Cane Creek 3G Thudbuster Short Travel Suspension Seatpost - Black | Mountain Bike & Road Bike Comfort for Rough Terrain

I had been toying with the idea of purchasing a full suspension bike. I ride my mtb off road several times a year, during races lasting up to 8 hours. Bumpy terrain can really take a toll on my back - and butt. I received my Thudbuster Short Travel Seatpost just over a week ago and got to try it out on some single track. Let me tell you it felt GREAT. It really took the sharpness out of every bump. And to my surprise, my butt felt so much better. I didn't get any annoying pain from my saddle that is typically accompanied by bumpy off road riding. I didn't expect that added bonus!My Thudbuster came with three different elastomers in the box. I believe they were a 3, 5, and 7 - basically the soft, medium, and hard. All are black in color. The medium was pre-installed, and was the exact one I needed. I'm borderline soft - medium at 142 pounds, but decided to stick with the medium. I plan to switch it out to the "soft" this summer when I typically drop a few pounds.Can't tell you how happy I am to have bought this rather than to purchase a full suspension bike. Saved me hundreds of dollars. While the two aren't the same thing, if you just need to soften the ride, this is GREAT! I was debating purchasing the ST or the LT (long travel), and choose the ST based on what I felt best met my needs.What sold me on the Thudbuster over other suspension seat posts was the way the seat post travels. Instead of springing up and down you actually move back and down. The distance between your feet and hips remains relatively constant. I didn't want to deal with the distance from my hips to feet constantly changing and causing any leg/knee issues while pedaling.I'm super excited to bike with it this year. I'll update this post if I have any new information to add as the year goes on.