I am a new stoker and we are outfitting our first tandem! We are struggling with the right setup for my saddle and seatpost, and I would appreciate advice. We are solving for two problems:

1. I need a setback seatpost to get my sit bones in the right place on the saddle. (No amount of messing with the handlebar or seat height has helped.)
2. It is bumpy back there!

I already have a Flyer S, which we got before it became clear the setback wasn't right. It is much better than the B17S, even though I am still landing on the rivets and back edge when I get tossed around (ouch!). It might be that when I am positioned correctly, all will be good.

We are planning to try it with a rigid setback seatpost, but the bike shop also recommended testing it with a Thudbuster ST.

No one else seems to mention using BOTH a sprung saddle AND a suspension seatpost. Is that because the weight and cost generally encourage people to choose one or the other? Or is there some weird interaction between them that I should avoid?

I figured I would ask here because a problem with the setup might not become apparent in a 2-mile test ride, and I am hoping someone else might have been down this road before. Thanks!

Your pilot needs to call out (and avoid) bumps and potholes.
You need to toughen up your butt!
Been riding as a duo since 1975 and stoker used a Brook B-72 for 30,000 miles before the seat rails broke. Never had a suspension seatpost for stoker on any of our 5 tandems we've owned.
Just our input.

Brooks saddles often need more setback so combining a Brooks with a Thudbuster won't get the saddle in the right position (at least not for you).

Thanks! I'll definitely look out for whether the setback distance on the Thusbuster is far enough...I did wonder if it would be based on the specs.

I would love for my butt to be tougher, and my partner does call out bumps, but the (paved) trails are rough enough here that some kind of suspension would let me do longer rides. It seems to work for other riders, so I hope it works for me, too.

Has anyone tested a sprung seat with a Thudbuster seatpost? I am wondering if we should even take the time, or just test a regualr B17 with it instead...

You might look at a Sella Anatomica saddle as they have very long seat rails which tends to mitigate the need for a setback seat post. We know of several teams whom use them with thud buster seat posts.

My wife uses B17s with Thudbuster and she loves it. She is a newbie in cycling so it fits great.

Thanks for the photo! Will post again once we've gotten this sorted out...

It should be okay, but you might get too much bounce. You might also need to be concerned with how much clearance you have for your saddle position and the frame of the bike. With the tandem I have, there is just enough clearance to use a Thudbuster ST, I think if I added a sprung saddle on top, it would be too high for my wife.

Good luck!

Do tandems get big soft rear cockpits because they are unusually harsh? Because the impression it gives me is, "I'll humor you, honey, by riding along on your contraption, but I'm not really enjoying it."

As it sounds like you are just getting started, don't underestimate the role tires and tire pressure can play in easing your pain and improving the overall ride quality for your team. Noticing you folks have a Samba, which has 26" wheels, affords lots of options. And wider is not always more comfortable depending on the tires' design and inflation. Though not for everyone, we sure get a much better ride on Compass offerings. They have a two in 26".

Based on Heine's blog, where in one post he mentions making a 26 with a superlight casing and then shaving the knobs for his "endurance allroad" bike; and another in which he mentions visiting Panaracer about new tires; it's a good bet they will have superlight slicks in fat 26" soon.

I think the springs in the flyer would not be compressed until the Thudbuster compresses to the point where the Thudbuster bottoms out. The cushion would probably not be additive on most bumps. Tires on the other hand can be adjusted so they are additive. Bigger tires at lower pressures would be a good solution

The stoker position generally does have a harsher ride than the captain's position, because it is at the rear of the frame rather than in the middle; the stoker can't easily see bumps coming and has to rely on the captain calling them out, and it is more difficult to stand up or adjust yourself on the tandem versus a regular bike.

Thanks, that makes sense.

Thanks again for all the opinions! We have what I hope is a solution.

The Thudbuster did not supply enough setback, and a Velo Orange setback post didn't fit the bike. The store owner came up with a ridiculously long setback post that his employees had no idea existed -- it gives what looks like 100mm of range. No one seemed to know where it came from, but I am glad he had it!



I still haven't gotten the adjustments exactly right, a process is complicated by the fact that it can be hard to tell when discomfort is due to my body getting accustomed to longer rides vs. positioning. (I am hoping I am not one of those who ends up not liking leather saddles...it looks gorgeous on the bike!) In any case, if I can't get the positioning right...it's not going to be because of limitations of the seatpost!

And Darth Lefty, in case it wasn't clear just by me being here -- I am not doing this just to humor my honey. It does sound like that happens in many cases, which is too bad. But 1) I adore this bike! And 2) Given our differences in strength and in cycling ability, a tandem is a great way to enjoy longer rides and trips together.

Have a look at the Body Float suspension seatpost
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Horia