Thudbuster or Bodyfloat?

[Peteyd]

I'm doing the TD on my Fargo X9, no suspension. I was going to get a Thudbuster but then I ran across the Bodyfloat. Any opinions on either of them?

[Attaboy]

TB came with my Fargo. I really tried to like it, and gave it several months. I just couldn't get comfortable with the movement and changes in Geo that accompanied it. The body float looks nice and I believe Guitar Ted has one and may have reviewed it. I moved to a regulator seatpost and love it. It truly feels similar in terms of dampening and it's about half a pound lighter.

[offroute]

There are other compliant seatpost options out there that might worth considering:

Syntace HyFlex
Cannondale SAVE
Ergon (supposedly unavailable in US; my LBS has one)

These base compliance on flex rather than a suspension mechanism, so maybe that's a deal breaker for you. In building my El Mariachi for the divide, I've decided on this direction, although it has a sus fork. I own a Thudbuster and have tried it on this bike – just more activation than needed and undesirably heavy. Rode the US divide on a fully rigid tandem – the stock TB would have been unnecessary. Just a good saddle should do it; maybe a flexy post along with it. FWIW.

I founds this interesting and informative:
http://velonews.competitor.com/2012/12/training-center/technology/from-the-pages-of-velo-getting-the-most-from-your-post_267560

[offroute]

I've gotten a couple of half-day trail rides with the Syntace HiFlex. Not a cheap addition, but I'm sold on it.

• Seems to provide just enough dampening (so far – long days/multiple days will be the true test). I can't say that I feel it flexing, but that's what I was hoping for
• The clamp is quite long, and although not setback beyond a few mm, provides a lot of F-B adjustment latitude
• Metered markings are handy if you use a QR collar/drop it
• Lightweight at 231g (27.2 x 400)
• No weird shapes to impede using a seat bag or post rack collar
• Can be trimmed in length to suit

I'm using it on a steel El Mariachi SS with 100mm squish in front and carbon AM-rated hoops.

http://www.syntaceusa.com/index.cfm?pid=3&pk=2033

[F0neb0ne]

I have a Thudbuster LT on my Cannondale F2 29er, and its perfect. It literally saves your ass, and you can even ride down 5" curbs without pains in bum or backbone.

2 years ago I did the Grenzsteintrophy here in Germany which is 950km offroad, with a lot of old NVA military concrete plate paths:

You can see the lots of small holes in the plates, and the plates rarely lie smoothly next to each other too. Without any suspension, this would have been very nasty. With the TB LT it was no problem at all to ride these tracks for miles and miles, 10 hours a day.

[Peteyd]

I got the Bodyfloat. I'm still dialing it in but I like it so far. It weighs 20 ounces; my Thomson post is 10. It takes out the smaiier bumps with no bounce while pedaling. Excellent support from the company, too.

[MikeC]

I got the Bodyfloat. I'm still dialing it in but I like it so far. It weighs 20 ounces; my Thomson post is 10. It takes out the smaiier bumps with no bounce while pedaling. Excellent support from the company, too.

I have one too.  My only complaint is that it has to be used *in place of* a dropper.  For rides where a dropper isn't needed it is brilliant.