Cane Creek Thudbuster Suspension Seatpost – Review

A special diameter Cane Creak Thudbuster suspension seat post is
available for Dahon bikes. It is more expensive - £130 being the best
deal I could find, and there are fewer retail options. OTOH, the normal
diameter Thudbusters can be had on Ebay for much more accessible prices.
I finally managed to track one down at BikeFix in London on my last trip
to the UK in mid-July, and I had the seatpost in place on my recent bike
and barge tour of the Burgundian Loire.

To quote the advertising bumpf,

“Unlike most telescoping suspension designs that pogo up and down, the
ThudBuster features a patented parallel-link design that delivers
suspension in the direct path of the natural travel of the rear wheel
when the bike encounters a bump. This means that you'll hardly notice
the suspension working at all - all you'll notice is that your bike is
suddenly a lot more comfortable than before."

I should mention that Flyzipper did already have a conventional
suspended seatpost of the pogo type. As a very heavy rider, however, I
think I was probably just flattening it as soon as I sat down.

The Thudbuster came with three different pairs of elastomers to
parameter the post for different rider weights. I went straight for the
two black elastomers, rider weight up to 113 kg. James kindly stopped by
to help me fit them. In so doing, he also changed the angle of the seat
slightly from what I was used to - it now has a slight tilt forwards. I
was unsure how I would get on with that but in retrospect have not felt
that it was a mistake.

I noticed no difference at all while riding, except a certain boinkiness
in lower gears. However, something remarkable did assail my
consciousness after I broke my day-trip record with 52 km in blistering
heat on the Burgundy routes. There was no significant pain! Previously,
even just riding the 9 kms to work on three consecutive days would
produce soreness in the crotch area. On my Netherlands trip last year,
when we were averaging 30 kms a day on unsuspended Dutch bikes, the pain
became prohibitive, requiring extensive treatments with antiseptic,
anaesthetic cream every night. Moreover, there were open sores all over
the area, festering and threatening to become infected. In Czech
Republic I at least had the advantage of Flyzipper, but saddle-soreness
terminated my riding day much faster than actual tiredness. I could not
get beyond 40 km because it hurt so much to sit.

So to have cycled so much more than my accustomed habit, in such
exceptionally sweaty conditions, and to arrive home sufficiently
untarnished that I can get back in the saddle the next day, is certainly
something to write the newsgroup about.

I notice far less pain on the weekday rides as well. The small amount of
pain that remains is of a different kind than it used to be. No more
stinging abrasions and crushed raspberry in the soft parts, but
sometimes a dull ache in the lumbar region, as if I had been sitting at
my desk for too long. Which may very well be the case - removal of
bike-related pain may just be unmasking the common and garden aches of
office life.

As for the boinking in low gear, I have come to read it as a sign to
gear up. It says: kinetic energy is being wasted in up-down rather than
forward motion. Notching up a gear causes this phenomenon to disappear
at once. If I could only get a coherent cadence reading from the Polar,
I will be able to cross-check the boinking with the cadence rate to see
if they tell the same story.

So, overall product review: a noticeable difference in long-term riding
comfort, an excellent investment, and I wouldn't go back to my previous
arrangements.

EFR
Ile de France

Elisa Francesca Roselli wrote:
A special diameter Cane Creak Thudbuster suspension seat post is
available for Dahon bikes. It is more expensive - £130 being the best
deal I could find, and there are fewer retail options. OTOH, the normal
diameter Thudbusters can be had on Ebay for much more accessible prices.
I finally managed to track one down at BikeFix in London on my last trip
to the UK in mid-July, and I had the seatpost in place on my recent bike
and barge tour of the Burgundian Loire.

To quote the advertising bumpf,

"Unlike most telescoping suspension designs that pogo up and down, the
ThudBuster features a patented parallel-link design that delivers
suspension in the direct path of the natural travel of the rear wheel
when the bike encounters a bump. This means that you'll hardly notice
the suspension working at all - all you'll notice is that your bike is
suddenly a lot more comfortable than before."

I should mention that Flyzipper did already have a conventional
suspended seatpost of the pogo type. As a very heavy rider, however, I
think I was probably just flattening it as soon as I sat down.

The Thudbuster came with three different pairs of elastomers to
parameter the post for different rider weights. I went straight for the
two black elastomers, rider weight up to 113 kg. James kindly stopped by
to help me fit them. In so doing, he also changed the angle of the seat
slightly from what I was used to - it now has a slight tilt forwards. I
was unsure how I would get on with that but in retrospect have not felt
that it was a mistake.

I noticed no difference at all while riding, except a certain boinkiness
in lower gears. However, something remarkable did assail my
consciousness after I broke my day-trip record with 52 km in blistering
heat on the Burgundy routes. There was no significant pain! Previously,
even just riding the 9 kms to work on three consecutive days would
produce soreness in the crotch area. On my Netherlands trip last year,
when we were averaging 30 kms a day on unsuspended Dutch bikes, the pain
became prohibitive, requiring extensive treatments with antiseptic,
anaesthetic cream every night. Moreover, there were open sores all over
the area, festering and threatening to become infected. In Czech
Republic I at least had the advantage of Flyzipper, but saddle-soreness
terminated my riding day much faster than actual tiredness. I could not
get beyond 40 km because it hurt so much to sit.

So to have cycled so much more than my accustomed habit, in such
exceptionally sweaty conditions, and to arrive home sufficiently
untarnished that I can get back in the saddle the next day, is certainly
something to write the newsgroup about.

I notice far less pain on the weekday rides as well. The small amount of
pain that remains is of a different kind than it used to be. No more
stinging abrasions and crushed raspberry in the soft parts, but
sometimes a dull ache in the lumbar region, as if I had been sitting at
my desk for too long. Which may very well be the case - removal of
bike-related pain may just be unmasking the common and garden aches of
office life.

As for the boinking in low gear, I have come to read it as a sign to
gear up. It says: kinetic energy is being wasted in up-down rather than
forward motion. Notching up a gear causes this phenomenon to disappear
at once. If I could only get a coherent cadence reading from the Polar,
I will be able to cross-check the boinking with the cadence rate to see
if they tell the same story.

So, overall product review: a noticeable difference in long-term riding
comfort, an excellent investment, and I wouldn't go back to my previous
arrangements.

EFR
Ile de France

The Thudbuster is a great product. I thought my bad back was going to
force me to give up mountain biking until I got a Thudbuster for my HT
Fisher. I think it's one of the best investments a hardtail rider can
make.

Smokey

As for the boinking in low gear, I have come to read it as a sign to
gear up. It says: kinetic energy is being wasted in up-down rather than
forward motion. Notching up a gear causes this phenomenon to disappear at
once. If I could only get a coherent cadence reading from the Polar, I
will be able to cross-check the boinking with the cadence rate to see if
they tell the same story.
EFR
Ile de France

I have a Thudbuster for my Bike Friday. I still have some motion from it
when I pedal. I asked the guys at the LBS and one of them said: learn to
pedal in circles! He said that if I were truly pedaling in a circle, the
slight bobbing motion would disappear. This is on a flat, concrete road,
not a bumpy one. I have not had to "gear up" at all to reduce the
bobbing---just learn to use a smoother pedal motion. I am perplexed about
your saddle problems, though. It seems to me the soreness is from the
saddle, not from lack of suspension.

Pat in TX

In article
Elisa Francesca Roselli wrote:
snip

As for the boinking in low gear, I have come to read it as a sign to
gear up. It says: kinetic energy is being wasted in up-down rather than
forward motion. Notching up a gear causes this phenomenon to disappear
at once.

IME bounce at high revs is often caused by sitting too low.

On Mon, 14 Aug 2006 19:04:41 +0200 in rec.bicycles.misc, Elisa
Francesca Roselli wrote:

No more
stinging abrasions and crushed raspberry in the soft parts, but
sometimes a dull ache in the lumbar region, as if I had been sitting at
my desk for too long.

a seat that's too low can cause lumbar pain. try raising it 8-10
mm for a day or two, if no change try another 8-10 mm.

i have a lower lumbar problem, and i've found that using clipless
pedals and pedaling a full circle instead of pushing really help
reduce any pain.

I have a ThudBuster ST on my Reaper hard-tail. It compliments the
springs on the saddle quite nicely, smoothing out most of the smaller
bumps of the trail. letting me ride seated for more time. And it does
"follow the path" of the bike's rear end when a bump is encountered. Of
course, I still stand for the really rough stuff. but I would do that
even with full suspension.

- -
Comments and opinions compliments of,
"Your Friendly Neighborhood Wheelman"

My web Site:
http://geocities.com/czcorner

To E-mail me:
ChrisZCorner "at" webtv "dot" net

Hi, I've been trying to get a hold of the Thudbuster company, but
emails are bouncing, "mailbox full" for several days. Their 1-800
number and their regular phone is answered by a fax machine. What is
wrong with the Thudbuster's manufacturer's comm lines?

Is there another phone/email for Thudbuster? Mailbox full problem



Chris Z The Wheelman wrote:
I have a ThudBuster ST on my Reaper hard-tail. It compliments the
springs on the saddle quite nicely, smoothing out most of the smaller
bumps of the trail. letting me ride seated for more time. And it does
"follow the path" of the bike's rear end when a bump is encountered. Of
course, I still stand for the really rough stuff. but I would do that
even with full suspension.

- -
Comments and opinions compliments of,
"Your Friendly Neighborhood Wheelman"

My web Site:
http://geocities.com/czcorner

To E-mail me:
ChrisZCorner "at" webtv "dot" net

Group: rec.bicycles.misc
Date: Mon, Aug 21, 2006, 9:54pm (EDT-3)
From:

Hi, I've been trying to get a hold of the
Thudbuster company, but emails are
bouncing, "mailbox full" for several days.
Their 1-800 number and their regular
phone is answered by a fax machine.
What is wrong with the Thudbuster's
manufacturer's comm lines?

Is there another phone/email for
Thudbuster? Mailbox full problem

I got mine as a birthday present, and even when I was researching it I
used consumer based sources (http://www.mtbr.com) for my data. I never
tried contacting Cane Creek directly. If there are additional contact
points, I would think they would be listed on their website.
(http://www.canecreek.com).

- -
Comments and opinions compliments of,
"Your Friendly Neighborhood Wheelman"

My web Site:
http://geocities.com/czcorner

To E-mail me:
ChrisZCorner "at" webtv "dot" net