The clear and concise instructions suggest positioning the saddle 5mm further forward and 6mm higher than with a rigid post to account for the initial sag when sitting. Along with the suggested spring force setting, made by turning a threaded plug in the bottom of the post to compress the internal spring, this proved accurate to the point where no further adjustment was needed. The elastomer design, short travel and reduced weight make the Pro a choice that we think more riders will value. With race-oriented and stiff gravel bikes becoming all the rage lately, this is one of the best ways to find some added comfort without sacrificing performance. We would even argue that with the added comfort and ability to pedal over rough terrain while seated, you might perform better. Reduced fatigue: By reducing the amount of stress and fatigue on your body, a suspension seatpost can help you to conserve energy and ride for longer without feeling as tired. And finally, the air seatpost improved things a bit (6% improvement) but clearly requires a higher bump force to activate than other suspension seatposts.

The air seatpost showed little difference from the typical carbon seatpost in this test. Choosing The Suspension Travel The Cane Creek Thudbuster LT (left) has 90mm of vertical travel, while the Thudbuster ST has 50mm. At 150lbs, initially I went with their recommendation of the Main Spring only with preload at #3. This was way too soft in my opinion, especially for more spirited riding. The next step was to increase the preload with just the Main Spring. Eventually, I cranked it up to 4 which is the maximum recommended preload setting with just the main spring. It was better, but I found that it resulted in a ride that was still a little too active, and it was more prone to ‘topping out’ with a thud in certain situations.

At half the weight (~300 grams) and half the travel (20mm) of most squishy posts, it performs closer to the best carbon seatposts available. These seatposts are particularly active or ‘bobby’ in the initial part of their travel, so they tend to be better suited to rougher trails, rather than smoother roads – in my experience. The other dropper option is the PNW Coast, which has 40mm of suspension travel and is the best-value dropper, by far. The Cirrus KINEKT 2.1 is an aluminum suspension seatpost that’s designed to isolate your body from surface vibrations and impacts to improve comfort and control. Each post comes with two extra springs so you can mix and match, creating a custom experience. The KINEKT post springs are available in five color-coded tensions for riders ranging from 50-320 pounds.

The eeSilk Post comes in a 27.2 diameter and is 350mm in overall length. Interchangeable elastomers allow the post to accommodate riders ranging from 100 lbs (45kg) to 330 lbs (150 kg). Damping determines the speed at which a seatpost will move over repeated bumps. A seatpost that dampens vibrations effectively will help to insulate you from road buzz coming up through your bike.

Other options

Suspension seatposts allow you to pedal while seated on terrain that normally requires standing up. Compared to a rigid post on the same bumpy climb, I find that my legs often feel fresher simply because I’m standing up less. Here’s where it gets interesting though. I’ve been suffering from some knee pain recently from a noncycling incident, and thus have been spending a little more time seated while pedalling than I may have liked.

But interestingly, data recently collected by the University of Exeter (England) suggests that once the seatpost is installed on a bike, it may not reduce vibration exposure. If smooth roads are your thing, you’ll likely find spring seatposts a bit too active. This brings me to elastomers… The Cane Creek Thudbuster uses an elastomer to provide more damping than a coil spring. Take control - customizing your suspension feel to float over obstacles so you can maintain control Stem Details:

Then of course, there’s the weight. At 567g with both springs installed, this post isn’t exactly light. But then again, it’s not far off many dropper posts either. A telescopic post is usually considered inferior, as the angle that it compresses is different from the direction of force coming from the rear wheel – resulting in a less reactive suspension system. Telescopic posts also end up with a shorter saddle-to-pedal distance when you are riding over bumps. Once you determine the length of your existing stem round to the nearest 10 mm and choose the closest match. If you love dropper posts but also want to maximise your ride comfort, there are actually two suspension options available, and a third in the works (Redshift). There is also a model that is rigid at the highest and lowest positions of the dropper, but offers ~10mm of travel when you set it anywhere in the middle (Bike Yoke Divine SL).