... to the handling of the bike as well as Machka's butt!

Yes, we finally got to fit the Thudbuster to the Santana Arriva. We had had the Thudbuster sitting around for about three weeks -- the delay was do to the seatpost shim not arriving with the main package from Wiggle, and having to be sent later via ordinary mail (and that is no reflection on Wiggle who are an excellent outfit with their customer service).

The Thudbuster is the short-linkage version with the softest (I think) block in it. I fitted it on Friday night, and moved the Brooks B17 back 5mm, but otherwise the saddle position was the same as with the original-equipment Tracer seatpost.

We went for a 31km ride yesterday, and I waited until about half way through before asking Machka if she "felt that bump". Well... I got the reply: "What bump?"

Excellent!!

But one thing I did notice was that the bike's whole disposition over significant bumps has changed. It's no longer squirrelly in the rear end as it comes off the bump. This is probably due to the different damping characteristics of the Thudbuster. So there are benefit for me as well.

With the Tracer, Machka also was having problems keeping a moderately high cadence with low pressure on the pedals. We held around 32km/h on a recent slight downhill with the Tracer, and she was quite uncomfortable, asking that we change to a higher gear so there was more pressure on the pedals.

We emulated the same circumstances yesterday with the Thudbuster on board, and again no problems.

I figure it has something to do with the rebound damping on the Tracer so that it was coming back up as Machka's butt was starting the next downward cycle. I also wasn't inclined to fiddle around much with the tension screw underneath the Tracer post because that might have taken forever and we still might not have found the sweet spot.

So, props to Cane Creek for producing a seatpost that delivers what it promises. It is expensive, but we figure that the bike is going to be around for a long time and cover vast distances, so getting it right now is going to be worth the effort and expense.

Glad stoker is more comfortable!
We did test riding for the original inventors of the Thudbuster (before Cane Creek acquired it) and we were q

sorry 'bout that . . . continued:

we were quite impressed; had test-ridden a couple other suspension seatposts, but 'buster was the best.
The only other suspension we liked a bit better was the Allsop carbon fiber beam (no longer being made).
However we have never had suspension on our own personal tandems; stoker Kay must have a tough little butt after 36+ years of tandeming!
Pedal on TWOgether!
Rudy and Kay/zonatandem

We are another team where the stoker has never wanted a suspension seat post. Much to my surprise actually and that includes well over twenty years on tandems .....mostly C'dales at that.

Bill J.

If it had been a decision between the previous seatpost and a non-suspension seatpost I think I would have wanted to go with a non-suspension seatpost because I felt like I was being unexpectedly thrown all over the place when we went over bumps and when we rode at a higher cadence. That seatpost was the one complaint I had about our new tandem.

But I wanted to give the Thudbuster a try ... and so far (in approx. 56 km of riding with it so far), it's great! It feels ... "solid". Not so solid that there's no give when we go over a particularly bad bump, but more secure, stable, and thus very comfortable.

And for some unexplained reason, the saddle feels more comfortable, and I wonder if that has to do with moving it back 5 mm, or if it has something to do with the seatpost.

We too put a Thudbuster on the new tandem. I have to say that over the short distances we have ridden that it does the job. I have been pleased. Now if the weather would just cooperate so we could ride!

For whatever reason, stoker preference for our team has her prefer a titanium post over the Thudbuster on the road. I would say a lot has to do with the constant movement and seat to pedal changes.

Off-road, our Fandango is Thudbuster LT equipped. It is very well suited for true xc rides and has taken the edge off of roots and other abrupt features very well.

Comfort is the key and if the Thudbuster delivers the goods for you, that's the way to roll.

PK

We thought about getting a Thudbuster when our original stoker seatpost wouldn't stop making noise but we decided against it. The only two Thudbusters we had seen were on local group rides on other tandems. We noticed that the stokers on these tandems seemed to be bouncing up and down like they were on a pogo stick. Looked like all of the stoker energy was being wasted. We installed a Thomson seatpost since we really like these one our single bikes and my wife has been happy with the ride.

I will add though that my wife is light, about 112-115lbs

Count us among those who do not use a suspension seat post. My 110 lb stoker does fine without one, but it sounds like they are helpful to many.

I wonder if those were the long travel Thudbusters. Mine is a short travel and I don't feel like I'm bouncing (or look like I'm bouncing when I watch my shadow).

Also, most folks, including off-road riders, do not realize that on the Thudbuster LT you can set the preload on the elastomers. This can increase or decrease how much the saddle will settle when the rider is seated. Adding preload can also lessen the bouncing while still having a softer spring rate.

FWIW, on the Thudbuster LT the soft gray elastomers are known culprits to split and eject, so if possible do not run those.

PK

The ST elastomers are interesting. The three that came with ours are all black, and are discernible only by a tiny imprint. We've gone with the block that was in the seatpost when it arrived. I presumed it was the softest one... it seems to suit Machka.

Interesting about the elastomers on the ST. They used to be three different colours, as for the LT. With the LT there is a pair of elastomers that are cylindrical so you can mix two to get five grades, (two intermediate) rather than just the three using them unmixed. We have an LT on our tandem, and an ST on the (adult) kids' tandem. My daughter was lighter than my wife at the time (not sure that's still true), and I wasn't sure we needed the LT in the first place, but the shop that built the tandem put on an LT. The 'pogo stick' effect would be more the case on non parallelogram-style shock absorbing seatposts. There are some in which the seatpost itself expands and compresses rather than keeping the saddle approximately a constant distance from the bottom bracket. This tends to get fewer favourable reviews from stokers.