Great idea, but from a design view point (I am a D&T teacher, so I’m always going to be hard on stuff!) I’d say they need more development.
I’ve got a Joplin that came with a Stumpy FSR I got on ebay, not sure I’d be willing to fork out the £170 odd for a new one, but I do find myself using it a lot. Helps with the ‘flow’ of a ride more than anything….e.g. you come to a nasty big drop off, drop the saddle 3″ and you feel a lot more comfortable attempting it straight off.
Minus points –
– Regular servicing. Water, grit, etc. gets in and it ends up being sticky and grindy. Lots of grease helps.
– Some side to side play. Not really noticeable when riding though.
– Cable for the remote, annoying trying to route it neatly, and dealing with the extra rubbing of cable and cable ties on your frame.
– Weight, at least double that of a normal post (but equal to a big dump before a ride, so not that bad!)
All in all I think they’re a decent idea, and I do find myself using mine more than I thought I would.