Cane Creek Thudbuster LT Suspension Post

I ride lots of different kinds of trails but, I prefer cross country and trail category riding at the moment. Largely because my bike is designed for cross county and won't take the big hits of all mountain riding. However, riding fast on choppy CC trails can be a really big pain. The thing is, I like the light weight, agility and quickness of my hardtail. Then I heard about the Thudbuster and and after some research decided to give it a try. The following is my review.

 I tested and continue to use the Thudbuster on a completely updated Trek 8700 (carbon/aluminum frame). The only remaining items original on the bike are, the frame and front derailleur. So other than the frame, basically a new bike.

Well built and strong, with a relatively low weight over a standard aluminum seat post. Typically 240g (8oz) to 255g (9oz). A lot less than a full bounce bike unless you want to pay very BIG bucks. Adjustment is easy. I can usually change the elastimer combination in four or five minutes. It does help if you have another person to put a little pressure on the saddle to assist in the alignment and threading of the skewer bolt.
Several reviewers have stated that there is a lot of bounce when peddling. This ONLY happens if your cadence is to high. Up shift a gear or two if/when this happens and the bounce will disappear.

As for adjustment, there is some variations you can tweak to dial in the ride. If you ride upright, use the recommended combination. The seat tube angle can have some affect as well. The more you lay forward over the frame, the less weight is on the saddle. You can lighten the elastimer combination (I recommend the next lowest setting but play with the settings and see for yourself) and get a smoother ride. All that being said, the Thudbuster LT is not designed to take really big hits. Stand up, squeeze the saddle with your knees and you can still keep the rear tire (mostly) on the ground like a full bounce bike. Also, you will find some trail features can bounce you a bit. Momentarily stop peddling, brace against the handlebars put some weight (not all) on the saddle and you should be able to ride through with speed. All other trail chatter is soaked up flawlessly.

The Bottom line? If you have a hardtail, the Thudbuster is the best single investment you can make to upgrade your hardtail and improve your ride! It gives you most of the functionality of a full suspension bike with all of the benefits of a hardtail. Buy it, set it up properly, ride within design specs and you won't be disappointed.