Suspension seatpost, rigid forks.
#1
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2008
Posts: 4,033
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Suspension seatpost, rigid forks.
It's been pointed out to me that some "celebrity" blogger rides off road on a bike with rigid fork but a suspension seat post. For some reason I find this deeply disturbs my sense of How Things Should Be. Has anyone tried this, or would any suspension guru likely to comment on the likely effectiveness of this set-up? Perhaps, despite my misgivings, it is a good way of reducing Butt Shock while keeping the tight handling and pedaling efficiency of a rigid fork?
#2
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Southern Illinois
Posts: 778
Bikes: Giant "Rainier"
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
I love this question and look forward to responses.
I ride full rigid (GT Peace 9r Multi) and my posterior is sometimes unhappy
I love the rigid fork for climbing but am needing some cush.
I ride full rigid (GT Peace 9r Multi) and my posterior is sometimes unhappy
I love the rigid fork for climbing but am needing some cush.
#3
Pint-Sized Gnar Shredder
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Somewhere between heaven and hell
Posts: 3,549
Bikes: '09 Jamis Komodo, '09 Mirraco Blend One, '08 Cervelo P2C, '08 Specialized Ruby Elite, '07 Yeti AS-R SL, '07 DMR Drone
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
I do not have a suspension seatpost. However, I can see some potential problems with this setup. Suspension serves to keep your wheels tracking with the ground, and it also makes landings more forgiving. A suspension seatpost has the suspension in the wrong place to do this. Plus, if you're landing with your butt off the saddle (as you should be), there's nothing for it to absorb. If you want to go rigid, by all means, go rigid. But don't expect a suspension seatpost to do the same thing that a suspension fork or rear suspension will do.
#4
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2009
Posts: 160
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
I ride a HT, and plan on switching to a rigid fork in the not so distant future. I think that people use suspension seat posts to absorb some of the blow as opposed to using their tush. I don't think they believe it will act like a FS.
#5
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2008
Posts: 4,033
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
I do not have a suspension seatpost. However, I can see some potential problems with this setup. Suspension serves to keep your wheels tracking with the ground, and it also makes landings more forgiving. A suspension seatpost has the suspension in the wrong place to do this.
Either he was just making his bike more comfortable ass-wise... or he was smarter than the rest of us and realized that a low travel post would do most of the work of suspending his body, keeping the height of his centre of gravity more nearly constant and thus reducing work lost to small height variations on rough ground. Without much loss of pedaling energy, because of the rigid forks and low travel nature of the post. Hmm. Would this work out?
I can't see any control problems that a suspension post would give with rigid forks... It just seems against the laws of man and nature. Like egg nog, or cucumber in gin and tonics instead of lemon - although turns out to be quite nice.
#6
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2008
Posts: 4,033
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
There's also this:
https://autobus.cyclingnews.com/tech/...views/koobiPRS
- Saddles with tuneable elastomer shock absorb. I think the maker gives a 30 day money back period if you buy direct.
#7
elcraft
I rescued and upgraded a Japanese built Raleigh Mixte for my wife (she prefers the 27 x 1 1/8" tires to her old MTB with 26 x 1.75"). One of the upgrades was a suspension seatpost. The tension is set pretty high, so it isn't too spongy during normal riding. She is very, very happy with this set up. Nashbar was the only supplier that stocked the odd size of 26.0 mm, though. It is very similar in its "bump dampening abilities as the Brooks Champion Flyer on my bike.