Seat post suspension for a bad back advice please!

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Degodier
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Joined: 8 Apr 2015, 4:39pm

Seat post suspension for a bad back advice please!

Post by Degodier »

I am a lady of 52 and have (for medicos) Scheuermann's osteochondritis which is burnt out and mature. I also have loss of saggital balance due to a transitional segment in the base of the spine with an L5/S1 disc bulge. After 4 mixed success spinal epidurals, surgery has been suggested but I am managing with meds and physio and hope to put that off until the last possible moment! I have been off my bike for 6 months. I am a off roader, but nothing technical or fast! Just bumpy country track, bit of mud, stones and roots etc. My consultant said bumping and jarring is not good, but if I take it gently I plan on using my full sus bike over easy tracks just to get back in the swing of things and a little gentle exercise. One of the main shared pleasures I have with my partner is using our Dawes tandem on road though. This has no suspension at all and riding it is quite painful as I feel every ripple and crack in the tarmac! So I'd like to get seat post suspension. I have been steered away from spring type simple (cheap) ones and steered towards a Thudbuster. Has anyone any experience or advice on seat post suspension to protect dodgy backs please? Or comments about using one on a tandem? I'd be very grateful! :D
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gaz
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Joined: 9 Mar 2007, 12:09pm
Location: Kent

Re: Seat post suspension for a bad back advice please!

Post by gaz »

Welcome to the forum.

There's some current discussion of suspension seatposts here, although I haven't waded through it myself.

There's a review of the Thudbuster here from reohn2. Whilst I think the seatpost is mounted on one (or more) of his solos, he is also a regular tandem pilot.
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Degodier
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Joined: 8 Apr 2015, 4:39pm

Re: Seat post suspension for a bad back advice please!

Post by Degodier »

Thank you Gaz, I will wade through it myself :)
RogerThat
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Joined: 9 Dec 2014, 2:47pm

Re: Seat post suspension for a bad back advice please!

Post by RogerThat »

There are quite a few air/oil suspension posts out there at reasonable (<£50) price points.
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Mick Metcalfe
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Joined: 11 Apr 2015, 8:56pm

Re: Seat post suspension for a bad back advice please!

Post by Mick Metcalfe »

Hi Degodier,

I also suffer from a prolapsed disc at L5/S1 and am unable to ride a bike. This has resulted in me going via an Occupational Therapist who has recommended me using a recumbant trike with suspension. I know this may not be the actual information you are after, but it may be worth pondering over? Having tried one myself, I can highly recommend them. The thing with bad backs though is that each needs to be assessed individually, as similar injuries can have completely different symptoms. Its just that a recumbant position for me offers the least pain and the trike offers this with additional support.

Hope this helps

Mick
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RickH
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Location: Horwich, Lancs.

Re: Seat post suspension for a bad back advice please!

Post by RickH »

A few years back I did an organised ride from the Channel to the Med (about 850 miles over 2 weeks). A couple on that were riding a tandem and the lady who was stoking said their Thudbuster was the best thing they'd done to their tandem.

I'm about to fit the ST version to ours (it arrived today) as I have had one or two "Ow!"s from my partner in crime on the back when I've not seen a hole in time to warn about it.

Rick.
Former member of the Cult of the Polystyrene Head Carbuncle.
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anniesboy
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Location: South Oxon

Re: Seat post suspension for a bad back advice please!

Post by anniesboy »

+1 for Thudbuster, not cheap plus you do need to have enough seat post showing in order to fit one.
There are two types available. http://www.sjscycles.co.uk/page/find/?n ... ter&page=1
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RickH
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Location: Horwich, Lancs.

Re: Seat post suspension for a bad back advice please!

Post by RickH »

I, as did reohn2, got mine from Germany. I paid £107 (rather than the £160+ at SJS & others in the UK) at Bike24.

Other German suppliers may be cheaper still but I was also after some 20" (406) Schwalbe Big Apple tyres which Bike24 stock at ~£13 each rather than the £25-30 from UK suppliers. I paid less in total that the UK price of a Thudbuster & got 2 tyres, a seatpost shim, a "thudglove", a pack of tyre studs (to replace the ones I've lost in the past couple of winters) & shipping (~£4) as well. Package was shipped late Tuesday arrived Saturday morning.

Rick.
Former member of the Cult of the Polystyrene Head Carbuncle.
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