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Beam vs. suspended seat post
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Recent lower back/disc problems have got me thinking about a beam bike. Then, I remembered that my wife has a suspended seat post on her bike (for which I have teased her endlessly). Aerodynamics and fit aside, why wouldn't the suspended post provide the same lower back relief as the (very expensive and , in my opinion, ugly) beam bike? Any ideas or experiences would be much appreciated.
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Re: Beam vs. suspended seat post [shredder] [ In reply to ]
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Ugly? You don't know what your talking about man.
Dissing beams is likes rating Jessica Beil as a three.
Sure she's no Jessica Alba, but she's at least an eight.
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Re: Beam vs. suspended seat post [Ze Gopha] [ In reply to ]
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lol
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Re: Beam vs. suspended seat post [shredder] [ In reply to ]
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I can probably answer this as well as anyone. I have owned two beam bikes (zipp 2001 and softride solo) and numerous suspension seatposts trying to search for greater comfort on New Zealands rather rough road surface.
I wont comment on the zipp 2001 as its a bike I never really liked, never quite got it dialled in.

Comparing the softride (classic beam) and a suspension seatpost there are some quite big differences. The softride your floating there is absolutely no sticking in the suspension, and there is a lot of travel in the suspension. This is the only road bike I would ride across railway tracks sitting down.

Suspension seatposts do stick and bind a little due largely to the seat tube angle (the steeper the better, should work great on tri bikes). They certainly offer a reasonable increase in comfort for a realatively small investment and weight penalty. I used to set mine up with quite a high pre load, I would barely notice I was using it until about 120km when I felt a lot less beat up.
If you decide to try a suspension post bare in mind price dosen't equal performance. I have found many of the cheap posts far superior to the more expensive ones (the best performing ones seem to be those with a coil spring (rather than elastomer) and use a square top shaft (rather than round with keyways)) .

Sorry I don't have any experience with the linkage posts although it is quite likely that they would be superior.

Any questions just ask.
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Re: Beam vs. suspended seat post [triguynz] [ In reply to ]
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I have used parrellellogram (sp - LOL) style posts off-road for years. As the above poster noted, this style post ( as opposed to a telescoping post) has pretty much zee-ro stiction, and is very sensitive to small bumps. It has been a while since I rode a beam bike, but I would hazard to say that such a post would indeed work as our original poster is hoping it will.

Currently there are two such posts with varying travel widely available - the cane creek thudbuster and the short travel thudbuster ST. The ST model is quite compact, and would be very inconspicuous on a road bike, and probably will offer all the travel you need.

Both can be found on-line for under a hundred bucks and if you really want to push the envelope you could get one, try it, and send that sucka back if ya don't like after a week or so. In my experience i would say it takes about three rides to adjust to the "down and back" motion of the post, and after that you have to look at your shadow to see if it is moving or not. As a bonus, if you get better in time you can take it off - something a beam bike will not let you do, obviously. Or, use it on your hardtail mtn bike.
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Re: Beam vs. suspended seat post [shredder] [ In reply to ]
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If you think about the pivot point of rotation when the rear wheel hits a bump, it's quite apparent that the beam is going to provide a much better response. Also, with the classic Softride beam, there is no "stiction" as there is in a suspension seatpost. The suspension seatpost will do an approximately equal job in easing the big hits, but when it comes to road buzz and small hits, the beam is far superior.

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Re: Beam vs. suspended seat post [shredder] [ In reply to ]
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I have a Cane Creek Thudbuster on my MTB and have been toying around with the idea of using it this summer on my road/tri bike. The Thudbuster is a suspension post that travels down and back instead of just up and down. Its supposed to keep your saddle height the same as it absobs impacts/inputs.

Also, using less air pressue in your tires and/or using wider tires will give more comfort on the road.

David K.
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Re: Beam vs. suspended seat post [brider] [ In reply to ]
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Brider opines; "If you think about the pivot point of rotation when the rear wheel hits a bump, it's quite apparent that the beam is going to provide a much better response. '

This is mostly true only of telescoping style posts - and much less so of the thudbuster and thudbuster ST, which are engineered with linkages which react very closely in line with the forces coming from the rear axle. They are quite sensitive to small inputs, as a result. These devices are not as supremely cushy as a beam - but they ARE in the same ballpark. More importantly, they are nowhere near as sticky as a telescoping post.
Last edited by: yip the coyote: Apr 6, 05 14:17
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Re: Beam vs. suspended seat post [triguynz] [ In reply to ]
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triguynz wrote about the Softride: This is the only road bike I would ride across railway tracks sitting down.

You've never ridden a TitanFlex, have you? I sit over railroad tracks while taking pressure OFF of my feet and hands so the suspension gets to do all of whatever it can do. It's scary the first few times, but, it's SO much easier on you than you'd expect. I assume the Softride is just as good over the tracks.

Do you find you corner faster on your Softride? It sure seems that way on the TF...at least, when I keep the saddle weighted fully in the corner...a hard habit to learn when I've weighted the outside pedal for so many years!



Quid quid latine dictum sit altum videtur
(That which is said in Latin sounds profound)
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Re: Beam vs. suspended seat post [Titan] [ In reply to ]
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Your 100% correct, i have never ridden a titanflex. Would love to give one a test ride, I think the number of different beam options certainly has the potential to make them superior to a softride.
Biggest problem for me is getting a test ride in little old New Zealand is nearly impossible. Even with the softride I had to buy one to try it. I liked the handleing of the softride, although it wasn't quite the right size (bought it second hand).

Come to think of it I think that is probably one of the main reasons softride continue to outsell titanflex. You can buy "cheap" model softrides or secondhand ones to "try" before buying an expensive one. There aren't quite the same options with titanflex.
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