Thudbuster

This comment came in to the website and I thought I’d share this person’s take on the LT vs. ST issue.  Hope it helps some people who are trying to decide with model to choose.

Ryan, I’m sure you could say more about this than me, but here’s an unsolicited testimony/description that might help customers choose between the LT and the ST.

Although the LT and ST operate on the same mechanism, they have an entirely different feel to them.  I’ve ridden with a Thud LT on my hardtail for many happy years.  I recently added a Thud ST to my new race bike, so I’ve had a chance to compare the two posts directly.

The LT is a real suspension system- it doesn’t just soften the hits, it actually soaks them up.  It’s an active system that you can feel working under you.  It’s a great way to civilize the ride of your hardtail.  It’ll help you get up rough tecchy sections because you can comfortably keep your butt on the saddle as you pedal.  My LT has been a reliable, hassle free component for years.

The ST doesn’t so much soak up the bumps as it does soften them- to use the well-worn phrase, it “takes the edge off”.  You don’t feel the ST working underneath you like you do with the LT.  The bumps are still there, but by the time the make impact with your butt, they have a muted, distant feel to them.

The LT will bob if you don’t have a smooth pedal stroke.  Also, after a big hit, the elastomer rebound will pitch you forward.  Using your legs as rebound dampers becomes second-nature after a while, but if you get caught off-guard by the rebound, it’ll definitely get your attention!  Neither of these issues is perceptible to any significant degree on the ST.

My conclusion is consistent with what is stated in the product descriptions- if you want maximum bump adbsorption, get the LT.  If you just need to effectively soften up those jolts and hits, go with the ST.  I’m going to stick with the ST on my race bike.

Matt

Greetings once again.  It has been a little while since I posted… 4th of July weekend and lots of festivities and relatives visiting.  I just came in from a little urban ride with my 5 year old… we wandered around the alleys and parking lots of the commercial areas in town looking for fun obstacles to test our skills on… then followed it up with an ice cream cone of course!  Anyway… back to work…

I have had a number of inquiries regarding the LT vs. 3G description.  I thought I’d try to clarify a bit.  The 3G is simply the term Cane Creek used in-house to describe the “3rd Generation” design when developing it several years ago.  The 3G reference somehow got picked up and is causing some confusion.  All the Thudbuster seatposts with the two-bolt saddle clamp are basically 3rd generation.  Cane Creek defines seatposts by model… either LT or ST and by year.  So, if you are looking to make a purchase, you definitely want to get the 3rd generation design that has been out for a number of years but more importantly, you want to make sure that whichever model you choose (LT or ST) that you get the most recent model year available so that the elastomers are as resilient as possible.  What you don’t want to do is get a discounted seatpost that sat on somebody’s shelf for a couple years and the elastomers aren’t as compliant as you’d like… then end up spending money on a new set of elastomers.  Best thing to do is simply get the latest, greatest right off the assembly line.  In the end you’ll be money ahead.