Thinking of one of these for my hardtail.Cove Hummer which to me is quite compliant anyway so would i notice the difference?Which to go for?ThudbusterLT or USE Sumo?The USE seem to have a choice of soft medium or firm.I would imagine soft is best would i be right?

There is a review in wmb this month – worth a raed

i’ll have a look got it downstairs.how duh am i ! 😳

I’ve had a USE one for 7 years on my hardtail, it takes the sting out of the trail. I found its better set up much softer than they recommend. Its got a lot of rotational wear now and that started quite early on, to my suprise when I came to replace the (wearable) sliders they were fine but the alluminium post itself had worn. All in all, I happy with mine

Thudbuster LT, great post, comes with hard medium & soft elasto whatsits, seriously compliant & better for you knees than some of the others.
But maybe you need a short travel FS 😉

Suspension posts are great. I had never even thought of using one in 15 years of riding hardtails, couldn’t really see any point, until about 18 months ago I was on an away mission and when I unpacked the bike (456) from the car I realised I’d forgotten to put the post back in after I’d taken it out to drain the frame after washing it last time I’d used it. Being a sunday and 3 hours drive to go and get it my only option was to go to the nearest halfrauds and get a replacement post and saddle the only one they had that fitted was a cheap and nasty suspension one so I was forced to go with that. What a revelation you can ride for longer in more comfort and it takes the buzz out of smoother trails where you stay seated. Being a cheap one mine is a bit wobbly now (and it fell apart once in a crash but I found all the bits and put it back together!) I’ll be sticking with suspension posts on hardtails from now on.

thudbuster LT here – it’s ace

I used a use post for several years , using the medium weight elasomer / spring set up.however my knees did not enjoy the constant change in hight , so I changed to a hard set up. this was much better & still kept me disconnected from the small bumps & buzz , I always unseat for the big ones.
I weigh 11 stone.

I have had a USE one and a POST Moderne, not great really, they wobble, squeak (USE) and seize up. Thats even with regular maintenance?? That was a couple years ago, but unless the inherent design has changed…

Mabybe the Thud Buster design would be better. Worth a shot.

I have used a USE post for five years now and think its superb. It just leaves you feeling better, less aches and pains. Recommended.

Currently using a Thudbuster LT on one of my bikes – picked up on ebay for good price second hand. Think it’s great. Currently got it deliberately set up too firm for my weight and find it is enough to take the sting out of the trail and stop my back from aching.
Would definitely recommend.

😉

I have a Thudbuster ST, the wife has just fitted a LT (after borrowing mine for a month and signing up to MM 24hr solo!)

I have used the USE and Post Modern ones in the past and found them to have too much stiction and not enough travel.

Not the cheapest bits of kit but very well made and easy to set up and service.

SSP

however my knees did not enjoy the constant change in hight

Watched a mate go from enjoying a ride, to almost agony on a suss-post in the space of a weekend, Put me right off them

Thudbuster

IME, the action of the Thudbuster LT is perfectly natural and does not interrupt pedalling at all. It isn’t noticeable as a change of height, but rather as a back and forward surge which fits in fine with the rhthym of pedalling. Enormoulsy comfortable, although heavy, unsightly and prone to developing a bit of slop.

I have managed to shatter an elastomer, after several years of use. This was pretty funny and made me have horrible visions of my todger getting caught in the linkage, but I don’t think there was any real risk! 😀

I have dodgy knees and can’t say I’ve noticed any problems with my USE XCR. It doesn’t get used that regularly on the HT, but in nearly 3 years use I’ve serviced it once – a 10 minute job. Really takes the sting out and on stuttery, rooty surfaces will let you stay seated rather than hovering.

Utterly awful, Never again. I had a Thudbuster and hated it with a passsion. Better to invest in tubeless, carbon post and a different saddle. Why bother riding a hardtail if you ruin it with a cheap suspension feel 50% of your ride?

Mark, why O why do I just never agree with you on anything?
I have tried, really I have, but I can’t think of anything I have agreed with you on, and lets face it, its been a few years now (2002/3?).
You can set the thudbuster to your style of riding, thats what the different elastomers are for, I suggest you go try again & set it up properly.

they have their merits, but fundamentally not a fan. Coming for a XC/Road background, I don’t like the idea of anything changing my saddle to Crank length as I ride. I ride a steel Hard tail and find it acceptable, I have in the past taken it to the alps, that was probably its limit but not convinced in that situation such a seatpost would have helped.

If I really felt the need to improve the ride, then as Hora suggested a Carbon seatpost may be an option (or forks/tyre pressures)

Hmm the perfect seatpost, a uturn suspension seatpost. Adjustable and suspension. Can’t be that hard can it to weld together some bits from a fork to a seatpost.

i got a USE one when i was having back problems for a month or so, worked ok but expensive – found that by allowing for sag it needed to be appx 25mm – 30mm higher, doesnt sound much – but if you get out of the saddle on steep slopes it was iritating.

Stayed away from thudbuster as when reading a review, mag suggested back / forward action may compound back problems.

got a short travel ful sus now so If interested its a USE Sumo Suspension seat post (medium compression) – 27.2 (can include shim to 31.6 if required) – scuffed from insertion only – £40 posted.

Posting pic’s won’t convince anyone, they are ugly, but then so are Ergon’s 😉

thudbuster LT ace worth the money

Posting pic’s won’t convince anyone, they are ugly, but then so are Ergon’s

I know but who cares 😆

I had a use and it was a complete waste of time compared to my thudbuster

I’ve only ever used the thudbuster LT so no real experience of other types. all i do know is that it is the only one that has constantly got good reviews over the years.