Cane Creek Releases Longer Travel Version of the Thudbuster Suspension Seatpost

Jun 4, 2020
by James Smurthwaite  
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Popular with hardtail riders and an emerging crop of ebike riders, the Thudbuster range of posts has been providing seatpost squish for more than 20 years. Now Cane Creek have released the longest travel version to date with the latest update to the LT. The previous LT version of the post provided 76mm (approx 3 inches) of travel but this new version boosts that up to 90mm for an extra 14mm of travel under your butt.

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The seatpost retains its parallelogram suspension design with a one piece elastomer to control the travel. The post can now be set up to accommodate different rider weights by changing the elastomer up to a rider weight limit of 115kg/250lb. The post comes as standard with a medium firmness elastomer, which covers riders in the 65-90kg (150-200lb) weight range but extra soft, soft, firm and extra firm elastomers are available separately.

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Specifications

Travel 90mm/3.54in
Diameter 27.2mm, 30.9mm, 31.6mm
Length 420mm (30.9mm & 31.6mm); 390mm (27.2mm)
Weight 750g
Minimum Extension 146mm
Maximum Extension 320mm (30.9 & 31.6); 290mm (27.2)

The Thudbuster LT retails for $179.99 and is available now through Cane Creek retailers and distributors or rider-direct in North America at www.canecreek.com.

Posted In:
Reviews and Tech Press Releases Seatposts Cane Creek


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133 Comments
  • 310 1
 I've got a Reverb that does the same job.
  • 66 14
 ... But needs rebuilt twice a year
  • 4 3
 what about this? www.amazon.com/Tamer-Post-Centric-Suspension-Seatpost/dp/B00A214HT2
  • 1 9
flag kosumo FL (Jun 4, 2020 at 7:24) (Below Threshold)
 @DaFreerider44: This is note a Cane Creek
  • 19 0
 @thewho07: I think that was his point. It has a lot of squish to it....
  • 2 0
 @DaFreerider44: Wow. I had no idea that there were so many suspension seatposts out there.
  • 4 0
 @thewho07: that's why it actually does the same thing.
  • 3 0
 I mean, I know it's a joke, but a dropper post with some suspension seems like it would make sense for bike packing or touring, and maybe even marathon xc.
  • 4 0
 hahahahahahahahahahaha best comment
  • 2 0
 @kcy4130: PNW makes this.
  • 4 0
 @Jshemuel: Nice, just looked it up. thanks. www.pnwcomponents.com/collections/adventure-cx/products/coast-suspension-dropper-post-external
  • 1 0
 @kcy4130: You just described the rationale for PNW's Coast dropper. 40mm of air squish in a 125mm stealth dropper. Approved by wrecked spines everywhere. Thanks to CC for the venerable Thudbuster, but the Coast makes it obsolete for MTB, IMO. Having reach get longer when the suspension activates is not ideal.
  • 3 0
 @rider001: sitting on the saddle while suspension activates is not ideal.
  • 1 0
 @bigtim comment of the year
  • 2 0
 @rider001: Just get a KS dropper, it'll do the same thing
  • 2 0
 @Jpatfrancisco: Hehe, funny I was thinking my Lev has been unstoppable since fall 2017 with no attention to it. So many bad dropper stories. I had a Reverb, too, and no issues through two bikes. Maybe luck.
  • 1 0
 @RonSauce: Yet it happens. More on a singlespeed, I'll posit. That's where the Coast shines, IMO.
  • 115 0
 Seated huck to flat in slow mo! C’mon @jasonlucas, you know you wanna! Let’s see if it’s a thudbuster or ballbuster!!
  • 2 0
 Or a pile driver....... I'll get me coat
  • 112 1
 I wanna turn it into a bong and rename it the Bud Thruster
  • 6 2
 I cannot upvote this enough....
  • 1 0
 wow, gets funnier every time I read it
  • 38 0
 Test a "sofa king" hardtail setup with this thud thing, rotating grips, hinged handlebars, flex stem, suspension pedals, and anything else you can find combined all together in one build.
  • 7 3
 Rev grips. Dont forget those.
  • 4 0
 Need a sprung touring saddle to complete the picture
  • 6 0
 That’s a sofaking good idea
  • 1 0
 This sounds like a lot of fun. Pinkbike should do it.
  • 36 0
 There's a better solution... Buy a Reverb, put it in the dropped position, and pull up really hard. Voila. You still get a drop function AND you get suspension. Hush, PNW fans. This method lets you pick the amount of sag, I mean travel.
  • 6 1
 I actually have one of these for sale!
  • 31 0
 #Thudlife
  • 27 8
 Sadly, i see where they are going with the E-Bike Invasion, as most of them never even thought about standing up on the pedals... most of the people riding today aren't „Mountainbikers“ but more like forest-road sightseers...
  • 44 1
 More people using the forest areas means justification for more money being spent on these areas.

And if they're sticking to the forest roads, they're not bringing more traffic to the trails.

Everybody wins*



*No actual prizes
  • 6 0
 @DidNotSendIt: You are big brain
  • 12 4
 Damn those people, not riding a bike like you are! Don’t they know there are mountain bike gate keepers?
  • 1 0
 Gates closed everyone, let's go home.
  • 3 0
 Sounds like you're just riding in the wrong gear.
  • 1 0
 @DidNotSendIt: If they do i 100% for this, its awesome to see the sport expanding... but accidents on trails because of overconfidence or just a mishap scares me
  • 16 0
 I still have one of the original Thudbusters - as in hand-built by the inventor in his garage before he sold it to Cane Creek. It's still installed on my 1992 Trek 7000 which I take out for laughs on occasion. It actually worked quite well for grinding out the hours on the trail. I probably put over 5K miles on that post. Don't knock it, but don't ride it in the bike park either...
  • 5 0
 I had no idea they even still existed as a product.
  • 4 2
 @tbmaddux: nobody did
  • 5 0
 @tbmaddux: Touring cyclists love them, can't say I've seen one on a mtb this side of 2007.
  • 6 0
 For 750 grams you could just get a full sus XC bike with a normal seatpost. ????
  • 1 1
 @blackthorne: exactly. The abuse a hardtail put on you is typically a lot more than just your ass, it's knees and hands and wrists. This might make long hours in the saddle more comfortable for the bum, but I'm not sure it does much for the rest of the joints getting pounded. Plus, its application would prevent a dropper post from being used. The PNW Coast seems like a better option in that regard.
  • 16 1
 They should at least make a dropper post version for the e-downcountry-gravel-jump bikes of today
  • 22 7
 When we make fun of others , it’s because we are not happy with ourselves.
  • 41 2
 ok dork.
  • 4 0
 @nyhc00: cracking me up
  • 6 4
 When we claim that people who make fun of others are not happy with themselves, we are not happy with ourselves.
  • 3 0
 In Australia, if you meet someone and punch them in the guts while calling them a c### and telling him how you appreciate what a complete sl## his sister is, it means you care deeply for that man. Forget what fruit and vegetables your are allowed to being in (none!), the above is what tourists should be told on arrival.
  • 3 1
 I am happy with myself; I am happy when others make fun of me; and I am even happier when I make fun of others.
  • 11 0
 I used to have one of these on my hardtail - it really was an awesome bit of kit.
People who have tried them love them. The haters don’t know what they’re missing.
  • 11 0
 E-bike riders? These are most popular with bikepackers who spend hours on rough terrain and dont need/want a dropper post.
  • 3 0
 It doesn’t really fill in as a dropper though does it? Just puts the rider on some squish instead of the bike.
  • 2 0
 @gmiller720: no, but it does allow for more comfort through the rough where you'd typically use a dropper post.
  • 3 0
 @Klainmeister: Bikepackers? These are most popular with tandem stokers who can't see when to unweight their saddle.
  • 1 0
 @Klainmeister: yeah, but where you’d typically use a dropper you’re not going to have your ass on the seat. So I guess all I’m saying is this doesn’t replace the need or want for a dropper. They accomplish two completely different goals.
  • 2 0
 @gmiller720: you clearly don't understand. With the weight of gear, mustache bars, flannel and ironic vbrakes, you must descend ass firmly planted in saddle.
  • 7 0
 I’ve used a Thud for years when bikepacking on a steel ridged mountain bike. It is awesome when in the saddle for 6 plus hours day after day.
  • 4 0
 Doesn’t sound awesome at all. Wink
  • 3 0
 I guess I'm old since I'm surprised by how many people aren't aware of this already. This is just an update. There are basically 3 versions now. This one (90mm), the "normal" short travel version (50mm), and the gravel/road focused eeSilk version (30mm). Definitely not a hardcore MTB product at this point, but definitely has a place for more casual cyclists.
  • 3 0
 I see many people who do not understand this product. I've been using the ST version of this product for a decade on my rigid steel 29er. I've never had a problem with it. Between my 2.4 inch tires and this seat post, it's a very comfortable ride. I am not bike packer. I use this bike as a mountain bike. There are some wild trails that I'm just as comfortable on this bike as I am on my 6" enduro. But the choppy bumps are the real problem on a rigid frame bike. My arms do take a beating here and there. Before I had this seat post, my balls took that beating. When it gets choppy, with no suspension, a bucking bronco effect is created. A rigidly mounted seat moves fast in those moments. Avoiding that shot to the nuts is worth adding 200 grams to my bike. Also, when digging deep on a road climb, I find myself pushing into the seat as a way to adjust it for better position for that moment. I love that bike and the Thudbuster ST is the only reason I kept it around.

That being said, the long travel version is dumb. Just like so many of you, I don't get it. Although, just like the ST, I'm sure some people find it necessary in some applications. I just don't understand what those applications are or why the 1.3 inches of travel on the ST are not enough.
  • 3 0
 I still have one of the first versions from the late '90s and it was surprisingly a decent option when compared (in retrospect) with the limited suspension platforms of the era.
  • 4 2
 Won't this change the distance between hips and pedals? So I guess you'd need to set seat height higher to compensate for the amount of sag.

But even then, if you have knee issues then I gotta think your seat moving down while trying to pedal is going to continue to cause issues with you knees.
  • 1 0
 The point of the parallelogram is to keep pedaling geometry the same. Reach changes.
  • 4 0
 Read the title, came here for the Reverb comments. Was not disappointed. I've got two of these outstanding products as well.
  • 6 0
 Brazzer approved.
  • 1 0
 Hahaha this wins.
  • 3 2
 Those are a really good way to screw up your knees in my experience. Of course, it's been over 20 years since I used one of them and I can't guarantee that the resulting knee pain after putting it on was caused by the thudbuster, but without changing anything else on the bike the pain went away after getting rid of the thudbuster and didn't show up until after the thudbuster was installed. That was riding in Utah in the olden days.
  • 1 0
 As far as I know they've offered different elsatomers for years.
BLUF: I'd buy one if I could get it in a 26.6.
I've sold a bunch over the years, mostly to riders that have lower back issues or hemorrhoids. They rave about them. I've personally never ridden one, they don't make a 26.6mm version to fit my old Trek 730 I use for bike camping. My Trek Boone has ISO speed, which gives you like 50mm of compliance, which isn't noticeable while pedaling, but occasionally you'll hit a big square bump and it won't feel as square. I imagine this has an even better feel, especially considering the extra travel. I'd put one on my 730 if it'd fit, 6-8 hours on a gravel canal path can be brutal, give me a little cushion and I'm sure I'd feel less fatigued at the end of the day. I can't run any less tire pressure than I already run, I'm occasionally bumping the rim on the ground using 700x35 tubeless tyres. I run the tires so soft that my rear cups over time, especially when loaded with and extra 18-20kg of booze and gear.
  • 2 0
 Actually, Megan, I can't sit anywhere. I have... hemorrhoids!
  • 1 0
 They used to make a 25.4mm version, which you may be able to find used.
  • 1 0
 @jeffgicklhorn: I don't actually have hemorrhoids but thanks. It was a reference to an old vine meme.
  • 1 0
 @jeffgicklhorn:

Still do actually, although it won’t be around forever. We’re still making some Of the older Thudbuster LTs in that size, and we have a ton of shims available
  • 2 0
 I'll mate this to my Alsop Soft ride parallel link suspension stem for the perfect for aft balance of suspend the rider not the bike. Now I just need a fully rigid mid-90's mountain bike...
  • 1 0
 These SP’s are amazing.
Time & place for them, lucky they existed when I
Utilized them.
Still have a broken 1st generation
Never looked into warranty
Bought a second generation (one piece machined)
Instead of pressed in with epoxy.
Used it for many Years.
  • 4 0
 PNW Coast. Lighter and more functionality.
  • 2 0
 Around here it seems like fatbike riders are the main market for these. I don't think I've ever seen anyone else use one of these.
  • 3 1
 I sure the ebikers will like them too.
  • 2 0
 Around me you 100% want a dropper post for fatbiking. We're lucky that tons of singletrack is groomed for fatbiking!
  • 1 0
 @bikekrieg: read the article again
  • 10 6
 Who else double checked to make sure it is not April 1st?
  • 2 3
 I’m still waiting for it to be a joke. No dropper? Elastomer suspension?
  • 2 0
 These are great for the hard tail rider that doesn't plan to get off the ground much. If you are an aggressive rider you will break one quickly as I found out years ago.
  • 1 0
 This is true.
  • 2 0
 Seems like these would be great for gravel bikes, not so sure about mountain bikes.
  • 3 1
 Boys at Cane Creek had nothing better to do during lockdown so they decided to redo this.
  • 2 0
 It actually works and feels amazing in terms of the difference it makes. Just unfortunately looks like shit.
  • 1 1
 Maybe with the hardtail Renaissance with the enduro moniker, there's more people over here interested on these devices, I Will love to see a suspensión seatpost shotout in this place
  • 1 0
 Fail, "if" it was a "thud dropper" I"d have gave it a try... Rocked the suspension seatposts several times back in the day. Might look stupid, they are C-O-M-F-Y... Smile
  • 2 4
 The key to riding a hardtail MTB properly is... don't sit down...well...not that much. The Arsebuster only works properly if you sit down...all the time. Who does that? I do but only when I riding the roads and fire trails ...and even the fire trails don't need that sort of thingamajig.
  • 3 3
 People without the leg muscles to stand on the pedals, and novices.
  • 2 1
 Exactly!!!!
  • 1 0
 My wife would be a perfect candidate. Casual rider on easy trails and fire roads.
  • 2 0
 @PtDiddy: Yes, but do you need suspension in those cases? I think the contention is that anywhere you might need suspension, you should be out of the saddle. (Anything this seat-oat can absorb, surely my knees can handle.) What am I missing?
  • 1 0
 @Straight6Rocks: The truth hurts.
  • 3 0
 @BiNARYBiKE: 20 years ago, I used to take 6-8 hour backcountry trips on my hardtail to seek out the best fishing spots. The Thudbuster was a lifesaver on trips like that. I like to think that my leg muscles are OK, but after 6 hours of pedaling and 6000+ feet of vert, the last thing I want to do is stand and mash. There is a use case for this thing...
  • 1 0
 @gomeeker: Sounds awesome. Although, I'm guessing it mattered more on 26" wheels, 2.0 tires, and a shoddy suspension fork with three inches of travel. Even on an epic ride, I'm still struggling to imagine being in the saddle anytime I legitimately need suspension. But hey, if it works for someone, cheers! No skin off my back.
  • 1 0
 @gomeeker: After pedaling 6000 feet of vert, the fish didn't pull you into the stream?
  • 2 0
 Great product and a worthy update mkay!
  • 1 0
 Yeah it is actually a game-changer. Rode one for years while 26" was all there was.
  • 2 0
 You had me at "elastomer"...
  • 1 0
 All that bike needs now is an Allsop suspension stem! "Suspend the rider, not the bike"!
  • 1 0
 Perfect for my GT Zaskar!
  • 5 6
 Probably one of the worst MTB ideas to have escaped the 1980's. But I must be wrong; Cane Creek has enough buyers to still keep making this. Rock on Cane Creek!!
  • 7 0
 Have you tried one?
  • 7 0
 This isn't nearly as bad as a flex stem
  • 6 0
 @gtill9000: ooooh, steady on. Nothing was as bad as the Flex Stem.
  • 4 1
 I can imagine that it might be nice for bumpy gravel roads... but it doesn't seem worth the weight penalty to me.
  • 2 0
 Not just an mtb idea tho. They are popular with tandem riders. Also riders that suffer hip and back problems.
  • 1 0
 @cedrico: Yes. I did not think it was a good idea then either.
  • 2 0
 @gtill9000: Ok. you got me there. But this is such a close second.
  • 1 0
 It actually feels amazing and helps so much.
  • 1 0
 Actually it's excellent for any kind of touring, where reliability and comfort trumps everything else. It's also much quieter than a sprung Brooks saddle. The ability to stay seated over rough road surface is handy. After about two weeks of riding 120k a day my bum is definitely less comfortable. I felt silly on many occasions for not having one on my touring- commuting bike!
  • 1 0
 I’d huck some sick lines with all that travel!!
  • 1 1
 Bike news are getting really boring. At least this one is better than a new grip, stem or pedal press release.
  • 3 0
 I'm not on PinkBike for the news, but for the comments! And you know this product is going to get some funny ones.
  • 1 0
 They should do a dropper version.
  • 1 0
 Then it would be the Butd Thruster
  • 1 0
 Seatpost with added condom dispenser?
  • 1 1
 e-bikers? I guess even standing up on the pedals is to much to ask these days...
  • 1 0
 The short travel version (eeSilk) is a great addition to a gravel bike.
  • 1 0
 Is it already April agan?
  • 1 0
 Finally! Have been waiting soo long for that update!!!
  • 1 0
 *extra soft
  • 1 3
 Pinkbike continues its habit of repackaging press releases as news "written" by staff members. Quite incredible ... if this was a serious Web based publication.
  • 1 0
 That's really the least of anyone's worries.
  • 1 0
 y tho
  • 1 1
 When I'm riding downhilling I don't even sit on anything
  • 3 4
 USE Suspension seat post. Circa 1987. Was a crap idea then.
  • 1 1
 Bent two use suss posts then a use Ti post , that they warrentied me as they refused a third suss post.. got a 4th wartentied Ti post an sold it immediately. useLESS
  • 1 2
 Huh?
  • 3 0
 Welcome to the world of bikes before dropper posts existed buddy.
  • 1 3
 The 80's called...they want their seatpost back







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