Originally Posted by
mstyer
On a single bike, and as a captain, we can see imperfections in the road coming and slightly unweight the seat. The stoker doesn't always enjoy this same warning and can be firmly planted on the seat when the bike hits rough pavement.
This point may not be obvious unless you switch roles and ride as a stoker. I did a short ride as a stoker and it was nerve-wracking. Unfortunately, the captain can't always warn about every bump or ripple. Without a suspension post, even minor road imperfections can be uncomfortable after long distance.
We noticed that some stokers use thickly padded saddle to reduce road shock or ride shorter routes (less than 50 miles). Since we prefer racing saddles and century rides, it's a worthwhile compromise to use a suspension post and save weight elsewhere on the tandem.