What are elastomer springs?

What even is an elastomer, let alone an elastomer spring? Well put simply, elastomer is actually a mashed-up word for an elastic polymer.

A polymer is a very confusing term for materials that, for this exercise, we’ll just equate to rubber. Therefore, an elastomer is an elastic rubber. So what is an elastomer spring then? An elastomer spring is taking this elastomer, and designing its shape and material composition in a way that allows it to be compressed/stretched/deformed and still return to its original shape. Think of your standard coil spring. You push on it, it compresses, and when you release the pressure, it returns to its original shape. Elastomer springs do the same. 

Gif: Our Thusbuster LT in action as a rider goes over a parking lot curb. The elastomer along with our Parallel Linkage design absorbs and neutralizes the force.

Why is this beneficial over other spring types?

This is all dependent on the application. There are plenty of applications when a traditional coil or air spring is the right choice, like with bicycle suspension. But there are also great applications for elastomer springs like in suspension stems and seat posts.

There are quite a few reasons why we opt for elastomer springs over traditional springs in our suspension seat post and stem designs. First, elastomer springs are essentially maintenance free. With traditional springs, depending on their material (steel, aluminum, etc), they can be susceptible to rust and corrosion, which can negatively affect performance. While some elastomers can be affected by UV or certain solvents, they are in general more durable and require less maintenance than a coil spring.

Elastomers also are self-damping. No, that doesn’t mean they can spritz water on themselves, it means that they have inherent qualities that prevent them from being too bouncy. A standard coil spring is very bouncy, think pogo stick. So to counteract that bounciness and make it feel more controlled, a damper is required. Just like in your car, you have shocks (dampers) and springs to have a comfortable ride. With elastomer springs, the material itself is the damper, it’s able to absorb some of that energy when it’s being compressed, which prevents that bouncy feeling. 

Photo: Our elastomers feature dots which indicate the level of durometer (the measure of a materials hardness). Less dots = softer, more dots = harder.

How to choose the right elastomer

For our elastomer seatposts and stems, we offer several options for the elastomer material in order for you to tune the exact ride quality you want. Our eeSilk Stem SL and CS elastomer choice is based on personal riding preference and our eeSilk+ Seatpost elastomer choice is based on weight and riding preference. If you want more cushioning, you can opt for our softer elastomers, and if you want a more firm ride, you can choose our firmer options. The choice is yours!

How to install and perform maintenance on elastomer-based products

All of our seatposts and stems come with instruction manuals, and they can also be found on our support pages. The details on how to install, swap, and maintain your suspension seatpost and stem can all be found in those manuals.

As a general rule of thumb, you should periodically check the elastomer and linkage of the seat post and stem, and if you see any damage or issues, contact Cane Creek customer service or a bike shop for assistance.  

So there you have it, now you know more about elastomers, and the Cane Creek products that use them! If you have any other questions about these or any other Cane Creek products, please reach out to us!