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SoftTail vs Sprung Saddle vs SUS Post?
For MTB riding, a hard tail with solid-rail saddle is out of the
question for me. Not man enough, I guess. Acceptable alternatives would appear tb (although I've never ridden a soft tail) ---------------------------------------------------- - Soft Tail with solid-rail saddle - SUS Post with solid-rail saddle - Sprung saddle ---------------------------------------------------- I've got considerable time on both SUS posts (Cane Creek ThudBuster) and sprung saddles (Brooks B-72 and whatever one has the coil springs). Both work for me, but I find the idea of a soft tail attractive bco the increased saddle options and, I suppose, my own exhibitionistic tendiencies. Can anybody comment from experience on the tradeoffs? |
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SoftTail vs Sprung Saddle vs SUS Post?
On Mar 4, 7:25*am, PeteCresswell wrote:
Acceptable alternatives would appear tb (although I've never ridden a soft tail) ---------------------------------------------------- - Soft Tail with solid-rail saddle - SUS Post with solid-rail saddle - Sprung saddle ---------------------------------------------------- Disclaimer - Keep in mind that these are merely my observations and generalizations since not all softails are the same, nor are all posts and/or saddles, and the terrain you may ride may not be the same as that which I ride: I have used suspension posts and two softails, including my current ride, and find that there is not a huge difference over use of a (telescoping) suspension post when it comes to comfort. But both the softails and post are much more comfortable than plain hardtails and the softails aslo have the distinct benefit of providing their extra "cush" even when one is riding out of the saddle. All-in-all I prefer the softails for the reason mentioned above and the lack of relative movement between pedals and saddle. Softail notes: The elastomer spring in my first softail was so firm that its effect was initially nearly negligible. After being replaced with a much squishier insert (acquired from a junk bin at a local shop) the functionality of the suspension was vastly improved. My second softail uses an adjustable air spring. It is a bit "stickier" and thereby not nearly as supple, but has improved over time and with a little extra lube on the slider. It also offers a slightly greater range of actual travel (still just over 1"). Other observations: My experience with saddles that claim to offer some sort of suspension is that they are not as comfortable as a saddle that fits well, especially if the well-fitting saddle has a bit of flexibility. IMO, fit is more important than saddle padding or saddle suspension. Don't ignore fatter tires and/or low tire pressure as a simple comfort option. A 29er can also offer an improvement in comfort (in addition to all that has been mentioned above) DR |
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