Seatpost test: Cane Creek eeSilk

North Carolina brand Cane Creek recently launched their high-end damper seatpost: the eeSilk.

With its impeccable finish and weighting less than 300g, how much of a magic carpet ride does it offer?

Out of the box

Where most suspended seatposts are made of carbon, Cane Creek sidestepped, manufacturing their eeSilk out of CNCed aluminium. To keep the weight as low as possible however, all bolts are titanium and pivots are self-lubricating for easier maintenance and improved reliability.

The finish is simple and non fussy. The exposed upper section is glossy, whereas  the lower part is matte. Laser-etched markings on the back of the seatpost help tune your saddle height without the need for tape or scratching a mark into your post! The brand logo is discrete, black on black.

Weight

For a soft-ride aluminium seatpost -and unlike its older sister the Thudbuster- weight is surprisingly low.
At a mere 285g, it is only 50g heavier than a Thomson Elite seatpost of the same size.

Installation

The eeSilk’s limitation is its size options, only one: 27.2 x 350mm, clearly destined for the gravel bike market.
Don’t let that put you off though as shims are available for larger diameters.

For the saddle clamp, a tool-less titanium knob replaces the more usual bolt. Torque is applied via the rear bolt.

Elastomers

The seatpost is supplied with 3 elastomers for different weights from 45 to 118kg.

The preinstalled elastomer covers a broad spectrum of 68 to 95kg. The other two cover 45-73kg and 90-118kg.

The overlap of suggested weight limits allows for some minor personalisation. If are at the lower or higher suggested weight limit, simply try both to find which works best for you.

Fear not if you are below or above the overall weight range (up to 150kg maximum), a special elastomer is available for purchase.

Swapping them is easy too: only a hex key and the included “Bullet tool” are required with neither the seatpost nor the saddle needing to be removed.

Here we go !

Yes, here at Evanoui, we like inventing our own tests: after testing a cargo cage with a bottle of Jack Daniels, we thought that there would be no better way to test this seatpost than by riding a whole month in tourist mode, with no padded shorts!

First impressions

‘Suspension’ evokes thoughts of smoothing out the trail, but the action of the eeSilk is more subtle than that as we found out on the initial ride.
Expecting a real suspension feel, it almost felt as though the post wasn’t doing much at all, but that’s its main feature, it works almost without the rider noticing. With a price of almost 1€ per gram, one could wonder about its worth….

This seat post isn’t about adding an overt suspension action, but about its positive effect over long rides. We are all in the habit of stopping pedalling and hovering above the saddle over choppy sections; damaged tarmac, exposed roots or larger gravel.
This changes with the eeSilk. As you get more confident with its capabilities and start staying on the saddle, you realise just how much it really does dampen out those constant small amplitude shocks and you begin to push its limits.

When pedalling, there is none of that unchecked rebound either, the seatpost gets forgotten about whilst going its dampening duties. Thanks to the eeSilk, you can keep pedalling on rougher surfaces, speed is more easily preserved and fatigue is delayed.

Basically, you can ride further and in more comfort.

Does this seatpost affect my riding position?

A legitimate question, especially because a poor bike position can cause painful knees, back and neck, and the idea that unless we are have a precise saddle height, we are going to suffer from knee pain.
Not so much, as the body is more elastic and adaptable than that. On every ride we are always moving on the saddle, altering that distance to the pedals….

In a static position on the bike, a cyclist at the bottom of the 68-95kg range elastomer, will cause the post to sag a little (down and back). So simply take this into account when setting saddle height.

You just have to know it, and if it does bother you, it is easily fixed with some saddle height and setback tuning.

While riding

The maximal 2cm of vertical compliance will not affect your position, as only bigger terrain such as deep potholes or larger rocks can cause such a compression and that’s if we are sat in the saddle at the time. You’ll probably be out of the saddle for these sections anyway or if seated you won’t be pedalling and the elasticity of the elastomer will bring it back to its original position instantly.

Who is the eeSilk meant for?

If you are an ultracyclist, riding events such as the North Cape-Tarifa or the Silk Road Mountain Race, if you are simply seeking some added comfort or have a back issue where some ‘suspension’ will make a real difference, this seatpost was designed for you.

However, let’s not forget the basics, ourselves.
If you are considering buying such a seatpost to ease pain in the saddle, neck, knees etc… Chances are that there are other issues at play. If you never had a proper bikefit, maybe you should start there.

Is it compatible with seatbags?

We tried it with three different saddle bags (Cordel, Apidura and hPA) and couldn’t spot any problem.

VERDICT

With its fairly contained weight, the eeSilk is a solution if you wish to increase comfort without changing your bike.

Although it is designed for gravel use, we also recommend it for the road if you are into Audax, BRM or ultra endurance.

With no noticeable loss of power, the subtle comfort the eeSilk brings will allow you to spend more time on the saddle and ride further with less fatigue.