Notices
Long Distance Competition/Ultracycling, Randonneuring and Endurance Cycling Do you enjoy centuries, double centuries, brevets, randonnees, and 24-hour time trials? Share ride reports, and exchange training, equipment, and nutrition information specific to long distance cycling. This isn't for tours, this is for endurance events cycling

Suspension stems/seatposts

Old 03-09-20, 04:36 PM
  #26  
BWB
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2019
Posts: 13
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 2 Times in 2 Posts
Originally Posted by rhm
Well, if you want one, send me a message.

That ship has sailed, but thank you for the offer.
BWB is offline  
Old 03-09-20, 04:40 PM
  #27  
rhm
multimodal commuter
 
rhm's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: NJ, NYC, LI
Posts: 19,852

Bikes: 1940s Fothergill, 1959 Allegro Special, 1963? Claud Butler Olympic Sprint, Lambert 'Clubman', 1974 Fuji "the Ace", 1976 Holdsworth 650b conversion rando bike, 1983 Trek 720 tourer, 1984 Counterpoint Opus II, 1993 Basso Gap, 2010 Downtube 8h, and...

Mentioned: 584 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1908 Post(s)
Liked 574 Times in 339 Posts
Originally Posted by Tourist in MSN
...
I has been my general observation that more folding bike riders want a suspension post like the Thudbuster than mountain bikers because mountain bikers often use a full suspension bike, negating any reason for even more suspension. The smaller wheels common on a folding bike can make potholes and other big bumps much more harsh than the larger wheels on most road bikes.
I think a lot of people would agree. But I'm inclined to see suspension on a folding bike as a marketing gimmick more than anything else. I've gone through several folding bikes in the last dozen years. Some of them came with suspension forks. I upgraded to a rigid fork immediately. A folding bike doesn't need that stuff any more than the bikes randonneurs ride. That said, I have never done a brevet on my folding bike. I should try it sometime.
__________________
www.rhmsaddles.com.
rhm is offline  
Old 03-09-20, 10:06 PM
  #28  
hilltowner
Senior Member
 
hilltowner's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Ashfield, Mass.
Posts: 491
Mentioned: 3 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 83 Post(s)
Liked 15 Times in 10 Posts
This is about gravel biking, so not specifically addressing the question, but the moral of the advice is: wider and softer equals a better and faster ride. https://www.renehersecycles.com/ted-...-gravel-tires/
hilltowner is offline  
Old 03-10-20, 06:23 AM
  #29  
adamrice 
mosquito rancher
Thread Starter
 
adamrice's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Austin TX USA
Posts: 931

Bikes: Bob Jackson 853 Arrowhead; Felt VR30; Kinesis UK RTD; Hujsak tandem

Mentioned: 3 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 206 Post(s)
Liked 181 Times in 133 Posts
I'm familiar with Jan Heine's crusade for wider tires, and in fact I am riding wide-ish tires. But bikes have limits on how wide your tires can get, and I'm interested in other ways to stay comfortable on long days in the saddle.
__________________
Adam Rice
adamrice is offline  
Old 03-10-20, 07:22 AM
  #30  
unterhausen
Randomhead
 
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Happy Valley, Pennsylvania
Posts: 24,363
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4 Post(s)
Liked 3,664 Times in 2,497 Posts
One suggestion I have is to shift up a gear occasionally, especially if the road is rough. This unweights your behind. A lot of people use aero bars for comfort, and that has appealed to me. I think arms and hands are the biggest problem for most long distance cyclists.

But we're all different. Don't let anyone talk you out of a suspension seat post if you want to try one. People hate on suspension stems, but companies keep popping up to try to sell them. So someone might get it right. Just because nobody is using them doesnt' mean it will not work for you.
unterhausen is offline  
Likes For unterhausen:
Old 03-10-20, 07:38 AM
  #31  
Tourist in MSN
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Madison, WI
Posts: 11,112

Bikes: 1961 Ideor, 1966 Perfekt 3 Speed AB Hub, 1994 Bridgestone MB-6, 2006 Airnimal Joey, 2009 Thorn Sherpa, 2013 Thorn Nomad MkII, 2015 VO Pass Hunter, 2017 Lynskey Backroad, 2017 Raleigh Gran Prix, 1980s Bianchi Mixte on a trainer. Others are now gone.

Mentioned: 47 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3426 Post(s)
Liked 1,441 Times in 1,122 Posts
Originally Posted by adamrice
I'm familiar with Jan Heine's crusade for wider tires, and in fact I am riding wide-ish tires. But bikes have limits on how wide your tires can get, and I'm interested in other ways to stay comfortable on long days in the saddle.
How wide are your tires and what is the maximum you can fit in your frame and fork?

Bike touring where I have long days in the saddle, day after day after day after day, for pavement trips I use 37mm or 40mm wide tires. I would not want anything narrower and for a trip with a lot of non-paved riding I will use 50 or 57mm wide tires. Brevets I use 32mm width on a steel frame bike that uses rim brakes.

A friend of mine did not like the harsh ride of his aluminum bike, he bought a steel frame bike with rim brakes that made him much happier. I was surprised that he felt that much of a difference, but he really liked long distance rides on the steel bike much more.
Tourist in MSN is offline  
Old 03-10-20, 08:08 AM
  #32  
adamrice 
mosquito rancher
Thread Starter
 
adamrice's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Austin TX USA
Posts: 931

Bikes: Bob Jackson 853 Arrowhead; Felt VR30; Kinesis UK RTD; Hujsak tandem

Mentioned: 3 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 206 Post(s)
Liked 181 Times in 133 Posts
My current frame has an advertised max of 30-mm tires. I'm running 32-mm tires, which are fine as long as the rear wheel doesn't get knocked out of true (it's very close to the front mech pull). This is on an aluminum "all road" frame with a carbon fork, which seems a lot more forgiving than my steel racing bike.
__________________
Adam Rice
adamrice is offline  
Old 03-10-20, 08:18 AM
  #33  
XXLHardrock
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: Abbotsford BC
Posts: 205

Bikes: Some old CL beater

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 40 Post(s)
Liked 12 Times in 7 Posts
I have a RedShift suspension stem and think it’s great. It works so well that I forget it’s there.
XXLHardrock is offline  
Old 03-10-20, 01:58 PM
  #34  
unterhausen
Randomhead
 
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Happy Valley, Pennsylvania
Posts: 24,363
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4 Post(s)
Liked 3,664 Times in 2,497 Posts
The redshift looks pretty interesting. Might have been nice on the Mac 'n' Cheese, There was one road we were on that had expansion joints every 20 feet for many, many miles. Finally over the numbness from that 2 years later.
unterhausen is offline  
Old 03-10-20, 05:11 PM
  #35  
rhm
multimodal commuter
 
rhm's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: NJ, NYC, LI
Posts: 19,852

Bikes: 1940s Fothergill, 1959 Allegro Special, 1963? Claud Butler Olympic Sprint, Lambert 'Clubman', 1974 Fuji "the Ace", 1976 Holdsworth 650b conversion rando bike, 1983 Trek 720 tourer, 1984 Counterpoint Opus II, 1993 Basso Gap, 2010 Downtube 8h, and...

Mentioned: 584 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1908 Post(s)
Liked 574 Times in 339 Posts
Originally Posted by unterhausen
The redshift looks pretty interesting. Might have been nice on the Mac 'n' Cheese, There was one road we were on that had expansion joints every 20 feet for many, many miles. Finally over the numbness from that 2 years later.
I didn't notice! But then again I was riding 53 mm tires. There were some pretty bad roads on LOL as well, which I did notice. So far, no regrets about my big fat tires.
__________________
www.rhmsaddles.com.
rhm is offline  
Likes For rhm:
Old 03-10-20, 07:39 PM
  #36  
unterhausen
Randomhead
 
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Happy Valley, Pennsylvania
Posts: 24,363
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4 Post(s)
Liked 3,664 Times in 2,497 Posts
Even with giant tires, I can't believe you didn't notice, it was after the stop at the bar with the bag lunch. Although there is a similar road on my fleche route that did go a lot better the year I rode it on 40mm tires.
unterhausen is offline  
Old 06-11-21, 01:21 PM
  #37  
HorizDropPlz
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2021
Posts: 7
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Originally Posted by rhm
I think a lot of people would agree. But I'm inclined to see suspension on a folding bike as a marketing gimmick more than anything else. I've gone through several folding bikes in the last dozen years. Some of them came with suspension forks. I upgraded to a rigid fork immediately. A folding bike doesn't need that stuff any more than the bikes randonneurs ride. That said, I have never done a brevet on my folding bike. I should try it sometime.
About a year ago I found a 20" wheel Citizen folding bike with the rear suspension that needed work. I saw one on ebay selling for 600+. So I decided to pick it up fix it to resell. At one point I seriously considered putting a 5 speed igh w rear drum brake drivetrain and mid drive ebike kit on it. The fork had a 1 1/8 steerer tube so upgrading the front fork would have been possible(although finding a sus fork for 20" wheels that would result in a reasonable rake might have been difficult).

I had all the parts to fix it up and ended up rebuilding the rear wheel(the spokes were shot & the rear hub had an obscure OLD), replaced the 6 speed freewheel and shifter and overhauled all the bearings (wheels , BB and headset). I also replaced the original linear pull brakes with some tektro take offs I had & replaced the rear shock with a DNM coil shock I had.
The suspension was actually very plush for a bike having 20" wheels and no front suspension. I was extremely suprised how much that rear suspension soaked up. The guy that took it off my hands was in love with it and I believe still uses it for bar hopping down the beach.
HorizDropPlz is offline  
Old 07-20-21, 12:10 PM
  #38  
Mulkitez
Mulk Hogan
 
Mulkitez's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2021
Location: Ohio, USA
Posts: 18

Bikes: Surly Straggler, Surly Karate Monkey, Raleigh Super Course

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 8 Post(s)
Liked 3 Times in 3 Posts
Originally Posted by adamrice
I've been noticing suspension stems (such as the Redshift)
I have the Redshift Seatpost and I weight around 248lbs. I have the springs maxed all the way out for load, but I feel like I'm constantly bouncing on the saddle. I have only taken it on 3 short test rides, but we'll see if I can stand that over time. I am sure it is way different for lighter riders because I've read loads of reviews and everyone seems to favor it.
Mulkitez is offline  
Old 07-20-21, 12:35 PM
  #39  
adamrice 
mosquito rancher
Thread Starter
 
adamrice's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Austin TX USA
Posts: 931

Bikes: Bob Jackson 853 Arrowhead; Felt VR30; Kinesis UK RTD; Hujsak tandem

Mentioned: 3 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 206 Post(s)
Liked 181 Times in 133 Posts
It's been a while since I checked in on this thread. I did wind up getting the Shockstop seatpost and stem. The stem's effects are subtle, IMO. The seatpost makes a bigger difference, and I've got it set pretty firm. Both of them really smooth out textured pavement—there's something about the frequency and amplitude of the vibrations that they seem to be perfectly optimized for. The only time I really notice bobbing on the seatpost is when I'm mashing at low cadence on very smooth pavement.

Both of them are high-quality products. I don't see any slop in the pivots. The stem doesn't mess up the bike's handling. The seatpost is admittedly very heavy.

I am sure it is way different for lighter riders
Yeah. For comparison, I weigh 153 lb.
__________________
Adam Rice
adamrice is offline  
Old 07-29-21, 05:37 AM
  #40  
GhostRider62
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2021
Posts: 4,083
Mentioned: 6 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2332 Post(s)
Liked 2,094 Times in 1,311 Posts
Specialized has a recent patient application for a suspension seatpost.

Their older gooseneck suspension post helps. It is the CG-R Carbon. Not sure it if is made anymore. I have one of those on a magnesium framed bike, works i combo very well on chip sealed roads.
GhostRider62 is offline  
Old 07-29-21, 08:05 AM
  #41  
Tourist in MSN
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Madison, WI
Posts: 11,112

Bikes: 1961 Ideor, 1966 Perfekt 3 Speed AB Hub, 1994 Bridgestone MB-6, 2006 Airnimal Joey, 2009 Thorn Sherpa, 2013 Thorn Nomad MkII, 2015 VO Pass Hunter, 2017 Lynskey Backroad, 2017 Raleigh Gran Prix, 1980s Bianchi Mixte on a trainer. Others are now gone.

Mentioned: 47 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3426 Post(s)
Liked 1,441 Times in 1,122 Posts
Originally Posted by GhostRider62
... on chip sealed roads.
Chip seal where it is just a rough road but not a lot of physical displacement. I find that the Brooks Conquest saddle I have on most of my bikes is just fine. I am guessing that the springs give me about 5mm of displacement when I put my 180 pounds on it. The springs are quite stiff, they won't help much on a big bump or a pot hole, but seem to help on vibration.

I just went to Brooks site to get a link to post, but it appears that the Conquest is out of production again. Here is a good description.
VeloBase.com - Component: Brooks Conquest

It was taken out of production roughly a decade ago, then brought back several years later, but appears to be gone again.
Tourist in MSN is offline  
Old 05-10-22, 06:29 AM
  #42  
Moisture
Drip, Drip.
 
Moisture's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2020
Location: Southern Ontario
Posts: 1,575

Bikes: Trek Verve E bike, Felt Doctrine 4 XC, Opus Horizon Apex 1

Mentioned: 8 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1034 Post(s)
Liked 193 Times in 163 Posts
I bought a Satori Animaris suspension seatpost to swap between my gravel / XC bike . The idea was to offer something which smooths out the bumps as I transition weight from bottom bracket and saddle at different watt outputs. It becomes difficult to maintain 700w steady for hours with minimal weight in the saddle. The seatpost works imperceptibly, with arguably more noticeable increase in performance rather than actual comfort .. which was my intention. The spring is tuned very stiff, even for a 190lb rider.

Next, I ordered a Kinekt suspension stem, which happened to be available in the exact length that I needed. I am overall extremely impressed. The overall result is now a machine that I feel much more in tune with, while literally ripping up single/double track , with the rear tire squirreling about for traction in the loose sand.

​​
Moisture is offline  
Old 05-10-22, 07:20 AM
  #43  
GhostRider62
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2021
Posts: 4,083
Mentioned: 6 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2332 Post(s)
Liked 2,094 Times in 1,311 Posts
I put a Redshift suspension stem and a flat topped carbon aero bar onto my upright. The bar is pretty flexible compared to any round bar that I have owned and the elastomers in the stem definitely move when I hit a bump. The combo is a huge improvement for me. Another surprising comfort factor is how the brake hoods transition to the handlebars, there is a nice flat area where the pad of my palm can rest. The nerves in my hands in the words of the Doc who did my last EMG study, "the nerves in your hands are shot"......they must hurt. I do not even wear gloves with this setup, bizarre. The only downside are funny looks I get because the combo isn't rando.
GhostRider62 is offline  
Old 05-10-22, 07:33 AM
  #44  
Tourist in MSN
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Madison, WI
Posts: 11,112

Bikes: 1961 Ideor, 1966 Perfekt 3 Speed AB Hub, 1994 Bridgestone MB-6, 2006 Airnimal Joey, 2009 Thorn Sherpa, 2013 Thorn Nomad MkII, 2015 VO Pass Hunter, 2017 Lynskey Backroad, 2017 Raleigh Gran Prix, 1980s Bianchi Mixte on a trainer. Others are now gone.

Mentioned: 47 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3426 Post(s)
Liked 1,441 Times in 1,122 Posts
Since this thread has come back, again ...

If anyone is interested in suspension seatposts, this was published about a year ago but probably is still valid. But, this site is oriented more towards touring, thus this might offer more suspension than most long distance pavement riders want.
https://www.cyclingabout.com/best-su...g-bikepacking/

I have a sprung Brooks saddle (Conquest) and 32mm tires on my rando bike, that is all the suspension that I need.

But I do have a cheap telescoping suspension seatpost on my heavy duty touring bike that often goes off road or on gravel.
Tourist in MSN is offline  
Old 05-10-22, 09:50 AM
  #45  
unterhausen
Randomhead
 
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Happy Valley, Pennsylvania
Posts: 24,363
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4 Post(s)
Liked 3,664 Times in 2,497 Posts
Originally Posted by GhostRider62
The only downside are funny looks I get because the combo isn't rando.
I doubt it's that, randos in general have some of the weirdest setups of any group of cyclists I'm familiar with. It's probably because you weren't putting out 700 watts.

If I go back to ride in Wisconsin/Michigan, I might have to get a redshift stem. I have never had numb hands for as long as I did after the Mac 'n' Cheese 1200. There was one road that went on seemingly forever with expansion joints every 45 feet.
unterhausen is offline  
Old 05-10-22, 10:32 AM
  #46  
clasher
Senior Member
 
clasher's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Kitchener, ON
Posts: 2,737
Mentioned: 16 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 229 Post(s)
Liked 147 Times in 102 Posts
Lots of this sort of stuff will start coming over from the gravel world... canyon has those funny hover bars that have quite a bit of give on the top, I was surprised when I saw it on a buddy's bike. Frost heave on the roads in Ontario is brutal on the hands too, usually it's not as regular as expansion joints but there's not a lot of concrete roads like Michigan... one of my least favourite things about driving through Michigan is all concrete roads.
clasher is offline  
Likes For clasher:
Old 05-10-22, 11:37 AM
  #47  
Moisture
Drip, Drip.
 
Moisture's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2020
Location: Southern Ontario
Posts: 1,575

Bikes: Trek Verve E bike, Felt Doctrine 4 XC, Opus Horizon Apex 1

Mentioned: 8 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1034 Post(s)
Liked 193 Times in 163 Posts
In my experience with the Kinekt stem, it only gave enough dampening on my 650b gravel bike to take maybe 55 or 60% from the worst of the front end impacts while ripping singletrack. It seems like the goal is to fluidly maintain a safe and balanced handlebar position while your weight shifts around, such as tackling a sharp turn through uneven terrain. more for performance rather than comfort,I l(maybe because that's how I ride this bike?) it minimizes vibration and subtly adjusts stem angle to keep you in control.
Moisture is offline  
Old 02-14-23, 10:42 AM
  #48  
civic04
Newbie
 
Join Date: Jun 2016
Location: Pa.
Posts: 18

Bikes: FX 2 Disc Stagger, jamis divide

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 6 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Kinekt stem

Anyone with a Kinekt stem, wondering if the movement would do anything to the hydraulic brake lines liking stress on joint that it might get a leak with constant movement.

Last edited by civic04; 02-14-23 at 10:43 AM. Reason: misspell
civic04 is offline  
Old 02-14-23, 04:00 PM
  #49  
Moisture
Drip, Drip.
 
Moisture's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2020
Location: Southern Ontario
Posts: 1,575

Bikes: Trek Verve E bike, Felt Doctrine 4 XC, Opus Horizon Apex 1

Mentioned: 8 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1034 Post(s)
Liked 193 Times in 163 Posts
Originally Posted by civic04
Anyone with a Kinekt stem, wondering if the movement would do anything to the hydraulic brake lines liking stress on joint that it might get a leak with constant movement.
No
Moisture is offline  

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off


Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.