milesofsmiles

I am thinking about getting a suspension type seatpost for my mountain bike. Ya or na? How would I set it for seat height when it's going to change as I ride hitting bumps and the like? I have rear suspension on the bike already, do I need a suspension post?

sreten

Hi,

Seeing no-one has answered I will. I can't see it. you should be off the saddle for
big bumps, and AIUI the typical preload setting on a seat post might not be passed
by a full suspension MTB. AFAIK the seat height remains the same in most cases.

rgds, sreten.

milesofsmiles

Are you saying the suspension of the MTB would be sufficient and the suspension seatpost would basically have no effect? If so that's what I was wondering mainly, and the height issue. I have decided to not get a SSP and get a regular one then get a better seat.

sreten

Hi,

the way I understand a preloaded SSP basically yes, that is what I think will happen.
Also your bikes suspension will quite different over bumps if you lift off the saddle
going over bumps a little rather than remaining resolutely plonked in the saddle.

Standard technique for bumps on poor roads on normal bikes, nevermind MTB's.

rgdsm sreten.

milesofsmiles

Right, when standing the bike suspension will take the shock. When seated the SSP wouldn't make a big enough difference.

fietsbob

If you got a Bike from a Big Box store , it may resemble a Full suspension Bike in form only ..


Proper FS MTB's cost a Thousand Bucks + ..


I've got a Cane Creek Thudbuster LT on My Bike friday , I quite Like it .. it has the elastomer spring set for My weight .

want a saddle drop seat post instead ?, theres those too, handlebar lever release pops it up to the riding height

kingsqueak

Suspension seat posts are more about road vibrations, getting used to riding makes that a bit moot generally. For true suspension like huge roots etc, they aren't going to do a lot there. True suspension on the bikes are for keeping your tires in contact with the ground to maintain control vs rider comfort and generally the rider is standing in conditions where that matters or they wouldn't have proper full control of the bike itself.

For general riding if you see a bumpy surface, get used to just putting some leg pressure in, just enough to suspend you off the saddle as you go over, not even fully standing, just rising off the saddle a bit and you'll glide right over. A bunch of rides doing this and it become easy to do and second nature.

gsa103

Suspension seat posts are a poor man's solution to not having a full suspension bike. They work, just not nearly as well as a full suspension, since your legs still take the full abuse.

If you already have a full suspension bike, make sure that the suspension is adjusted properly (preload and damping/rebound).

milesofsmiles

As one person at the bike shop put it today, "SSPs are mainly for bikes like cruisers with suspension". I rode today and can see I need to get a better seat first so I stopped at the bike shop and got the one I was looking at last weekend. I think that will help a lot. I bought a Forte "Softail" because I don't know if I want riding shorts.

milesofsmiles

I rode with the new seat today, it's nice. It's soft but firm and kept my rear in one place. That was on thing that was wrong with the old seat, it always felt like I was sliding toward the front of it, couldn't stay put at the back where the padding is.