Got a bike without suspension that feels like it’s going to shatter your butt every time you go over a pothole or a tree root? You can’t feasibly add a rear suspension to it without such massive modifications that you may as well buy a whole new bike, but you can add a simple suspension seatpost to add a massive amount of comfort.

a very easy mod

The beauty of replacing a seatpost is that it’s incredibly easy. Even those allergic to the mere mention of DIY can handle it. All you have to do is use an Allen wrench (AKA hex wrench or hex key) to turn one screw, slide the old seatpost out of the bike’s downtube, and then slide the new suspension seatpost in its place.

Then, two more Allen screws to remove your bike seat from the old post and to swap it onto the new post. That’s it. Seatposts are fairly standardized across many makes and models of bicycles.

Even ebikes that tend toward proprietary components and sizes that aren’t meant to tap into the wide variety of aftermarket accessories, such as Van Moof and Super73, can accept an aftermarket seatpost.

I’ve used a few aftermarket seatposts. There aren’t a ton on the market, but I can vouch for the Cirrus Kinekt. I’ve put many miles on one over the years. It’s not cheap at $270, but it’s well-made, durable, and adds a significant amount of comfort to a bike that lacks a rear suspension, which is most of them. Or at least most bikes that aren’t mountain bikes.

Make sure you install the ring springs for your body weight. I’ve heard folks say more than once that the seatpost was too springy for them or too stiff, and then found out they were using a spring that was too heavy or too light for them. They’re color-coded and not hard to swap out, so follow the directions.

The springs in my Kinekt were just right for my body weight, and so it smooths out New York City’s Mad Maxian roads quite nicely without being too bouncy. It’s not 1990s Cadillac smooth, but I wouldn’t even want that. I can still feel the road underneath me. It just doesn’t break my tailbone anymore.