Dropper posts, when do you use yours?

You don't necessarily have to drop it fully.
If it's a flowy trail with some pedalling I'll just drop it a fraction.
It allows you to move around the bike a whole lot more but still sit now and again to put in some pedals on rises etc.

Your saddle is a contact point so as you suggest, you can sometimes have it too low and not get that support from it betwixt the thighs, but, if the going gets very steep and rough, then being able to fully drop it allows you to get in a much safer and more controlled position.

It's also nice to drop it when you stop for a fag.

It really is personal preference, any time you're going into the 'attack position', i.e. chin over the bar, arms flexed, etc, so downhill mainly, but also flats where you're pedalling and there might be obstructions you have to wheelie/bunny hop over.

You'll get used to it and understand when and where to put it down, it becomes pretty natural to just push the switch and lower it and get into the position quickly, then if you want the seatpost back up just hit it again and so on.

I liken it a bit to gears on a car, when you start out you don't really switch gears that much or fluidly, but after a while you naturally just start using the gears more and more, going up a gear, then back down after 50 yards, then back up, it's the same with droppers for me, it's not about when to use it, it's knowing how to use it fast and fluidly so that it just doesn't matter if you drop it and don't need it, you can get it back up without thinking.

I pretty much drop mine if I'm stood up to be honest, unless it's a brief bit of standing to grind up an incline.

I much prefer the saddle well out the way for pumping, etc, on anything vaguely downhill or lumpy, and that fortuitously puts you good stead for unexpected drops and the like.

As a shortarse, mine gets dropped any time I need to stand. Downhill, drops, twisty singletrack, sprinting.

Always drop it for pictures for the full enduro radness 🤟😎

I have one,came with the bike but dont really need it as i dont really do the offroad thing. 170mm drop.

It is handy for throwing the creaky old leg over to mount the bike easier, and i suppose at some time ill drop it for going down stairs and the like, but thus far its only really been an aid for getting on the bike.

I was intending on replacing it with a carbon USE one i got in their sale, but i reckon i'd miss its handiness. Though I would likely save 400 grams in weight.

I use mine all the time. Flats, downs, when stopping or messing about. Even if o use the bike for a commute to work I drop it at traffic lights. Best bike innovation for years.

I use mine all the time. Flats, downs, when stopping or messing about. Even if o use the bike for a commute to work I drop it at traffic lights. Best bike innovation for years.

Same, the only time mine is at full mast is climbing on a smooth section, or buzzing along on the flat.

Stop for any reason, it goes down. Pedally section with rocks/roots/pumpy bits, I'll drop it (210/200mm posts) but 20 or 30%. Anything remotely downhill or with corners it gets dropped all the way. Event tarmac downhill it gets dropped, either for a nice sit down or to be able to move weight around for braking/cornering.

Try thinking of it as an upper post rather than a dropper post.
Default down and think when do I need it up.

All the time.

From getting on/off bikes, to a slight change of position when pedalling long distances, to technical climbs to the obvious descents.

You don't see runners collapsing on the track because they've forgotten their crutches. You're weak, remove the saddle once a week and go for a five mile ride through your favourite singletrack.

Thanks for the input, I must admit I tend to drop mine a bit rather than fully as Suggested so I still have the saddle for inclines if needed. Also find it great for getting on and off the bike being a shortarse too! As suggested, it seems fluidity and practice are the key.

I put it up for seated pedalling but it stays down the rest of the time, even when the bike’s parked at work or home. Sometimes drop it only about 20mm for seated climbs with a bit of tech but mostly drop it the full 185mm.

Nowadays I find it really strange that my Brompton doesn’t have one because I’m usually on one of my two MTBs which both have identical droppers that get used all the time!

dyna-ti

I have one,came with the bike but dont really need it as i dont really do the offroad thing. 170mm drop.

You bought a bike that came with a 170 dropper, but don't go offroad?

chiefgrooveguru

I put it up for seated pedalling but it stays down the rest of the time, even when the bike’s parked at work or home.

Isnt that supposed to be a bad idea, in that the internals are under additional pressure for much longer?

I must admit I tend to drop mine a bit rather than fully as Suggested so I still have the saddle for inclines if needed.

If you find an incline, put the saddle up…

All the time, down a bit, up again, down fully. To be fair I pretty much drop it for all descents at least part of the way.

You’ll get the hang and Rhythm pretty quickly and learn when to drop it and how much.

Then you’ll never go back.

I felt the same way when I got my first one, felt weird not having the saddle 'in the way'. It took me the best part of a year to get used to it, I almost took it off as I wasn't using it but gradually I started to drop it for descents, taking advantage of the ability to move around on the bike a lot more.  Then I switched the original Reverb 'button' for a trigger and it was a whole other level of re-learning again.

Nowadays (5'ish years later) I use it constantly. Like others have said, it's fully up when climbing but otherwise it's somewhere down from there, descents it goes all the way down (210mm), if it's a longer descents then i might pop it back up a bit to let me sit down for a few seconds rest between 'features'. On flatter, but rough trail with rocks or roots or just ruts then it goes down somewhere near halfway so it's out of the way but i can still sit down and pedal somewhat efficiently, unless there are smoother sections in which case it's up and down between almost fully extended and about 50% all the time.

I'd say on an average 2-3 hour ride the dropper gets moved more than I change gear.

Then you’ll never go back.

Until it breaks and you can't afford to immediate replacement 😀

Five mile ride without a saddle, no thanks!!

(serious answer) Going under low bridges along the canal towpath.

Any descending.

Dismounts.

Fitting it upright in the back of the car (front wheel off), not an issue now as have a van

Greatest invention for trail/xc bikes ever. I would rather have a rigid bike with a dropper than a full suss with a high post.

There are some people that see not using it as a bizarre badge of honour, if it’s on the bike, why not use it. Any time stood up, have the seat down.
I’ll even put mine down for road corners. Is it necessary, not at all. As it’s there, I will use it.

The biggest benefit, is you no longer have to be ‘off the back of the bike’ in that sketchy ugly pose (steep chutes excepted)

That spot where your saddle was, is the perfect place for your hips to move through, front to back and side to side.

I figure you're not going to ruin a climb by having your saddle too low but you could ruin a descent by having it too high. I look to drop it fully if there's any sign of downhill, it has the benefit of making you attack a bit of trail more as well because you're stood up ready to go.

Single-track - down a bit 50-100mm unless super pedally and then the steeper it gets the lower it goes.

I've only got a 125mm as I ride a farm gate for reach (bike predates full blown LLS).

Rarely anything other than full up on the climbs.

Generally it only goes all the way down at trail centres but my riding is 90% South Downs / southern xc.

If I lived in the Lakes or Peaks or somewhere a little rougher it would get slammed a lot more.

The best bit for home territory riding is getting that last 50mm of height for climbing well in the saddle without having to compromise for the easier fun bits that make up the rest of the ride.

For trail centres / trips away it makes a world of difference to how easy it is to move around the bike and I'm not especially proficient as a rider.

You bought a bike that came with a 170 dropper, but don’t go offroad?

Thats the thing about full suss EMTB's these days, they come with these things as standard. Frame is an XL.is inc a 170mm

Unfortunately they didn't come with a rack and panniers, I needed to add those myself.

I'd love to be able to count the number of times I use mine on a regular singletrack ride.
It would be dozens i'd say, with all the sharp ups and downs. Once you're accustomed to moving the bike from side to side underneath you further than you can without a dropper the bracing is no longer needed. I have a 200mm and a 180mm on my bikes as there's space, but if I ride a hire bike with a shorter drop it's surprisingly cramped.

Probably almost as much as I change gear, you'll stop thinking about it after a while.

Constantly. Once you get used to them, it becomes second nature.

When I put one on my MK1 Cotic Soul I had to keep reminding myself that I should be dropping it. When I got a new bike with "on trend" geometry I found I was using it constantly and instinctively.

Another all the above answer but, one comment made by the OP was also the main reason I initially tried a dropper many years ago and then took it off after one ride.

The bike feels unnatural, unsteady and just weird the first few times a dropper is used - if you are used to holding the saddle with your thighs whilst descending.

This was me, albeit without noticing, the first time I used a dropper. Really didn't like the feeling so took it off and sent it back.

Took another 18 months or so before I tried again and this time consciously made the effort to drop the bars into corners and get my cornering technique better. After a few rides I was leaning the bike a fair bit more and no longer needed the support of my thighs to ride.

Perseverance is the key.

As to when I use it now, pretty much anywhere the bike needs to move under me. Downhill, flat or uphill, if I need to get out of the saddle to unweight or position the tyres for best grip - the saddle is dropped.

However for all that riding god stuff above, the main reason is so I can sit comfortably when stopping for a breather or drink 🤣

For me the bike dictates how much it's used. On my fuel ex it's up and down more than a cheap tarts knickers, yet on the old inbreds ( geared and ss) they hardly get used and that's on the same trails.

Mine once stopped working in the Lakes and I had to put an old fashioned one in. My god, every little rock step on traversy sections was frightening!

A lot of us used to manually drop saddles for descending before droppers came along. It was a pain in the ass so droppers are a godsend.
Top tip - Try dropping the saddle right down for any long tarmac descents especially after a tiring climb - for luxury swooping, it's ace.

Is your next post about trying tubeless and going back to tubes?

Tell me your experiences and techniques please.

There's no right/wrong answer here. Dropper posts are a tool for stability and lowering your CofG. How you take advantage of that is just riding you bike and seeing/ feeling the difference.

Like others above I use mine all the time and I don't even ride that much steep technical stuff. The bike is just a bit more fun to be on sometimes with a lower seat.

The thing that suprised me the most is how useful it is when I have the shotgun seat on. Saddle down for stopping/starting helps a lot with the extra weight and then saddle up for pedalling puts knees in a better position.

I drop mine any time I don't have to pedal. If it's a flat bit of twisty singletrack I drop it a little bit. It is up and down a lot though. Probably my left thumb does as much work as my right.

It's not just for steep drops.

When droppers first came out I tried one and.hated it - lived in Bristol and the local xc.trails weren't exactly filled with radness...

However now, over 10yrs on I don't have a bike without one. If the trail (or road 😂) heads down, I use the dropper.....

Another saddle thigh grabber here 😀

As above, took a long while (years?) before I got fully comfortable with controlling the bike with a dropped seat (I never used to manually drop my saddle) but now use it fairly instinctively and regularly and at various levels of drop (and I only run a 120mm drop Brand-X). So, keep persevering with it, could take a while before it's second nature!

Took me two years to get over 20+ years of high-posting. Now I use it all the time. Stopping for any reason? Drop the post. Anything steeper than about 2% descent? Drop the post. Flat-ish but full of dips that require pumping? Drop the post. Getting bike into car? Drop the post. You get the picture.

@singlespeedstu - ooh, I’m loving your description of it as an ‘Upper post’. That seems like a good way to explain it to newer riders.

I shall be stealing it and using that from now on. Ta

I remember when they were a new thing and most people thought they’d only be good for the odd Megavalanche or Downieville Classic and a waste of time for day to day riding. People used to look and tut at my Gravity Dropper because it meant I wasn’t ‘man enough’ to ride with my saddle up all the time. Lol. But then I’ve always been a saddle down more than up guy and used to just suck up the climbs on my DH/Freeride bikes back in the day (with 1x9 gears as front mechs sucked) anyway.

Tom KP

Rarely...

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Love my dropper but the first manufacturer to make a (durable) post that goes down without me having to sit my arse on it just when the trail gets lairy will get my money.

Always, and I miss it on my other toury/trundley bike that doesn't have one (but doesn't really need one.) I'd give up rear suspension, gears, front suspension (in that order) before I give up the dropper!

Literally every time pedalling for more than 2 seconds isn't required
stop start- post down
going down stuff - post down
going down a flowy blue- post down, until im knackered, then post up for a brief respite and off again

note.. did this at bpw as my legs were severely fatigued.. turned out so were my hands and couldn't push the lever.. having a seat wedged in place made it all a bit scary

you possibly dont even ride with your seat at full height having not had a dropper before...

Only steep downhills. I'm clearly missing out, though "I’ll even put mine down for road corners"? Can't see me doing that.

Only steep downhills. I’m clearly missing out, though “I’ll even put mine down for road corners”? Can’t see me doing that.

I put one on my gravel bike and promptly PR'd a couple of road descents.

I use mine for downs and nearly always just when I stop. Have started lowering it halfway-ish for singletrack after seeing that my son, who is a much better rider than me! lowers his for everything but climbs. Soon as he hits singletrack *jonk* (thats the noise they make) and he's pedaling stood up. He's had a dropper for most of his offroading life, so it's a natural thing.
For jumps as well, so much easier to control the bike under you if the seat is out of the way (so he tells me 😀 )

Correct dropper post Zen is only achieved when you realise the question is - 'Do I need my seat UP now?'

I’m clearly missing out, though “I’ll even put mine down for road corners”? Can’t see me doing that.

better lean, more control and as a flat pedal rider, far far better braking if required.

And then there is this:

https://www.pinkbike.com/news/dropper-post-used-to-win-one-of-road-cyclings-biggest-races.html

The idea of gripping the saddle with your thighs on a descent sounds unnatural and potentially painful.

I have a Vyron which I’ve never really used for XC as it’s pretty flat around my locale. Not much racing going on currently so I might give it a try for a bit and see if it helps in any way.

Intheborders-I’ve been tubeless for years but my last bike was a 26” Superlight so just a tad old skool. My bike now is a 29’er trail bike so am getting used to a huge lot of changes in new fangled gadgets and how a bike feels now!

I use mine all the time.
It's dropped pretty much when ever not seated & pedalling.

The big question is - up or down for photos??

The big question is – up or down for photos??

Either, just not at half mast - which just makes it look like you have a short drop post, on a bike that is drastically out of proportion.

As a long term thigh gripper, it's taking quite a while to get used to a dropper. Would people recommend wider bars to compensate and add a bit more control in the corners?

Installed my first dropper post, a KS Lev, one week before riding the Sierra Nevada for a week with Ciclo Montana in 2013. At the end of that week I had fully acclimatised to its use!

I use it all time time. More so in undulating terrain than winch up, plummet down terrain.

As a long term thigh gripper, it’s taking quite a while to get used to a dropper. Would people recommend wider bars to compensate and add a bit more control in the corners?

I never got "thigh gripping" the saddle. Pre-dropper it was always thigh banging as it stopped me putting the bike where I wanted it and left me with less control. On my old 26" 456 or 2007 Heckler it was less of a problem but as geometry has evolved it is more of an issue to the point now where riding my Sherpa Gen3 or Prime is almost impossible without one! I supect that steeper seat angles and longer reaches mean that you and the saddle are now in the same place for steep stuff, etc. so droppers are now "essential".

I drop mine for 70 seconds on my local route.
I’m very glad I have it for that 70 seconds though!
My brain couldn’t get on with a dropper and spds. Surely if you’ve got the dropper down you are more likely to dab.
I switched to flats and all is good in the world.

yer i remember getting in some weird situation with SPD's and dropper posts.. cant remember what it was... think i felt i needed the seat up to be able to unclip the foot with all the weight on...

yer i remember getting in some weird situation with SPD’s and dropper posts.. cant remember what it was… think i felt i needed the seat up to be able to unclip the foot with all the weight on…

interesting - I cant unclip with the pedal in the 12 oclock position, or at least it isnt easy. emergency yank and it comes out - I cant move/rotate my heel out enough. to do any other postion, requires either the unclipping foot to be weighted, or you to be sat down to take the weight off. obviously you can unclip while weighted, but what happens next, especially on non caged pedals and plastic shoes...

Is this 2010?

Is this 2010?

not quite, because

a) they actually work reliably
b) (many) bikes have them as standard now, so you get the situation where people are forced into having them, rather than making a conscious descision to part with hundreds of pounds for one.

MTB is a broad spectrum.
I (and most other riders too) don't claim to be good at, or enjoy, all it's various facets.

For my particular riding, skills, bike etc they are a necessity, if only for enjoyment.
The only way I'll ever buy a flat barred bike without one is if it is a bike designed exclusively for seat down riding - downhill, dirt jumper etc.

that's a long reply for a tongue in cheek comment.

I know some people dont use them or have experience of them. It just reminds me of conversations from a decade ago.

Both my MTB's have them. Dont need one on the steel XC HT really but without it i'd never be able to swing a leg over that gate!

To OP. you'll get used to quick enough and will use it without thinking.

@ayjaydoubleyou

maybe it was that, inside foot up high and wanted to get it out... while the seat was down and it not being happy..

May as well be 2010 for me, I’ve taken too long to upgrade and missed a lot of new tech, the old bike always seemed good enough-all those wasted years☹️

the old bike always seemed good enough

it probably was, if you are still doing the same riding. If you're going faster, further, more technical then an upgrade could well be worth it.

of course if you are comparing yourself to others, with mates, strava, or racing, they will have got faster while you remained the same.

if you were riding a 2010 bike with 2010 technique, thats perfectly fine. Riding a 2022 bike with 2010 technique though, may be a problem.

Love my dropper but the first manufacturer to make a (durable) post that goes down without me having to sit my arse on it just when the trail gets lairy will get my money.

This, though maybe it's as a still see "up" as the default position and not "down".
2 paddles, 1 drops the post, 1 raises it.

As with many here and after finding it really strange to have it - within a few weeks I got to "when do I need my seat up" - and all the rest of the time down.

They're great. Best invention since wheels.

chevychase

They’re great. Best invention since wheels.

Agreed and same as others I'd lose suspension before dropper on a modern bike.

Who-ever came up with the "Upper"... I think is spot on. Describes exactly how I use it like most comments it's down or partly down on anything but long seated climbs.

Yep, gradually found that I seemed to be losing fitness over the years despite riding just as much. Then the penny dropped and accepted that I was one of the few in our group still on a 26’er. Those 29 wheels just roll over ground so much faster.

By coincidence I've just sold and this morning posted off a nos Breeze and Angel 'Hite Rite' over on retrobike. Perhaps i should have offered it here 😆

Joe Breeze- The original inventor of the 1984 dropper post.

Surely if you’ve got the dropper down you are more likely to dab.

No, I put mine down for any descent, even fire roads - I'm not going to dab there. But I want SPDs for other reasons, and given I'm using them then the dropper also makes it less likely that I'll fall off.

Early adopter here...Maverick Speedball in 2006(?) Loved em since the outset.
I drop it on most things, even the occasional techy uphill.

I've been MTBing since 1990, so been using a dropper for half of my MTB life 😎
Personally I think they're the best cycling invention of the 21st C. (Top 3 at least, along with disc brakes and offroad mudguards that work!)

I ride a rigid SS, but it has a dropper.