ThudBuster 3G -- Will it turn your hard-tail into a soft-tail?
Written: Jun 03 '05
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Product Rating:
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Pros: 3" of travel, good construction, ease of installation.
Cons: You have to read the instructions (that's bad?).
The Bottom Line: I absolutely recommend this seat post, as is one of those revoluationary products that you rarely find.
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| poseidon's Full Review: Cane Creek Thudbuster |
Not often do I come across something in the cycling universe that I would consider to be a "great" invention. Sure, I'm aware that improvements in braking systems, new materials, and suspension systems have made the sport wonderful.
But, one doesn't expect to spend less than $100.00 to cause a bit of a revolution.
When I got married back in September 2002, I found that I had less and less time for mountain biking as the demands (good ones, mind you) of a healthy start to a good marriage grew. In the last three years, I'd say that I had been on my bike perhaps a dozen times. As I've had the opportunity to enjoy (really enjoy) my bride's culinary expertise, I've put on a few pounds.
Recently, my wife suggested that she would like to explore the world of mountain biking and I was thrilled to no end. I have, in the last two months, been on my bike more than I have in the last three years, and she's enjoying it tremendously.
The problem was, I'm older and fatter and I've discovered that my muscles (flab) and bones don't like bumps and bruises like they could handle when I was a younger, toned guy.
After a solo ride about a month ago, instead of riding directly back to my house I rode to a bike shop and started asking questions about suspension seat posts. I learned a lot - mostly, that you get what you pay for - so it was best to avoid purchasing a low-end suspension seat post as it would need to be replaced probably once a season. To me, this seemed like a tremendous waste of money. Lucky for me, the bike shop didn't stock any
high-end suspension seat posts and I politely told the salesman that I wasn't interested in purchasing a soft-tail bike when my custom-built hard-tail was still a tremendous bike.
I wound up going home and doing some research on the Internet. I stumbled across an unusual-looking seat post called the Cane Creek ThudBuster 3G (which stands for "Third Generation"). I am generally not a fan of unique bike parts (mostly out of fear), but this one certainly grabbed my attention.
My research led me to a number of mixed reviews (not at this website). A lot of people loved the product, but I also read a bunch of negative reviews, mostly citing weight of the seat post and poor construction. The weight wasn't a big deal - many of the parts on my bike are carbon-fiber and I could stand to add a bit of weight to it, truth be told. The poor construction, on the other hand, was of great concern. I've spend a lot of money upgrading parts to my mountain bike and I only install quality parts, not junk.
As I read on, I learned that Cane Creek was apparently aware of the defect (there were screws that would apparently work their way out of their fittings) and apparently corrected it. I also read that the people who had problems and presented them to Cane Creek were very thrilled with the customer service that they received (despite the product failure). This information interested me even more in the product.
I went ahead and purchased it from a company that I have done business with before - Pricepoint.com. They weren't the least expensive (I have seen this product as low as $70), but I also couldn't guarantee that this least-expensive retailer was on the up-and-up or that they were selling the corrected product. Pricepoint.com was next in line for being the least expensive at $99.00.
As soon as I received the product and opened up the box, the weight issue became stupid. I had pulled out my own seat post and honestly couldn't tell (in my hands, not on a scale) a difference in weight that was remotely close to what I would describe as significant - and I must state that I did not have a carbon-fiber seat post installed on the bike, it was your typical steel post. Installation was a breeze, and because there is a choice of circumferences (25.4mm, 26.8mm, 27mm, 27.2mm, 30.9mm and 31.6mm) when you make the purchase, shims were unnecessary in the installation.
What was important was to not do the typical "man thing" -- you MUST read the instructions. Not only would it be difficult to figure out on your own, but it is important to use the correct elastomer combination for your weight, otherwise you won't get a proper ride (and, could probably cause premature wear to the seat post). I would estimate it took me less than five minutes to remove my old seat post, remove the seat, install the old seat on the new post and then install the new seat post.
The first ride was, well, interesting to say the least. I found that I bounced - a lot - in the seat. But, by the end of the ride, I got used to it and I was wondering where this seat post was my whole life.
I can't say that this post has turned my hard-tail into a soft-tail because there is no way to lock out the suspension (as you can with many soft-tails). The bike also doesn't mimic what a soft-tail can do when climbing a hill. But, I'm here to state that it is amazingly close.
With the 3-inches of travel that this seat post provides, a ton of bumps are taken out of the ride. I have found that my posterior is nowhere near as sore as it has been in the past after a bumpy ride. Even on smooth bike paths, much of the trail vibration has been taken out by this seat post.
I did, for the sake of what I've read, check the six screws that hold the suspension frame together, and they were seated very tightly. I did back one of them out and they were blue-coated, so no worries about the screws backing themselves out on their own due to trail vibration.
The instructions do indicate to lubricate the suspension system regularly - a bit of oil to the frame and bike grease to the elastomers do a great job. I would not recommend applying dry lubrication to the system - all of the reviews that I have read that mentioned this stated it was a poor idea.
You can purchase, from Cane Creek, a lizard-skin product called a CrudBuster to protect the suspension system. Basically, it fits over the suspension frame and protects it from dirt and probably most wet rides. In my opinion, it is going to be easier to service the suspension system without the CrudBuster cover and I've opted to not make the additional purchase.
The ThudBuster does come with a two-year warranty, and as I've mentioned before, other customer service reviews that I've read have been nothing but glowing regarding Cane Creek.
In conclusion, I would definitely recommend the ThudBuster 3G suspension seat post. While it won't turn your hard-tail into a true soft-tail, you'll come pretty darned close.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
poseidon
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 - Top 200 |
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Member: Jeffrey Schwartz
Location: Sunrise, FL, USA
Reviews written: 511
Trusted by: 1098 members
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