Cane Creek "Thudbuster ST" Seat Post: Out Of The Box

The Cane Creek component company is probably best known as the outfit that does head sets. They also happen to do a couple of suspended seat post models that, while they may be not as well known, are just as well made as the head sets they sell.

I received a Thudbuster short travel model recently to try out and give my thoughts on. First though, let's take a short look at the background of this post, and where it came from.

The original design for the Thudbuster was born out of the early 90's mountain biking scene, but not where you might think. It was from a fellow by the name of Ryan McFarland who was a mountain biker in the Black Hills region of South Dakota. The original designs were marketed and sold under the "RJ Concepts" company banner until 1999 when the idea was sold to Cane Creek. You can read more about the history here.

After making the original longer travel model, a short travel model was introduced for riders looking for less movement and with perhaps less seat post extension which the longer travel model wouldn't work with. Both models work on a parallelogram system that arcs backwards and downwards as the elastomer is compressed. The elastomers can be swapped out to provide the correct amount of compression according to rider weight.The short travel model reviewed here has 33mm of travel available.

Here's what happens when you hit a bump with a Thudbuster installed. this description comes from Cane Creek's webpage on the Thudbuster:

As a bump lifts the rear wheel, the rear wheel pushes the saddle up and forward into the rider. The Thudbuster compresses along the exact opposite path (downward, rearward) to absorb force. The Thudbuster moves down and back at the same rate as the bump comes up and forward, so the net movement of the saddle is zero.

Okay, so that is what is supposed to happen as you ride a Thudbuster ST. I got the post and put the correct elastomer in, (Three different ones are provided with post), and mounted my saddle, which was not any more or less difficult than a normal two bolt post set up. The thumb wheel is a bit different here though, but proves to work just fine. A bit of fore and aft fiddling with the saddle, grease the post, insert at the correct height, and I was ready to ride.

I should make mention that the Thudbuster ST does add a bit of weight, but it is minimal. My example came in right at the claimed 460 grams, which is about twice what any good quality rigid seat post comes in at. The MSRP on this model is $150.00, (street prices range from $100-$120.00), and that is far less than some titanium posts, or carbon fiber posts which might come under consideration in the discussion of seat posts that "take the edge off" your mountain bike ride. In this sense, the Thudbuster is pretty competitive, and really is the only option for true suspension. While you can go for a telescoping post, most of these I have seen develop play side to side, and bind enough that smaller trail chatter often goes unabsorbed. The Thudbuster is definitely superior in this regard.

Now the unavoidable thing with this component is the looks. It is definitely an "ugly duckling" component, and you either like it or really despise it because of the looks. I'll admit that the long travel version is a bit much in that regard for my tastes. The short travel version is less hard on my eyes, and I don't mind it too much. This is surely a personal preferance issue, but again, looks matter and the Thudbuster is certainly "image challenged" in the world of bicycle components. That said, performance on the bike is where it is at, and I certainly can appreciate a component that gives me an advantage in that regard.

So, how does it fare out on the trail? Well, it is an interesting sensation to say the least. I kept thinking my tire was under inflated on my first ride. Kind of a softer, "less feedback" sort of sensation, not unlike the feeling of a soft tire that has been punctured. After my alert level was calmed down, seeing as it wasn't the tire, I was able to move beyond that initial feeling and just ride.

Now that the newness had worn off, my next rides were good. I felt that the Thudbuster ST was a sort of "invisible" component. I didn't notice it while pedaling up climbs in the saddle, and I didn't notice any unwanted bob, or bounce. Only if I hit a g-out sort of bump did I ever notice that the Thudbuster was there. Elastomers have some small amount of damping, but there is no "rebound" control with the Thudbuster, so after you get coaxed into staying in the saddle more, (which eventually happens with this post),you will eventually find that bump that kicks you up and out of your saddle a bit. This can be disconcerting at times, but one must realize that the Thudbuster is not a sophisticated suspension device. In this regard, I don't consider it an alternative to, say a soft tail, for instance. And certainly it isn't in the same league as a short travel XC design.

Who is this suited for? Probably it is best suited for folks that regard any rear suspension with suspicion, and anybody that likes simple devices. It wouldn't be a bad idea for fire road rigs, muti-terrain riders, or maybe even an endurance racer that craved hardtails and simple, reliable componentry. Commuters should definitely give this a look.

Folks that expect sophisticated damping and rebound characteristics, high performance, tire calming suspension, and ride epic, big terrain will want to look elsewhere. This probably will not interest that sort of rider in the least, and really, it isn't meant to.

I'll be riding this post long term and will return with some thoughts on the posts durability and performance later.

Note: This product was provided to The Cyclist at no charge for review. We are not being bribed or paid to give this review. We will strive to give our honest opinions and thoughts throughout.

Update on Tuesday, October 12, 2010 at 1:07PM by admin

Updated 10/2010: My thoughts on the Cane Creek Thudbuster ST after several months of riding:

I have continued to do the occasional ride on the post all throughout the testing period. As I stated in my original thoughts, this post is really a nice small trail chatter absorber. It definitely gets the high to "upper-mid" trail vibrations erased and if all your rides are on terrain of this sort, you'll love this post. I found that if you don't rely on the Thudbuster to work over everything your trail throws at you, and you continue to ride your bike like a hard tail, the Thudbuster ST does give you some minor benefits while seated, but obviously, it isn't doing you any good at all if you are out of the saddle. If you are out of the saddle a lot, then the post is merely extra weight. At this point, a full suspension bike may be in order. 

Of course, Cane Creek does offer the "LT" version, which has more travel, and may extend the useable range of the component for you on your trails, so this might be an important consideration for you.

I did discover that about midway through the test period the bushings had developed play in the post. These are the pivot points of the parallelogram. I noticed a distinctive "rattle" if I dropped my bike slightly after moving it, for instance. This play did not increase significantly after I first noticed it, but obviously wear will accelerate if it is left in this condition. There are replacement bushings available through Cane Creek and replacement instructions can be found on their site here.

Conclusions: For the rider that does multi-terrain rides, back roads, rough commutes, and buff single track with the occasional rougher sections, this post will enhance your ride. For those whose trails are more technical, have high speed down hill sections, or require "big" suspension, this isn't a component that will be effective for your riding. If this post works for your riding style you will notice a strange sensation at first which will dissipate after a short while to the point that the post will become "invisible". Look for pivot bushing wear to become an issue at some point, but keep in mind that the post is maintainable.

For the rider that just needs the edge taken off, or for a longer, multi-hour ride over varied terrain that doesn't get technical, the Cane Creek Thudbuster LT could be just the thing for you.

Comments

[Joe]

Did you do a follow up to this? Did you also test the LT version?

[admin]

@Joe

I will mention this to GT, but I have used the LT on a Karate Monkey hardtail for over a year. It worked very well and never gave me any issues. It is VERY comfy, but some folks are bothered by the rearward arc in the seat path under compression. That never bothered me. I would go with an ST if I was to run one again, though. The LT is way more than I needed. Heavy. too, if that matters.

grannygear