The USE Suspension Seatpost
Ever finish a long ride feeling like your butt has been paddled by 100 beer-crazed, hell-week-bent frat boys?
Okay, I don't exactly know what that feels like either. After training for the grueling 100-mile Leadville 100 mountain bike race, however, my posterior regions gave me pause to ponder. I'd ridden five-, six-, and seven-hour rides to ready myself. My legs were there. Lungs could cope (even up to 13,500 feet), but I was truly worried about my backside.
Then I found the USE suspension seat post at my local bike shop. Manufactured of high-grade aluminum, the seat post attaches to the frame and saddle in the normal manner. What sets it apart is a small elastomer-loaded shock absorber that sits just below the saddle clamp. Covered by a rubber boot, it looks like a mini Rock Shock.
As I was looking over the curious design, Schwinn Pro Team rider Mike Kloser came into the shop. He was wheeling his bike. I was astounded to see a USE suspension seatpost mounted on his set-up.
"That's not your race bike?" I asked. He said it was. I asked him about the seatpost.
"I put those posts on all my bikes," he said. "Even my road bikes. They're completely sweet."
I ponied up the cash (about $160 for the top-of-the-line XCR cross country model) and stuck the sucker on my bike.
As I knew Kloser was paid to say the product was sound, I still had my doubts. I was worried that it might pogo as I pedaled or toss me, eject-a-seat fashion, over the bars if I hit a big bump. On the first gnarly singletrack I tackled I didn't notice any difference. I figured I had it set for too heavy a weight (I'm 150 pounds).
I popped an allen wrench into the pre-load adjuster and backed it off, taking a bit of the pre-load out. What I found, after I got it set right, was I could stayed seated longer over loose sections on the climbs. This allowed me better traction with less effort.
Where it really excelled, however, was on high-speed, rough flats or downhills where it was advantageous to stay seated.
I did indeed ride the USE post in the Leadville 100. If I had any doubts about its merit as I rolled off the line, they were banished by the time I rolled back in, nearly 10 hours later.
On one rolling 20-mile stretch, I was able to drop riders who'd hung with me on the big climbs and downhills. I know it was because I was able to
stay seated and power away while they had to stand to suck up the bumps. The final victory for the seatpost, came after the race was over. Even after 100 miles, I was not saddle-sore. And that was indeed "completely sweet."
USE Seatposts
phone: 303-433-4USE
fax: 303-455-6583
usewest@aol.com
— Bill Kerig, Mountain Zone Contributor
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