Submitted by
malthebikeguy
a Weekend Warrior
from Bath, UK
Date Reviewed: January 9, 2012
Strengths: Does what it says on the tin (if it came in a tin that stated "the best suspension seatpost out there")
Weaknesses: None really. People mention weight, but that is relative and the performance gain when you are off road is astounding! The price seems high but in performance gain terms I think is acceptable.
Bottom Line:
I work as a bike mechanic and I truly believe the CC Thudbuster is one of the best conceived mountain bike products on the market. The action in use is hardly noticable and yet the minute things get bumpy your smile is hard to hide. Yes it costs a bit, and yes it would be good if a lighter version was available but I think we are missing the point. If you own a hardtail and only ride tame trails then before you run out and buy a susser give one of these a consideration. I know a couple of friends (we are all getting a little older now) whose cycling life has been transformed by investing some money in one of these. My back is certainly happier these days while riding. If you get a chance to ever give one a go - take it! You may never look back.
Similar Products Used: USE alien sus post, Post Moderne sus post
Bike Setup: On-One 29er Scandal, salsa rigid forks, avid BB7, CC Thudbuster LT post
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Submitted by
yzfvet
a Cross Country Rider
from Tucson AZ
Date Reviewed: November 7, 2011
Strengths: LT - Does exactly what is described to do. Well built and adjustable.
Weaknesses: The only weakness is 8 extra ounces, but it is 8 ounces that can make you faster.
Bottom Line:
I've ridden full supsension 26'ers and switched to a 29er hardtail about a year and a half ago. The full suspension 26'er was too vague feeling. Loved the 29er hard tail, and like it even more now. The elastomer setting seemed spot on once I dialed in the preload, and anything under 2 inches is no longer there. Over 2 inches it is best to stand up and squeeze the saddle. Great for areas with alot of 2-3 inch embedded rocks. Like a full suspension bike for the first 2 inches, but when standing I get the instant feedback I like from a hard tail. Well worth the 8 ounces. I only gave a 4 on the value, since I would like to see a lighter version - even it was a little more expensive. P.s. elastomers are easy to change, and slide your seat forward an inch or so to compensate for the action.
Submitted by
isaacs
a Cross Country Rider
from Orange, CA, USA
Date Reviewed: September 10, 2011
Strengths: Simple and effective
Weaknesses: None yet
Bottom Line:
I love single speed bikes, but I can no longer take the pounding of rigid or even HT bikes. I run the Thudbuster with harder elastomers than the chart suggests and it still provides plenty of comfort compared to a HT. I bought mine new-in-box from ebay but it showed up with a missing part. An email to the manufacturer was answered immediately. I got the part within a couple of days. Great service.
Bike Setup: KHS Solo One SE, Salsa Delgados, Fox F-29, Thudbuster
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Submitted by
duggus
a Cross Country Rider
from New Ulm, MN
Date Reviewed: August 18, 2011
Strengths: I frickin love this thing!!!!!!!! Review is for the LT (long travel)
Weaknesses: None
Bottom Line:
This thing is just what I needed to take the edge off on the more rugged, bumpy trails. The fact that it slightly sways back instead of down like traditional suspension seatposts means that the geometry from your seat to your pedals stays nearly the same. This makes pedaling just as efficient as if you had a solid seatpost. I would definitely get the LT if you are putting it on a mountain bike, the ST is for road bikes.
Submitted by
Herger
a Weekend Warrior
from Willmar, MN, USA
Date Reviewed: June 29, 2011
Strengths: Looks to be well made, takes the edge off of bumps.
Weaknesses: Looks a little ridiculous on my bike.
Bottom Line:
I bought this seatpost for Porcupine Rim Trail. I wanted to try my STP on it but knew I'd need/want some sort of suspension over the 16-18 miles. VERY pleased with how it worked and VERY happy that I bought it. Took the edge off small bumps which let me stay seated MUCH more than if I didn't have it.
So, if you're pretty happy with your hardtail but are getting beat up by trying to stay seated over small bumps, buy this seatpost, it'll keep you happy with your hardtail. If you want/need a FS, just buy the FS.
Side note: If you ride this post on pavement, you'll likely notice an effective increase in top tube length as the spring/elastomer compresses. This might irritate you. If you ride it off road, I doubt you'll notice it unless you consciously think about it.
5 by 5 on the chilis; might not be a perfect product but for what it proposes to do, it accomplishes. And it might not be cheap but it's cheaper than a new bike.
Bike Setup: Freeride hardtail (STP Zero, circa twenty aught nine)
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Submitted by
Puzman
a Weekend Warrior
from Durham, CT
Date Reviewed: April 29, 2011
Strengths: Works really well- on a HT 29er with high-volume tires, allows me to stay seated for most of the ride. Seems well-built.
Weaknesses: Seat clamp isn't the best- some side-to-side play, and seat rails may slip unless you really clamp it down. Could be lighter, I suppose.
Bottom Line:
I'm coming off a FS bike, and I'm amazed at how well the Thud works. I can stay in the saddle for most of my ride, no back soreness, and my rear wheel retains traction even on steep climbs and descents. Highly recommend for any HT rider.
Similar Products Used: Rigid posts on FS bikes (last bike was a Yeti 575)
Bike Setup: GT Zaskar 29er, Kenda Karma 2.2s
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Submitted by
thumper07
a Weekend Warrior
from Fort Lauderdale, FL
Date Reviewed: February 24, 2011
Strengths: Machined build quality. Cane Creek is an established company meaning replacement parts will be readily accessible for years to come.
Weaknesses: None found yet
Bottom Line:
A lot of people think that a Thudbuster will turn their hardtail into a downhill slalom mountain eater. When it doesn't, they get disappointed and post bad reviews.
This seat post shock is just that, a seat post shock. It's not going to turn your hardtail into a full suspension bike.
You'll gain no more rear wheel traction from the use of this seat post shock.
What the Thudbuster is, though, is a high quality seat post shock that does a fabulous job at taking the jar out of every thud. I was simply amazed when I started using mine. I rode trails I never could have dreamed of riding while seated. And I rode them smiling.
I think this is the best mod for the money for any hardtail owner.
Bike Setup: I'm logged into my account here. I'm surprised that this info doesn't pull up automatically. I have to type it all in every single time?
Overall Rating:
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Submitted by
Acudd001
a Weekend Warrior
from Plantation, FL
Date Reviewed: February 7, 2011
Strengths: Really takes the edge of a hardtail. Improved traction, handling and stability.
Weaknesses: Heavier than a standard seat-post. Can be a little bouncy on Whoop-De-doo's
Bottom Line:
Transformed my ride. Had signed up for a 50 mile offroad event with some technical single-track and lots of roots. Was a little concerned due to recent back problems. This thing saved my ass...literally. Much better ride, immediately felt more confortable with more control. Allowed me to add speed and have more fun. Highly recommend this seat-post. Worth the wieght penalty by far.
Bike Setup: 1992 Schwinn Sierra Hardtail with Marzocchi Fork
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Submitted by
Axel Slingerland
a Cross Country Rider
from Arcata, California
Date Reviewed: January 16, 2011
Strengths: Greatly improves the comfort level of a hardtail bike.
Weaknesses: Too complicated to adjust, thankfully the bike shop I bought it in has good mechanics who know how to maintain it. The documentation has conflicting information regarding rider weight, and I think that weight information is incorrect as well. (More about this later...)
Bottom Line:
I'm diabetic and have numerous health issues as a result. Among them I have a bad case of Degenerative Disc Disease. I bought my Trek so I could ride every day to keep my diabetes under control. That has worked very well, but the pain in my back was starting to prevent me from enjoying the ride. I still went every day but it wasn't any fun. Every time I hit a bump I was ready to scream. I bought my Thudbuster and before I had gone a block down the street I could already see a huge difference. The ride home was great. Now I'm back to riding my usual average of 10 to 15 miles a day.
One thing I strongly disagree with in the documentation is the weight chart. I am a big guy, weighing in at 270 pounds. The weight chart in the documentation that came with it claims that the maximum weight is 250 pounds, and that is if you use two purple elastomers, that you have to special order to obtain. If I had believed that, the only course of action I would have had was to return it to the store. I didn't want to do that after that nice ride home from the bike shop.
The strongest elastomers that came with it were two black and two blue ones, and one of each were pre-installed. So I went back and had the guy at the bike shop set it up with two black ones, which according to the documentation provided (and a .PDF file I downloaded from their website) would supposedly be 250 pounds. However, the chart at http://www.thudbuster.com/faq.html#weightchart says that two black elastomers are for 190 - 215 pounds, and for the maximum weight of 250 pounds you would need two purples ones, which would cost $10.00 plus anywhere from $9.50 to $34.50 for shipping, depending on which UPS option you choose. (I would prefer plain old US Mail, as UPS doesn't get signatures where I live even when they are "required" and paid for. They just drop packages on your door step, knock on your door, and leave. But that's another story...)
In any case, whether it would be $19.50, $44.50, or anywhere in between, that's just too expensive. So I asked the guy at the bike shop to order some for me, which he was going to do with a bike shop order and I wouldn't have to pay the shipping. In the meantime he put two black elastomers on my TB and off I went, hoping I didn't break the thing over the next week or so while I waited for them to be delivered.
Immediately after leaving the store I noticed that two black elastomers was way too stiff. My back pain came back in full force, which would have defeated the purpose of buying the TB in the first place. Even at $50.00 it would have been a waste of money. So I went back and had him put the blue one back in and it works fine that way.
There is simply no way that the weight charts which have conflicting information could possibly be correct. I even sent an email to the guy who invented the thing and he insisted the maximum weight is 250 pounds. Yet for me the combination of one blue and one black elastomer is perfect, and I have a a second pair as a backup in case I wear out the ones that are currently installed. Which after a year of daily use and no noticeable difference in the ride, it seems like that won't be for awhile yet...
Similar Products Used: Bontrager internal spring shock absorbing seat post. (If you could call that similar...)
Bike Setup: I have a 2005 Trek Navigator 100 that I just had rebuilt (I wore it out!) with Shimano Deore components. I call it a Navigator 1000 now, since I have spent over $1000.00 on it. (But it's been worth every penny!)
Overall Rating:
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Submitted by
JokerZero
a Cross Country Rider
from UK
Date Reviewed: January 8, 2011
Strengths: So far so good looks very well made. Out of the box at least, none of the lateral movement associated with suspension seat posts.
Weaknesses: Bloody expensive in rip off Britain.
Hard to change the elastomers - see below.
Bottom Line:
Just installed and can offer some advice with those tricky elastomer changes, especially if your going up to black or purple – I imagine going down the range will be easier.
Tools required, 4mm hex key, 8mm socket with wrench – NOT an 8mm spanner or pair of pliers, and finally a piece of blue-tack about half a golfball size, 1 chair – with something on the seat your not too fond or or dont mind getting marked or dirty.
1. If possible get a friend to help – it really makes a difference – but you can do this on you own – I did in less than 30 mins and the following is for one person (right handed).
2. Find a clean clear environment with a chair and a table – you are going to drop the washers and nylock nut more than once In my house that meant the dining room – around midnight, but whatever works for you.
3. Undo the skewer and remove as per the instructions – its under some pressure, so the nut and 2 washers will ping off – easiest way is to use a socket on the nut and a hex to hold the skewer. Undo the nut with the socket keeping light pressure on it and nothing pings off.
4. Assemble the new configuration of elastomers as specified, greese them up – Im pretty sure you wont be able to get them in of you dont and it extends the life of the grease. I used finsh line teflon based grease as im pretty sure the gloopy stuff BP get out of the gulf of mexico is not good for rubber.
5. The elastomer now wont fit into the cage – even when its fully forwards. You have to insert hem at a steeper angle so just the leading edge of each elastomer is in the milled out socket where the will eventually sit.
6. Pull the elastomers back into line with the milled out sockets in as much as you can with 1 hand around them, they will NOT go all the way – not a problem as there are slots cut for the skewer.
7. Check your socket wrench is set to tighten and is near to hand– you wont have a free hand to do this later.
8. Sit down – put the seatpost between you legs. Does that feel good?
9. Put the skewer in from the bottom as per the instructions complete with a steel and nylon washer. This is pretty easy due to the slots.
10. Shove the blue-tack over the hex head – ram it right in there – its going to help keep the skewer pushed through as far as possible.
11. Place the heel of your right hand over the blue-tack
12. Grip the rear part of the cage with the rest of your right hand. The rear part is the part leaning back from the seat post.
13. Grip the top and bottom elsatomers with your left hand and apply pressure to move them toward being properly seated in the milled out sockets.
14. You should now by apply pressure with your right hand twisting forwards be able to get the elastomers better seated – meanwhile the skewer will be coming clear of the hole on the other side of the cage.
15. This is where you get your friend to put on the nylon washer the steel and the nylock nut.
16. If you have no friends – prepare to be patient – it only took me 3 attempts. Once I got this approach sussed. It is doable – you have to screw this nylock on very carefully – Tip: Dont bother trying though until you can see a couple of threads clear of the top washer, you will just drop it and have to start over. Keep manipulating the elastomers to get them further into the socket until you can see enough thread clear for it to hold.
17. As soon as the thread bites – whack the socket wrench on it and tighten up, remember – at least 1 thread clear of the top of the nut as per the instructions.
18. Have a whisky, and go to bed looking forwards to a comfy ride tomorrow, with better seated traction – oversleep as you were up till 1 am changing elastomers.
Might be worth whacking a piece of cardboard over the hex end of the skewer before the blue tack.
Enjoy
Similar Products Used: had a bouncy seatpost on a hybrid from spesh once - it had a lot of movement in it - this thing is solid.
Bike Setup: Giant XTC 29er 1
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Submitted by
scwman1
a Weekend Warrior
from Cleveland, Ohio, USA
Date Reviewed: October 14, 2010
Strengths: Performs as advertized. Improves climbing over roots and rocks. Solid.
Weaknesses: Tricky to set up. Seat position is unmentioned variable and is as important as elastomer selection and preload.
Bottom Line:
Great product. I would not hesitate to buy again. Works well on a 29er. I have been riding full suspension for 9 years but wanted to try the 29er. I ride mainly XC trails so I thought full susp was overkill. I made the bike and THudbuster purchase at the same time. I rode the 29er without the thudbuster and did not like the back pain and loss of rear traction compared to a full susp. Adding the TB was like an entirely new ride. It took me several rides to tune the seat how I want it. I suspect that the elastomers will need to be changed once a year.
Bike Setup: Thudbuster: Black and Blue elastomer, seat position all the way back, 6 threads of preload, rider wt at 187.
Bike: Overdrive pro 29er, 20 in, Ignitor on F at 30psi, Prowler on B at 35 psi, rest is stock
Overall Rating:
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Submitted by
GMGaz
a Cross Country Rider
from Tempe, Arizona
Date Reviewed: September 30, 2010
Strengths: Well built and strong, with a relatively low weight over a standard aluminum seat post. Typically 240g (8oz) to 255g (9oz). A lot less than a full bounce bike unless you want to pay very BIG bucks. Adjustment is easy. I can usually change the elastimer combination in four or five minutes. It does help if you have another person to put a little pressure on the saddle to assist in the alignment and threading of the skewer bolt.
Weaknesses: For me, nothing really stands out.
Bottom Line:
Several reviewers have stated that there is a lot of bounce when peddling. This ONLY happens if your cadence is to high. Up shift a gear or two if/when this happens and the bounce will disappear.
As for adjustment, there is some variation you can tweak to dial in the ride. If you ride upright, use the recommended combination. The seat tube angle can have some affect as well. The more you lay forward over the frame, the less weight is on the saddle. You can lighten the elastimer combination (I recommend the next lowest setting but play with the settings and see for yourself) and get a smoother ride. All that being said, the Thudbuster LT is not designed to take really big hits. Stand up, squeeze the saddle with your knees and you can still keep the rear tire (mostly) on the ground like a full bounce bike. Also, you will find some trail features can bounce you a bit. Momentarily stop peddling, brace against the handlebars put some weight (not all) on the saddle and you should be able to ride through with speed. All other trail chatter is soaked up flawlessly.
The Bottom line? If you have a hardtail the Thudbuster is the best single investment you can make to upgrade your hardtail and improve your ride! It gives you most of the functionality of a full suspension bike with all of the benefits of a hardtail. Buy it, set it up properly ride within design specs and you won't be disappointed.
Favorite Trail: Rainbow Trail, North Rim Grand Canyon
Duration Product Used: 2 Years
Price Paid:
$130.00
Purchased At: Performance Bicycle
Similar Products Used: Typical telescoping suspension post.
Bike Setup: Completely updated Trek 8700 (carbon/aluminum frame). Only remaining items original on the bike are, the frame and front derailleur.
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Submitted by
Regs
a Weekend Warrior
from Colorado Spring, CO
Date Reviewed: July 17, 2010
Strengths: None so far.
Weaknesses: Terrible to change elastomers.
Bottom Line:
Below is the email I sent to Ryan and Cane Creek. If they make things good for me, I will repost the quality of service and replacement, if any.
"I just received a new Thudbuster LT and tried to install it on my bike. Everything went pretty much as the instructions indicated until I got to “Changing Elastomers.” I weigh 195-200 pounds. It came with two blue elastomers, so I needed to replace one of the blue ones with a black one. This process took several hours and many times hunting for washers and the nut!
I don’t know if I got a faulty unit or not, but instructions 2 & 7 in “Changing Elastomers” need a lot more instruction unless my unit is faulty. I found this to be almost an impossible step! The design looks marginal at best. Here is what I experienced:
When I removed the nut and pushed the saddle forward, the nylon and steel washers flew across my garage because the skewer does not go straight through the rectangular hole and was binding. It binds due to lack of perfect alignment. It took a long time to find these parts! The way the product is designed, there is no play in the skewer nut assembly. They are under tension and the bolt is not perfectly straight through the two rectangular holes. You should warn the neophyte installer like me. I have a Ph.D. in physics, so I am relatively adept at doing things, but I had no idea that it was binding until it flew apart.
Instruction 4: There was no pushing the saddle further forward to remove the elastomers. The skewer and elastomers fell out from the forward thrust of the mechanism when the washers flew across the garage!
Then came reinstalling the elastomers and skewer assembly. Instruction 7 implies that the elastomers will just slide in place. This is definitely not the case! There is not enough room between the arms (items 15 and 16 in your figure). I had to force the upper elastomer in while trying to hold the skewer through the bottom elastomer and coupling washer (item 18 in your figure). I almost gave up at this point. It required a lot of force! Neither elastomers sit square in their recesses of the arms at this point of assembly. Everything is essentially in a binding state at this point. With grease on the elastomers, it makes this process even more difficult. The instructions imply that everything will go in between the arms and line up without difficulty. Is my unit faulty? I had pushed it forward to its stops! Nothing was easy for this step.
The skewer is just barely long enough. In fact it will not reach the nut with all washers in place without compressing the unit—no small task for one person. Even putting the washers on the upper part of the skewer was difficult. To get the washers to set on the skewer, I had to apply constant compression of the unit with my left hand while trying to place the washers and nut on the skewer with my right hand. Numerous times, everything popped apart and I had to look for parts again on my garage floor! This is where several hours were expended!
If I had not had a heavy duty bike repair rack, I could not have changed the elastomers. I would have needed a second person. You should note that in your instructions. The tolerances on the skewer length and alignment required to get the nut on seem to indicate a very poor design. If my unit is faulty, please inform.
I finally got it on my bike, but quite frankly after 2.5 hours of work, I was not impressed. Perhaps the next time I ride, I will feel differently, but now I am not a happy camper and could not recommend this unit to my biking friends.
In any case, you either need a refinement of the design, more detailed instructions warning of the difficult skewer/elastomer alignment and the need to compress the unit while installing the skewer and elastomers, or my unit is faulty and you need to replace my unit.
Submitted by
sunshynjunky
a Cross Country Rider
from Fort Collins, Co, USA
Date Reviewed: April 27, 2010
Strengths: Well made, easy on the eyes, easy to service (if needed), works like a charm.
(I have the short travel version)
Weaknesses: None
Bottom Line:
This seat post is awesome! I just had back surgery for a herniated disc. I am in full recovery. I got to thinking about having a suspension seat post. I found the Thudbuster.
It seamed to make sense. It seemed well thought out.
I can say after owning it that it is awesome. It is very solid side to side (zero play). The parallelogram design does as advertised. It keeps you in the proper position on your bike while it absorbs the bumps.
I have the Short Travel version. It smooths out the ride very very well. You barely feel railroad tracks or pot holes yet, you never notice it working or moving. It disappears under you. it feels like a solid post with a smooth ride.
I love it. I am going to ride it on all of my bikes from now on.
Even if you have not had surgery. If you ride road, cross, commute, or MTB on a hard tail, you will love this product.
If you have had surgery, you will love this post even more.
I would recommend this to a friend. I would give it as a gift to friends.
Buy it, you will not regret it.
Bike Setup: Cyclocross commuter. I9 hubs laced to TK 7.1's, BB7's, Ultegra SL group, Winwood MuddyCross Disc, Ortlieb bags
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Submitted by
myarros
a Weekend Warrior
from Colorado Springs, CO USA
Date Reviewed: April 13, 2010
Strengths: Obsorbs shocks nicely. I think this is a great seat post for a hard tail. I ride the road and off road regularly. There is a lot of crappy roads around colodado springs now, not much maintenance. So even though I just started using the product I noticed immediately the improvement.
Weaknesses: I had to use the black/black combo at my weight 188lbs. The chart stated that I would need the blue/blue but it pogo's too much in that combination for me. I also tried the blue/black. I don't thin
Bottom Line:
I'd recommend this product for sure, but with the notice that rider weigh range might be suspect for some people. I maxed out the stiffness and it's perfect for me now, but if I weighed more, I might not be able to use it. I've read many of the other reviews and think that if you go by the chart supplied, you'll have to bump up at least one or 2 levels (if possible) like I did to get it to perform correctly.
I have a relatively new (~4 mos. old) Thudbuster on a GT Zaskar 29er. The post is a direct fit (no shims). When I take a hit or get my weight off the saddle, I get a creaking noi Read More »
I have a relatively new (~4 mos. old) Thudbuster on a GT Zaskar 29er. The post is a direct fit (no shims). When I take a hit or get my weight off the saddle, I get a creaking noi Read More »
What seatpost bag fits with the Thudbuster?
[url=http://www.mtbr.com/cat/suspension/suspension-seatpost/cane-creek/thudbuster-suspension-post/prd_353254_150crx.aspx]Cane Creek T Read More »
looking for some reviews on actual experience, just completed the build on my 2012 El Mariachi, the bike already feels much better then my RH ever did, with the RH my lower back wo Read More »
Any clydes here have any experience with the thudbuster type seatpost?
I just bought a sawyer, I really wanted a rigid steel bike that's kinda do it all, might go single speed, Read More »
