Review: Redshift ShockStop PRO Endurance Seat Post - Final Word

Swapping out elastomers is easy, if not a bit messy!

 Note: Redshift Sports sent over the new ShockStop PRO Endurance seat post for test and review to Guitar Ted Productions at no cost. I was not bribed nor paid for this review and I always strive to give my honest thoughts and opinions throughout.

In my last update on this post from about a week ago, (seen HERE) , I said that I would be getting a stiffer elastomer in from Redshift Sports and that then I was confident that I could better evaluate the post. This happened Saturday and I was able to swap out the elastomer and test the bike a couple of times since then.  

First I should touch on the process of swapping out parts in the PRO Endurance post. The access to the innards is from the bottom of the seat post shaft where the adjuster is. You can use a small screw driver shaft or smaller hex key shaft to help turn the adjuster out and then access the elastomer that you should swap. 

The first thing that comes out is a - what looks like a pvc pipe - spacer. This spacer has a diagram on ot for the proper assembly order of parts inside the post. Nice touch there Redshift! The elastomer may be a tad resistant to coming out but a slight tapping of the post on my cloth-covered bench provided the trick to getting the elastomer to slide down and fall out of the post along with the spring stack and upper elastomer. 

As you can see from my image, things are a bit greasy! But this is important for the post to work correctly, so do not clean it off and don't allow dirt, etc to get in that grease! Assemble the post innards according to the diagram and install the desired elastomer. One trick to getting the adjuster cap started is to make sure that the parallelogram  part of the post is fully extended. You can do this by pulling upward on the saddle. This will allow the innards to be pushed in far enough that you can safely screw in the adjuster. Adjust the post according to Redshift's instructions and done! 

Now I had a supportive post, but the suspension action wasn't bottomed out so easily. Again, I'm sticking with my initial take that this post is kind of a "best-of" mix of Redshift's previous ShockStop posts. You get the active, vibration eating characteristics of the Endurance post, but you also don't get bounced up off the saddle because, like the PRO Race post, this post feels more damped. Plus the PRO Endurance weighs a bit less than the Endurance post, so it really does hit the groove of all the best attributes of Redshift's line up. 

So....why would you look at the other posts Redshift offers? Right. Great question. I think that there are reasons to go with the Endurance post over this new one. First off, if you are heavier, or carry a backpack/hydration pack, the Endurance post is more adept at handling that heavier weight. The springs are theoretically going to last longer and act more consistently over a longer period of time as well.  

You might choose the PRO Race for its more supportive pedaling platform and lighter weight. In my opinion, the PRO Race post is great for anyone that is more sensitive to changing saddle to bottom bracket length. These posts all have that characteristic baked into their design which will shorten the saddle to bottom bracket length as they work through their travel. The PRO Race is not as active a post, so you can tune it to only work when you really want it to, which may be more amenable to sensitive types in this area. 

Of course, the PRO Race is the lightest choice of the three as well, so that definitely may figure into your choice here. 

Final Word: All three ShockStop posts are well designed, well supported products and I feel like all of them should last a rider a long time as far as usage goes. Kudos to Redshift for their attention to detail. Things like the instructions on the pvc spacer inside the post, the hash-marked seat post shaft, and the markings on the adjusters all make owning this post a lot easier. 

While this review was for the newest post, it has kind of become a review of all three of the ShockStop posts. I was happy to get the two older designs out again and ride them. So, you may wonder, which one is my favorite? Well, that honor goes to the PRO Race post. 

My saddle height is kind of sacred, so I notice the slightest change in saddle height and to be honest, if it changes it really gets under my skin. So the entire idea of having a moving saddle height, as you will have with any suspended seat post, doesn't appeal all that much to me. So, the minimalist PRO Race is the post here for me. I have used it on longer gravel rides in the past and plan on doing so in the future.

However; the new PRO Endurance post does have some nice attributes and for the rider that is looking for that isolation from vibrations and a less bouncy ride quality, this post does that thing well. Given the stout construction, ease of use/set-up, and adjustability, I cannot find a fault that would keep me from recommending this post to any rider seeking a more comfortable gravel riding experience.