Submitted by
Pedela
a Weekend Warrior
from Lyttelton, New Zealand Date Reviewed: September 2, 2009
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$150.00
Purchased At:
Chainreaction on spe
Strengths:
Lightish for a suspension post, surprisingly plush when dialled, strong clamp, well built, rebuildable
Weaknesses:
Heavyish for a seatpost, limited travel, bronze colour
Similar Products Used:
Cane Creek Thudbuster LT
Bike Setup:
I only use these suspension posts on hardtail singlespeeds for flat but bumpy singletrack - wanna race a hardtail then use a light rigid post, wanna ride serious mountain trails then get a good suspension bike
Bottom Line:
This review really compares the USE Sumo with the Cane Creek Thudbuster, which I reviewed separately a couple years back.
Weight - lighter than CC
Looks - almost normal; the CC has no cred & other riders laugh. Wish I'd got the black bcoz the silver is actually a weird bronze colour (black wasn't on discount)
Performance - would initially have said it's much less plush than the Thudbuster. I'm 80kg and got the firm set-up. Then I purchased a softer spring/bumper set and tuned with a mix of firmer and softer to get a softer initial response and a firmer end to avoid bottoming - now it feels almost as good as the Cane Creek despite less travel. I feel USE's recommendations are a little on the firm side. One other thing - I was getting some chafing on longer rides (over 2-3 hrs) with the Cane Creek that I'm not getting with the USE & I believe that's because the Cane Creeks fore/aft action rubs the sit bone area a little more than the up/down of the USE (maybe!) Finally, the Cane Creek occasionally has an Ejector Seat moment with certain sized/shaped bumps (no damping on either, see) whereas the USE seems less prone to bottom rocketing.
Engineering & Build - Both are quality components. The USE is rebuildable with a kit but when the CC pivots slog out thats it. However, after abt 5 years of use the Thudbuster has only got a tiny amount of play. The post shaft on the Thudbuster is glossy and has slipped down in some frames, needing a supertorque on the post clamp - the USE is like a Thomson, it never shifts.
Both of these posts allow me to sit and spin more comfortably through small bumps on a hardtail. The Cane Creek is slightly heavier & plusher while the USE is slightly lighter and racier. I prefer the USE Sumo just a little.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Marcus E Spector
a Cross Country Rider
from Lakeland Date Reviewed: December 3, 2008
Favorite Trail:
Carter road
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$120.00
Strengths:
It works well
Weaknesses:
Saddle clamp fixing setup cumbersome, must use loctite and really tighten bolt.
Similar Products Used:
Cane Creek, White Bros., Nashbar
Bike Setup:
Paragon 29er
Bottom Line:
This is a far superior seatpost to the others I've used, it dampens bumps like it should and operates quietly. You can stay seated on many parts of the trail like a full suspension bike. However in root infested sections you gonna have to stand more than with a full suspension setup.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
SuperbMan
a Cross Country Rider
from The Wooded Hills of Western, MA Date Reviewed: October 5, 2008
Favorite Trail:
The Hannah Swarton
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$130.00
Strengths:
It works very subtle but adds comfort to a long H-Tail ride. Made in England.
Weaknesses:
Hard to find, very tight tolerance on 27.2 seat tubes (probably to counteract the suspension motion).
Similar Products Used:
Thudbuster
Bike Setup:
Sinister Ridge-built xc burly
Bottom Line:
I was trepidatious about using a suspension seatpost, but this product has delivered it is: 1. Nice Looking (doesn't look like a frankenstein bike part like the Thudbuster)-2. Subtle, it's not rear suspension, it adds a little extra comfort that forestalls early body fatigue on long rides for us Hard Tail lovers. 3. Uncomplicated and easy to set up. All in all, a very good product.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Joey
a Racer
from UK Date Reviewed: June 22, 2007
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Strengths:
Makes the hard tail like a full-suss on single-tracka and Fire trails. Only really notice that not hard tail when you hit big stuff
Weaknesses:
None
Bike Setup:
Kona Kula Primo
Bottom Line:
Grrrrrrrrreeeeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
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