Singletrack/MTB
Gravel/All-road
Dirt-road Touring
Fat-bike
Cane Creek eeSilk Seatpost Long-Term Review
The high-end Cane Creek eeSilk suspension seatpost offers 20mm of vertical compliance in an unobtrusive, sub-300-gram package. We’ve been testing one for well over 2,000 miles for this long-term review.
Cane Creek has been in the suspension seatpost game since the 1990s. Their Thudbuster was one of the first production models on the market, and the first to use a parallelogram linkage and rubber elastomer to dampen jolts from potholes, rocks, and other such rough stuff. A little over a year ago, the Asheville, North Carolina-based company repurposed the idea into a much more minimal and refined model using lightweight materials and a sleek design fit for the discerning gravel market. Cane Creek’s eeSilk suspension seatpost offers 20mm of elastomer-supplied vertical compliance, all in an aluminum seatpost that weighs less than many high-end rigid alloy posts.
As of now, the eeSilk Post only comes in a 27.2 diameter and is 350mm in overall length. Interchangeable elastomers allow the post to accommodate riders up to 330 lbs (150 kg). The eeSilk is constructed out of forged aluminum, machined aluminum linkage arms, anodized aluminum axles with IGUS bushings, and titanium mounting hardware.
Aside from the parallelogram linkage, other unique features include a tapered seat tube end and an ergonomic thumb wheel on the front seat clamp for tool-free adjustment. I think this is a nice touch as I generally find seatpost clamps to be somewhat of a pain in the ass to deal with; you have to loosen the bolts to no end and wrestle with the seat rails to swap the saddle, sometimes resulting in washers and nuts flying all over the shop floor. The eeSilk hardware is comparably easy to use, and the separate clamp plate also helps in this regard.
Three elastomers are included with each post to accommodate rider weights ranging from 100260lbs (#3, #5, and #7). The #5 elastomer comes pre-installed and you can easily switch to the #3 for a more supple ride or the #7 for a firmer feel. There are also two other variations available for purchase: extra soft (#1 for riders less than 100lb); and extra firm (#9 for riders 260-330lbs). The post ships with an elastomer tool to quickly reinstall the axle, and elastomers can be changed without taking the seat off of the bike. Here’s a how-to video.
The eeSilk Post comes in a two-tone finish with gloss black above the minimum insertion line and a sandblasted finish below. As for graphics, it only has a minimal black-on-black, laser-etched graphic on the side of the post—a clean design that should make folks in the #gravelisthenewgolf market happy.
The Ride
After a serious back injury, surgery, and more physical therapy than you could possibly imagine, I have to pay close attention to my lower back. One thing that’s rarely talked about in regard to long rides is what your body doesn’t do once it gets tired. After six hours or so pedaling a loaded bike, I’ve noticed that as I get fatigued I fail to tighten my core in anticipation of the jolts that come from the many rocks and bumps found along dirt tracks and gravel roads. All those shocks hammer up the spine and ultimately take their toll after a long day—even more so after multiple long days.
Once I started bikepacking again—after eight months off the bike—it’s fair to say that the Cane Creek eeSilk was a godsend for me with regard to those long, bumpy days. The first time I rode it, the eeSilk’s #5 elastomer was hardly noticeable as I pedaled out. The vertical travel is subtle enough that it’s almost indiscernible while pedalling. But once you hit a dip, rock, or pothole, there’s just enough compliance to absorb the shock and reduce compression of your spine. Unlike other longer travel suspension seatposts, there’s not any noticeable up and down movement; the eeSilk simply offers a minimal amount of compliance to smooth out the edges, keep things comfortable, and hopefully preserve my spine. Note that the claimed 20mm of suspension isn’t nearly as plush as the Thudbuster, or other big suspension seatposts—which we’ll be covering in a comprehensive Index very soon. As such, it also doesn’t affect pedaling performance or power transfer like some spring-driven posts. If hooked up to some sort of athletic bicycle power metering device, the eeSilk might incur a slight wattage penalty in pedal power transfer, but I can’t feel it, at all.
After using the eeSilk seatpost on multiple bikepacking trips, it’s become one of my prized components. As I mentioned in my recent PNW Coast review, I’m a bit dependent on dropper posts these days, but haven’t quite taken the whole spoonful and brought one along on a big trip. Case in point, I swapped out the Coast for the eeSilk on our recent trip through Colombia’s Paramos, putting an additional 800 miles on it over some extremely rough and tumble dirt roads. All told, I’ve put nearly 2,000 miles on the Cane Creek eeSilk seatpost and the #5 elastomer is still in great shape.
Pros
- Minimal and elegant design weighs about the same as a standard seatpost
- 20mm of damping suspension takes some of the edge off of rough dirt and gravel
- Very well made and reliable design
Cons
- Doesn’t offer as much suspension as bigger suspension posts (although that’s what also sets it apart)
- Pretty expensive (costs about the same as a hydraulic dropper post)
- Develops quite a squeak in dusty conditions, which can be a bit annoying
Build Kit
- Travel: 20mm
- Diameter: 27.2mm
- Length: 350mm
- Offset: 8mm
- Weight: 295 grams
- Price: $289 USD
- Place of Manufacture: Taiwan
- Link: CaneCreek.com
Wrap Up
In the peculiar realm of suspension seatposts, the Cane Creek eeSilk stands apart from the crowd. To be clear, it’s less like the topheavy Thudbuster and more like an engineered upgrade to a svelte vibration-dampening seatpost, such as Specialized’s CG-R. It offers some dampening properties, plus a discreet linkage system that goes relatively unnoticed until you hit a rock or pothole and its suspension kicks in. With that said, it’s subtle, so it doesn’t have as much of an effect as larger suspension seatposts, but it does take the edge off of unexpected jolts. And if minimal is what you’re after, the eeSilk weighs about the same as many alloy seatposts and has an unobtrusive design that works well with most bikepacking seat packs.
At $289, the eeSilk isn’t cheap, and the elastomer’s squeaking is a little annoying sometimes, but otherwise, the post is quite nice, well made, and durable. Looking at it objectively, I see it as a good investment. Whether it offers enough compliance to save your spine, I’m not sure, but every little bit helps. And from my personal experience, considering the cost of post-injury medical procedures and physical therapy, eeSilk’s price tag pales in comparison.
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