I wish I had mo hands, I'd give Thudbuster 4 thumbs down!

[FreeManDan]

I'v been putting it off, I was going to give a detailed review of the Cane Creek Thudbuster ST suspension seatpost, but forget about detailed rides with pics, just don't get it cause it's garbage! Absolute garbage! It's more a mini spring board than a shock absorber, the rebound would have me bounding out of the saddle. Having not owned a hard tail in over a decade (and when I did I had a suspension seatpost for it) I felt the need to have a short amount of give under my butt just to help in the sections where I prefer to remain seated. I did like the direction the seat would go when the elastomer was compressed, but thats IT, I hated the direction in witch the elastomer made me go on rebound...UP! I emailed cane creek to explane my dissatisfaction in their product, to which they replied in a timely manner, what kind of elastomers came with it, the white blue and black, or 3 black ones with numbers on them. My reply was the black ones with numbers, which is the newest design, claimed to me a large improvement over the rebound of older versions. Their solution was to try the lower number...that elastomer is designed for some one under 140 lbs, and I am 170! I didn't bother to try it, I replace the Thudbuster with a cheep sette suspension seatpost. Note: all 3 seatposts, Thudbuster, the cheep sette, and the Bontrager race that came with the bike weigh the same down to about 10-20 grams as the Bontrager race is 3 inches longer.
In the end its not my problem anymore because I traded my 2011 Paragon for a new build project, classified, top secret, can't tell you about it...but the riding buddy I traded it to hates it as well, and rides with the sette post. I think he might try to sell the Thudbuster ST on ebay....don't be the sucker who buys it.

 

[Gooseberry]

Tb

The only bike I had one that worked was the mt tandom we raced. It worked good for my stocker all 100lbs of her and I did not need to let her know about everybump. still have it but would never put it on a hardtail. Its always better to weight the pedels and not the seat for rocks or logs.:bike_rider:

 

[ThomD]

Yup, Thudbusters on a tandem are great. Their rebound is undamped, so I would not expect them to work very well on a hard tail single bike.

 

[Brian McVickers]

So it sounds like th seatpost product itself may not be all that bad when used in the right applicaiton. I also think it is pretty good of Cane Creak to entertain the original concern and offer a solution that did not sound unreasonable.
:bike_rider:

 

[FreeManDan]

I should also mention that I was floating the idea of getting into bike packing, but only if I could get a partner. I'm still undecided on if I would use the Thudbuster ST for that, as the bumps taken at higher speeds (like on the fire road) weren't that bad, but sometimes I could be taken by surprise after small bumps. Cane Creek also said that if the lower rider weight elastomer didn't work out, that they would send me a new elastomer. I decided not to, I think a replacement would be just the same old tune...the one with it would be just like the one they would send me.

 

[Christophe Noel]

I should also mention that I was floating the idea of getting into bike packing, but only if I could get a partner. I'm still undecided on if I would use the Thudbuster ST for that, as the bumps taken at higher speeds (like on the fire road) weren't that bad, but sometimes I could be taken by surprise after small bumps.

If you bikepack - and you should - you will most likely be using your seat to suspend some of your gear. That doesn't work so super with suspension posts. It's only an additional 3 pounds on your seat, but it just doesn't feel right if you know what I mean. I'd also say that bikepacking and hard tails are a perfect combi. I think a lot of people don't realize that bikepacking speeds are for the most part, very slow. If your day's agenda includes riding for 8 hours, those hours are often pretty mellow. It's fun to open it up here and there, but for the most part it's relatively tame riding. So, you're likely not going to be hammering big hits.

I will say, a cushy seat is worth a pile of gold. It's ideal to wear a small pack when bikepacking and that little extra weight is noticeable on the sit bones.

 

[Gooseberry]

you know Billy the Bfoot

I like the trails in prescott.


By the way bike adventure or touring it would depend on the set up.

Kelly

If you bikepack - and you should - you will most likely be using your seat to suspend some of your gear. That doesn't work so super with suspension posts. It's only an additional 3 pounds on your seat, but it just doesn't feel right if you know what I mean. I'd also say that bikepacking and hard tails are a perfect combi. I think a lot of people don't realize that bikepacking speeds are for the most part, very slow. If your day's agenda includes riding for 8 hours, those hours are often pretty mellow. It's fun to open it up here and there, but for the most part it's relatively tame riding. So, you're likely not going to be hammering big hits.

I will say, a cushy seat is worth a pile of gold. It's ideal to wear a small pack when bikepacking and that little extra weight is noticeable on the sit bones.

 

[Christophe Noel]

I like the trails in prescott.


By the way bike adventure or touring it would depend on the set up.

Kelly

I only mentioned the above because he specifically said bikepacking. Most bikepacking set ups are rack-less and include an oversized seat bag. Touring would be a different bird, I agree.

And Billy is the man. Super fun guy to ride with.

 

[kmacafee]

Thudbuster

By way of background, I co-own a bike shop in Minneapolis and for the past few years, have led, among other trips, a self supported mountain bike trip along the Grand Canyon's North Rim. I installed a Thudbuster on my Surly Karate Monkey a few years ago and use a bike packing set up - frame bag and large seat bag.

Initially, the bounce on the post felt extreme, even for someone weighing 190 pounds. After experimenting with the bushings they provided, I found the optimum combination for my weight and riding style. I don't like the ride on pavement that much but it definitely makes the ride on a hard tail frame off road much more enjoyable.

From a durability standpoint, we see all kinds of suspension posts come thru the shop. Most, if not all, are designed for the casual rider and would not last for someone who was planning an extended bike packing trip. But when you compare the weight and reliability of the post compared with that of a full suspension set up, I'll go with the post.

If a suspension seat post is not for you, it's not for you. But For anyone
reading this that's on the fence about this seat post, getting it dialed in does
require playing around with the elastomers. I know lots of people who use that post for bike packing on hard tails and without exception, spent time getting it right and love it.:bike_rider:

 

[Christophe Noel]

From a durability standpoint, we see all kinds of suspension posts come thru the shop. Most, if not all, are designed for the casual rider and would not last for someone who was planning an extended bike packing trip. :

Very true. The Thudbuster is really the only suspension posts that could even endure the riggers of bikepacking. I was the GM for a mtb touring company in Alaska for many years. We had a fleet of 300 bikes, 100 of those with even the nicer Rock Shox suspension posts and few lasted more than a couple seasons.

 

[Squatchout]

I've never been real impressed with the suspension seatposts that I have tried. I've been riding brooks saddles for many, many years. I've owned an old Brooks Conquest(Their 1st MB specific saddle) sprung saddle for years on my Specialized Rockcombo. Works well but the seat shape isn't perfect for me. In the last year I bought a Brooks Champion Flyer Special. This is a single rail sprung saddle with a semi wide flat seat shape. I love it. It has bag loops for old school saddle bags and does a fine job a taking the shock/sting out of rail trails and fire roads. I'm over 225 lbs getting old and a little cush goes a long way. They are a bit on the heavy side. But for a touring/packing bike as opposed to a technical climbing bike that's not a problem for me. It's a nice option on a hardtail.

 

[spacer]

I think it's a little premature to belittle a product without having dialed it in, not even bothering to try their advice before getting rid of it. This isn't intended as a flame, but my thudbuster worked pretty well, and I'd still have it if the guy who bought that bike hadn't offered me full retail if he could keep it with the bike.

 

[6spdtaco]

I had a LT thudbuster for several years and loved it. I have since given it to my dad and he still has it on his bike. It's been in use for 10 years now.
I've turned more into a weight weenie and wouldn't be caught riding one now, but I do have good memories using it.