softride beam roadie with occasional forays out on one of my traditional steel frames (and 20 years prior to that of riding a traditional steel roadie).

OK - most apparent thing as I approached full-on no sag, and then fulllock, was the tendency to bounce me out of the saddle more, than at lower/softer settings. Not sure why that would be? The inherent energy that comes thru from any shock is the same and is 'stored' and then released. We're talkin simple 'spring' suspension here (polymer plug...) without any damping to reduce rebound - so although the 'travel' will vary on settings the actual energy stored should be the same - Yes-No? I need more physics help here...

What I came to...
Some sag was actually the best 'ride', in combination with allowing the least 'change' in pedaling dynamics. Without any predetermination, the final setting I came to was a sag of just under 1/2 inch. This felt solid, didn't seem to be noticed while pedaling either mashing a gear or tempo spin. The total travel of the post is 1.4 - 1.5 inches?
Again, done using my Butt-O-meter...
This is where I left it.

As an aside, after all this, and I called it 'done'; I realized that the proportion and relationship of sag setting to suspension full travel that I stopped at was pretty much what is the base setting for setting the sag on a road motorcycle (sport or performance type) - set 'sag' to 1/3 of total suspension travel and tune from there.
HONEST - I had no thought of any relation to moto suspension when doing the seatpost tests, was totally focused on the bike and trying to experiment to the 'best' setting for me.
A very interesting similarity (or coincidence)...