Suspension Seatposts and Stems for Touring
 

Just doing some research and wondering if many of you have opinions on suspension seatposts and stems for touring on mixed pavement and gravel. Thanks

Unless you really need the cushioning it is something else to go wrong. As I found out in rural Kansas. Luckily my seatpost was a common 27.2 size and a local in a nearby small town gave me one from one of his bikes. I have found non suspension OK for gravel roads as long as you have decent sized tyres. 700x40 or more.

The post that failed was the telescopic type. If you must have susension the Suntour SP12 NCX type may be more robust.

https://www.srsuntour.com/cs/product...-NCX-6315.html

I have a CaneCreek on a LHT and like it but my usage isn’t touring, I live off dirt roads and I’m not getting younger. I also put a RedShift stem on but I’m undecided on its utility using Jones bars. That’s a 56cm 26” wheel LHT w 2.0 tires. I’d be more inclined to pick tires for 95% of the suspension I need for touring and if I knew I was going to be pushing the bikes and my comfort limits I could see considering it for the seatpost. I wouldn’t get one for a trip that was going to be full of other “firsts” . You know, first big trip, first time on a particular bike, first time riding a bike with a lot of gear, first time touring on rough roads, etc.
Another thing to consider for comfort, primarily in hands, instead of expensive bits is a significantly larger front tire if the frame and rims can do it So if you normally tour in 32 mm tires put a 38 in front.

I did a van supported ACA trip in West Texas. Most people had road bikes because all we needed to carry on our bikes was our lunch and water. I brought my folding bike which had 40mm wide Schwable Marathons. They had a very rough chip seal and on day one my hands really took a beating and my GPS started acting up from the rough vibration because of that rough chip seal. I had between 55 and 60 psi in my front tire. Day two, I dropped the pressure to between 40 and 45 psi, as with tires at this width I did not need to worry about pinch flats. I was almost as fast at the lower pressure but my hands really liked it a lot better and so did my GPS. My point is that with this width of tire and wider, I do not think it is needed.

My heavy touring bike, I run 55mm wide tires on it, and never really felt any need for suspension on a bike tour and that bike has been on some really rough terrain.

Most of my bikes have a Brooks Conquest saddle, that has some very stiff springs built in which is nice for rough pavement but I think it only aids in vibration reduction. If I hit a pot hole, it won't help.

But, if I rode 32mm or narrower tires on rough terrain, I might have an interest in a suspension stem.

Seatpost, the cheap telescopic ones are nearly worthless. Sometimes I have had one on my heavy touring bike.

That said, the guy at Cycling About likes suspension seatposts, he has a youtube video on them.

I have a Riese and Muller SuperCharger 2 coming which has a Cane Creek New Thudbuster ST Evo-2 (Gen 4) as standard. Having toured for years mostly on gravel roads and worse, I have never felt the need for such a seatpost so I am interested in how this one goes or if I swap it for a Thomson Elite Seat Post.

As someone that suffers with back issues I have come to use the Crane Creek thudbuster shock system very few parts no springs it relies on a rubber cylinders being compressed to absorb shocks I LOVE IT and have them on mu MTB and my touring bike along with B67 Brooks saddles.

reviews of suspension stems and seat posts:
https://www.cyclingabout.com/why-sus...-for-bicycles/

I use the Redshift stem and the below seatpost. Both work very well. These only have about 1.5cm of travel so they are purely for smoothing out vibration. Don't expect to feel like you're riding a mountain bike.

https://na.tranzx.com/collections/se...uspension-post

I also have a much more expensive Cane Creek suspension seatpost. That one works well too, but I don't think the extra cost makes much difference.

I don't ride wider than 35mm for normal touring. I'm on pavement 99% of the time and the weight of 40mm+ tires is just terrible to spin up. I'm not going to lug that burden unless my planned route is minimum 20% off road.

Thudbuster at one time made for Dahon folder diameter and length, don't anymore, I missed out. Not cheap, but I heard good. Suntour link above, same thing. It's one of the advantages of a Bike Friday, both long seatpost and stem are skinny, but use conventional size hardware at top of each. I prefer both long stem and seatpost to be more laterally rigid, so larger diameter. In the long term, perhaps I'll modify the tops of each to take common hardware.

Have a look at a Tern telescopic seatpost for tall people. The top half is a standard diameter seatpost, so you can substitute in a normal suspension post for this part.

Good to know! Thanks. I think Terns may have same diameter (33.9) seatpost as Dahon's. The only reason I can imagine making one telescoping, is to preserve the folded size (they make extra long posts). Looking online now, yep, 33.9, and goes both longer AND shorter than stock. Doesn't say length range but looks right. Not on amazon, only seeing on Tern site, $70. Would be more efficient cost-wise to just get a 33.9 thudbuster, but try to find one now.

I have Suntour NCX SP 12 suspension seatpost. I have them on four bikes actually and have been using them for years. They are very reliable with minimal maintenance. On my touring/commuting bike I have covered thousands of km in all weather conditions without issues.

Looks great. Not available in 33.9mm diameter, nor 600mm long. (Dahon 20" folder)

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I use Redshift for both. I think it is worth the cost and weight penalty on my touring bike. I don't use these on my all-road/gravel bike, however. Wide supple tires are probably the most useful.

I have a Cane Creek Eeesilk and I like it. I bought it hoping it would meld with my Brooks C17 and it does. Most of the time I don’t think about it, but on gravel or bad roads I often notice that my front panniers are doing the Boogaloo while my butt is tracing a straight line. 26x2.00 tires.

Suspension Stems:

Where they shine is on awful tar and chip(gravel) roads, old school seemed concrete, separated asphalt and packed dirt with dry puddles. I used one for years on my road bike because of the yucky tar and chip roads.

I heard good vibe first hand reports from folks with wrist issues on normal roads.

For the soft stuff and rocky roads with where you constantly hit small rocks off camber there are other things to try. edit: wide tires with the right type of suppleness and tracking

Thanks for all the input. I have Rat Trap Pass fatties and may still try a suspension seatpost. Seems like most users find some benefit.

I also use Redshift for both the handlebars and the seat, and I really like them. The seat was a bit too much movement for my taste and felt like the way it came from the factory I was riding a beam bike, so I turned the adjusting nut on the back of the stem to tighten up the spring and now it's just right. Too much flex in the seat will absorb forward motion watts, so you will be more tired sooner into a ride, but you will ride more comfortably, you just have to determine which is better for you, more or less flexing. The handlebars came perfect from the factory, they give you more fittings to put more or less flex in, but I just left them as they were.

I never owned another type of suspension system so can't comment on the Redshift vs others, but according to reviews the Redshift had the most amount of suspension travel, and they were adjustable to take some of the travel out or put more in.

The thing that bothers me about the redshift stem is that it isn't dual pivot, so handlebar angle changes with the suspension action. I don't know if that would be an issue but it sure seems strange just thinking about it.

I don't know, all I know is that it works.

If you can use a good amount of suspension, you might consider the Cirrus Kinekt seat post. It comes in 27.2mm post diameter. Can be ordered with appropriate springs for a variety of rider weights. Effective.

True enough, it's "something more to go wrong." But then, any part is.

https://cirruscycles.com/products/ki...nsion-seatpost

Dang, $270! Lotta money. But then, may prevent expensive medical issues. But, as usual, not available in 33.9 x 600 mm post, for some folders. Ooo, they are a couple hour drive from me; Maybe they could do something custom, if I brought'em a seatpost.

33,9mm in 600mm is such a rare seatpost that I am almost certain that there are no suspension seatposts in that size.

The Tern system is the way to go for suspension seatposts. The inner diameter of the lower tern tube is 30,9 or 31,6mm (can't remember which)and thus works with standard post sizes.

The GSD has that telescopic system to make the bike fit a variety of bike riders. We have one and both me (6'5") and the wife (5'6") can ride it comfortably. The higher end GSD models do sport a thudbuster.

They are good people; I met them at Sea Otter. I got a discount coupon that helped ease the pain. They make all size post diameters. I got a 26.x for my wife's Canondale e-Bike. It is arguably better than Redshift. (I like both.)

Might not be 600mm, might be 580mm long.

Thudbuster offered their product on a Dahon size post. They were expensive new, though not like the one noted above at $270, they were about $150 I think. I saw one used on craigslist a few years back for about half that I think, shoulda jumped on it. Didn't know they'd quit making them.