[Closed] Have I missed the point of dropper posts?

Much more use in local woodsy singletrack ups and downs.

So, for 2/3 of the descents you dropped the post?

I have one on my 100mm forked 29er XC HT (prompted by my Dyfi Enduro experience) as it helps on the steep and rocky descents. I don't drop it that often (and have never dropped it during an XC race), but it is a useful tool.

I missed the dropper when I rode my full suspension bike recently.

They're one of those things you just get used to, in my experience. If you would always tend to stop at the top of a climb or descent, then you can still benefit from the ability to continually shift the seat height to suit. I generally prefer a bit higher while climbing than I'd like while riding on the level, for instance. Anything flowy they're a huge bonus on. That said, there are still plenty of folks do without.

I love my droppers.

Having thought about it more the dropper also allows me to have the seat at a higher than typically mtb, "road" height for quick pedalling, and at intermediate heights for other places, as well as the fully down for the steepest sections.

Best thing I ever got on an mtb, I used to spend so much time fannying about dropping/raising my post, just gives infinite adjustment.

As above the fully up position is very useful. Makes a nice seated riding position especially for older knees. I often pop mine right up even for a very short climb then back down to the mid riding position or fully down. You get used to it and learn when it works well for you. Almost instinctive muscle memory thing.

They're not just for descending.
I drop my seat in corners/techy bits on climbs/hopping over stuff even when getting on and off the bike.
I think the only time I have my seat at full height is on fireroad/tarmac climbs.

I certainly don't drop and raise my seatpost for individual corners!

Then again, I rarely drop my non-dropper posts

Like many, I used to ride down stuff with my saddle in its normal position. So I could get my centre of gravity down, I'd often end up behind the saddle. With a dropper post, I can drop my centre while staying in the middle of the bike and maintaining some weight and control over the front wheel.

All my riding had benefited from a dropper, but it can take time to break old habits.

I find them good for starting off while on an incline as well, leg over, pedal and off... dropper up. Or for resting as with it dropped you can touch the ground better.

I've even started to drop mine when I stop on rocky climbs, to get traction and balance on the re start, on technical but not steep tough climbs it goes down about an inch and half if I need to dab, previously with seat full up id have come to a dead halt.
I could do without one but I do know I'd miss it

I drop my seat in corners/techy bits on climbs/hopping over stuff even when getting on and off the bike.

Exactly.

However I'd definitely say that I'll raise and lower the dropper more often in a two hour local singletrack ride than a long weekend in Wales. I never thought 170mm drop would be better on flat twisty singletrack than 125mm, but it is.

There are places you don't really need them, I recently went back to the Chilterns and I didn't use my dropper once, round here (the Pennines) I use it all the time.

I don't think there's a "proper" way of using a bit of kit. I don't think the dropper police are coming to your door to take it away from you for improper use 😆

The point about being able to keep the weight centred on the bike with a dropper is the major thing for me. I always thought that I never needed a dropper but now that I have one my descending technique has changed to such an extent that when I go back to a normal seat post decending feels reall cumbersome. Use mine for races too.

I use mine all the time. Fully up for flats and climbs, partially down for more technical climbs and undulating swoops trails and slammed for steeper, technical and faster descents and jumpy bits. Definately one of the most useful bits of kit.

I find it really difficult to gauge what I should do with my saddle if I'm riding somewhere new. In fact I often forget to drop it when a descent or feature sneaks up on me and just deal with it as if I didn't have a dropper. Next time round I usually remember where I might have benn better off drooping the saddle.

I think it's personal preference.

I have one, I use it when it's there, I don't really miss it when it's not though.

There's always something that could make me/you faster: More fitness, more skill, better tyres, lighter bike, more appropriate bike, and so on. A dropper is on that list, but I'm not that fussed. Or to put it another way, mountain biking is about challenges, if I wanted to spend money, make it easier and go faster I'd buy a motorbike.

Turned my 29er into almost a hybrid: rigid forks, 1.75" tyres, standard seatpost etc...thing i miss most is the dropper

Or to put it another way, mountain biking is about challenges, if I wanted to spend money, make it easier and go faster I'd buy a motorbike.

So I take it you ride a rigid fixie then?

I saw a guy going down the Inners red XC route on a unicycle last week. Taking the "mandatory air" line down the final section.

I don't think he had a dropper post. But he was quite slow.

What dropper do you have? If it only has two positions, up or down, then I can see it wouldn't get much use. If it's like a Reverb and can be positioned wherever you like that I find I have it in all kinds of positions depending on the trail or feature.

singlespeedstu - Member 
They're not just for descending.
I drop my seat in corners/techy bits on climbs/hopping over stuff even when getting on and off the bike.
I think the only time I have my seat at full height is on fireroad/tarmac climbs.

^^^ This.

It makes more sense if you lean the bike rather than yourself on corners also as it gets the seat out of the way.

You may notice a theme, most people think they don't need them up to the point where they try them

singlespeedstu - Member

They're not just for descending.
I drop my seat in corners/techy bits on climbs/hopping over stuff even when getting on and off the bike.
I think the only time I have my seat at full height is on fireroad/tarmac climbs.

Ditto. Droppers can be used like gears for your arse - not just for climbs 'n' steeps. If you like to play on your bike, whether it's up, down or along they are brilliantly useful.

My riding at home is generally long 1+ hour slogs up, anywhere between 500-1500m climbs. Then having a break up the top, new non-sweaty shirt and putting pads on. No need for a dropper.
However, having jut ridden Afan and Nant yr I can see the appeal. Lots of short climbs and short jumpy descents.
If I were riding trail centres or the UK more often I'd consider one.

I am toying the idea of getting one, for my 29" 100mm HT (Scott Scale 950). I feel like the saddle gets in the way too often, but it seems like it's not that popular option for XC bikes.

It might be a good idea to convert to 1x first as the cockpit is getting a bit out of hand (2x shifters, 2x brake levers, 2x double lock on grips, GPS mount, fork remote). I feel like there's no space for the dropper post remote!

So I take it you ride a rigid fixie then?

I always hate to disappoint but it does have a freehub, and it's for sale too

[url= https://c5.staticflickr.com/9/8128/29733010540_52b26e21ca_b.jp g" target="_blank">https://c5.staticflickr.com/9/8128/29733010540_52b26e21ca_b.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/Mips9L ]2016-09-30_06-06-32[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/7614571@N05/ ]thisisnotaspoon[/url], on Flickr

http://singletrackmag.com/forum/topic/salsa-el-mariachi-ss-19-500-with-a-few-upgrades

Nice little plug for your add there. 😆

Droppers don't make riding easier, they enable you to challenge yourself more - to be more GNAR!

Use my dropper a lot - well worth the money. I ride a lot in Surrey Hill so lots of changes in terrain among the singletrack. Great to be able to make easy adjustments for individual sections. I play around with different heights too on the same trail. And always handy to be able to respond to a surprise drop or climb!!

I suppose it depends where you ride too.

Some places I ride (less frequently) are very climb move / seat down / do trail / seat up/ move to next trail thing, which when everyone else has droppers is really frustating. (Mendips!) I've not been back there now I have the dropper yet.

Where I ride normally (Quantocks) the descents I regularly do are all around the 1 mile mark. Depending on the descent I tend to start dropped.. raise it when my legs need a break or can pedal a bit and put it down again for more technical bits, not single corners but more for rough sections where there are hefty root or rock drops.

I'm [i]noticably [/i]faster (by 20 seconds from prev 3 efforts before and first 3 after installing dropper) down a descent like Weacombe where its seat down, fast n bumpy down and round first corner, then flattens out (seat up), then gets tight n technical for a moment (seat down), flattens for a moment (seat up).. has a rocky bit and bosh through stream (seat down) and the end is a bit "squirmy" so its just a case of staying perched.. seat pos doesn't matter so much, but state of legs does!

Being able to pedal and stop perching (rest legs, particularly calves) part way through a descent means you can carry more speed into the next tech section and on long descents have fresher legs for them.

Droppers don't make riding easier, they enable you to challenge yourself more - to be more GNAR!

I think I found the opposite, they just made 'gnar' easier.

I'm fairly confident riding anything you'd normally see in a trail centre on the El-Mariachi with the saddle giving me a prostate exam. I guess because I've always had an XC bike of some sort as my main bike so I'm quite happy moving around with the saddle there.

I had a bigger AM bike with a dropper and at speed, I really hated having yet another button to press so would just put it down and leave it there except for climbs, which seemed a waste of £200, 300g of added heft and having to coast the easy sections because I was raising/lowering the post for the next bit rather than putting it in top gear and sprinting. So I rode the same stuff without it, I was probably faster without it, but it was 'easier' with it.

It's now on my fat bike, which counter-intuitively is where it's been most fun. I wouldn't say useful, when it's not there I ride it like I would my XC bike and it only takes a few minutes to adjust, but it's nice to be able to go exploring, track stand, drop the saddle and bump the bike over an obstacle that would have me stopped on the XC bike (less grip/bounce) or enduro bike (too squishy to power over stuff).

Nice little plug for your add there.

It's not a Charge Plug, it's a Salsa El-Mariachi, and did I mention it's for sale

http://singletrackmag.com/forum/topic/salsa-el-mariachi-ss-19-500-with-a-few-upgrades

[img] [/img]

Being able to pedal and stop perching (rest legs, particularly calves) part way through a descent means you can carry more speed into the next tech section and on long descents have fresher legs for them.

+1

Love my Reverb, wouldn't be without it. It makes me faster! I can really drop the seat down and go for it, its not just for super techy descents.

Droppers are absolutely ace, but yes it depends where and how you ride how much you'd use it.

Round my way there are lots of short ish but steep techy trails and downhills followed by steep ass climbs so it get used constantly. It's great for flat but techy bits too.

Thisisnotaspoon, we'll have to agree to disagree. There are some trail features that you have to get your weight right back on, literally the back wheel rubbing along your crack or you'll be over the bars. It simply wouldn't be possible to get low and far enough back as the saddle gets in the way. Also on fast flat bends if you're not leaning the bike in you'll be skidding out and you can't lean the bike over that far with the saddle between your crotch. Maybe you're a bit of a bendy contortionist or something, but I just need to move the saddle out of the way sometimes. Doesn't make things easier - I still find things hard, it makes some things possible. There has been the odd occasion I've forgotten to lower the saddle and hit a steep rock garden and been prevented getting my weight far enough back and bounced down it on my front wheel narrowly avoiding going over the bars. Not about skill or anything, it's about weight distribution. When your c of g gets ahead of your front axel you're going over the bars.

Downhillers slam their saddles so it stands to reason if you're riding an all mountain bike covering a variety of trails and terrain then the ability to adjust the saddle height is obvious. And it's no clutter if you're riding 1x.

I think it also depends on the bike.

On a long travel bike I think it makes much more sense, because with the seat down you have much more room to move around when you need to. And with long travel, I find I do need to. Weight back to brake to stop the front diving, weight low down in twisties to get the bike to turn faster. And of course on a longer travel bike you're doing different things - I'm generally at a trail center carving through berms which is better done with lots of body movement. I use it a lot on the Patriot. At Ashton Court the other week (which is mostly flat) I found myself for the first time leaving the seat dropped about an inch the whole time. It was high enough for the few pedal strokes needed and low enough to manhandle the bike through turns nicely.

I've no intention of fitting one to my rigid or XC bikes though. Because they have little travel I can lean on the front much more on steep stuff. I'd only need one on those if I were doing proper arse on the back wheel stuff, which I don't tend to do very often these days.

Before droppers - I rarely ever dropped my post, measured in years not months. I moved my post for periodic cleaning and re-lubricating more. Even as a lover of steep stuff, I would manoeuvre my torso behind the saddle instead. I'm not sure how I managed drops of 4' - 6', but still it stayed up. I would say though that I had it about 1.5" from the classic 'max efficiency' height, as I felt more comfortable with it at that compromise position.

Over the last few years I use mine all the time. It means I stay seated more in the middle of the bike on steeps, for super-techy climbs I drop it a little trading efficiency for stability. On rough rolling ground I drop it a little to get it a little more out of the way and for drops it's about 1" from max if I am running an infinite adjustment model. The difference now though is the fact my post is adjusted at the classic knee slightly bent position, so I compromise my pedal stroke less.

I reckon I adjust my reverb height as much as I change gear on a lot of the riding I do.

Have I missed the point of dropper posts?

Yes, you have.

Another thing to bear in mind is that what some people refer to as "roadie height" is technically far too high for anything other than teetering around on top of 30cm of seatpost........

[quote=oldnpastit ]I saw a guy going down the Inners red XC route on a unicycle last week. Taking the "mandatory air" line down the final section.
I don't think he had a dropper post. But he was quite slow.

I've not done Inners, but I've done (parts of) red routes elsewhere on my uni - it's a totally different experience and requires different skills to riding the same thing on a bike though. I've also ridden with far better riders than me (ones more likely to get air, though I can do drops I wouldn't ride on a bike) - not a dropper post between us, partly because even one adapted to work with the right saddle fixings would be unlikely to cope with the torque loadings. Though I certainly ride with a significantly lower saddle than I do on my bike. Oh and whilst we might get down stuff we are incredibly slow on downhills, because it's a fixie with an effective 32/32 gear.

Don't even own a dropper, and reading this thread because I keep wondering if I should - though I only own a short travel XC bike, so it looks like opinion is at best divided on the benefits (and despite my limited skills I have learned to ride lots of stuff with a full height saddle which many people would probably think you needed to drop the saddle for - I needed to before droppers, as I wasn't stopping to lower my saddle, and since they've become widespread I've ridden the uni far more than my mountain bike!)

I would appear contrary to popular opinion. Owned one for three years and I too thought it was indispensable. It broke and whilst waiting to get a new one I found out that (with my bike setup properly) I actually didnt need it anywhere near as much as I thought I did. So, I've not replaced it yet.

Also, before dropper posts were mainstream there were many many mtb'ers riding far harder, gnarlier, quicker, smoother than we are now with our dropper posts..so let's not kid ourselves it's a must. It's simply another tool for added enjoyment...

Downhillers slam their saddles

Danny Hart (with a Reverb for added relevance to the thread, and lots of post showing)
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Steve Peat, no reverb lots of post.
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Greg Minnar, no reverb lots of post.
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Sam Hill, no reverb lots of post.
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RIP Stevie, no reverb lots of post.
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I reckon I adjust my reverb height as much as I change gear on a lot of the riding I do.

[url= https://c6.staticflickr.com/9/8704/16695717909_7516eddffd_k.jp g" target="_blank">https://c6.staticflickr.com/9/8704/16695717909_7516eddffd_k.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/rrkVgk ]Spring has sprung[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/stu-b/ ]multispeedstu[/url], on Flickr

Danny Hart (with a Reverb for added relevance to the thread, and lots of post showing)

Downhillers don't slam their saddles - correct!

But they do have their saddles way lower than pedalling height. It's not often you get the measurements but Jared Graves mentioned in a fairly recent bike check that 125mm drop works well for him as it puts the saddle at the same height he had on his downhill bike.

Saddle heights on DH bikes are deceptive because when unsagged the BB is much higher than when riding and the top tubes are almost always low, which makes the saddle look higher off the ground than it really is.

I bet all those riders pictured have their saddle at least 5" higher on an XC or trail bike.

If dropper posts were called raiser posts maybe the naysayers would understand them better? 😉

That's my point cheif. 🙂

Thing is, they don't.

Why do I get the impression that some people have been convinced that dropper posts are now a "must" rather than a convenience?

Changing seat height as much/more than changing gear on a multi-geared bike?!?! What? Over-thinking it?

As said, I own a dropper on one bike, but have and do manage to ride rough terrain better than many people, without constantly adjusting the seat height. I use my legs.

"Pedalling height" is fine most of the time. Toppling doesn't occur unless really steep.

Ps. Having the seat fully slammed down for DH reduces the available leverage points for moving the bike around.

Why do I get the impression that some people have been convinced that dropper posts are now a "must"?

One thing I'd add is that I miss the dropper a lot more on flats than when clipped in. On a modernish geometry bike I struggle to get my weight where I want it and have my heels down with the saddle up; being clipped in allows a slightly different technique (but I still prefer to drop it down).

I have been running one for about 5 years now. When I got my XC bike I did the just deal with it approach, did reasonably well at it and could navigate my way down stuff in races. Then through a bit of a swap around ended up with a spare dropper and fitted it to the XC bike, transformed it in the more technical stuff. I could prance around with the saddle up working around that or just drop it and raise it again. Guess which I'd pick...
On the trail today I probably varied the seat 8-10 times in 2km as the trail went up, down, along and had a couple of steep sections. If I'm flying it makes a huge difference as to getting some solid pedal strokes in while sitting. Much better for the legs than the more impressive looking stand/grind option.

All this probably coincided with an attempt to improve my technique to the more central position approach which definitely suits a dropper and has helped bring my riding along a lot.

The BB to saddle height on those dh bikes are all probably lower than on my bike with the dropper fully down. The amount of stem showing is irrelevant. And watching the guys perform their weight is really far back behind the saddle and over the back wheel or even behind the back wheel axel. It's all about weight distribution. That is the whole point. Saying a dropper is a convenience is like saying slacker geometry for a dh bike is a convenience. You don't see an xc bikes on the world dh circuit. I doubt it would be possible for anyone to ride an xc bike down a World Cup dh course.

I rode down pretty much anything before with my seat raised as I do now with a dropper. The 'how' I ride is different. I now approach the truly steep and techy stuff with more smoothness, speed and control than I did previously. Mainly because I can maintain a lower CoG in the centre of the bike.

If something can make it feel better - why not!

Edit.Chiefgroove & mikew +1's.

Worth a read
http://m.pinkbike.com/news/zeps-how-to-mythbusters-position-balance-steeps-heavy-braking-2016.html

Interesting replies so thanks for them all.

My post has multiple points but isn't infinitely adjustable.

Yes, I dropped my post on 2/3 (literally, 2 out of 3) but we rested / regrouped there anyway.

I'm absolutely going to persevere and I think I'll end up adjusting the height more. I suspect though, it's not suited as much to my typical riding now as it would have been a decade ago in Devon.

Changing seat height as much/more than changing gear on a multi-geared bike?!?! What? Over-thinking it?

I do it without thinking.

Downhillers slam their saddles
Thing is, they don't.
Danny Hart (with a Reverb for added relevance to the thread, and lots of post showing)

I can't slam the saddle on my Demo or the rear tyres hits the scale when it bottoms out.

I used to piss about dropping my post all the time, do a dropper saves me a lot of faffing. I really hate riding anything remotely fun with the saddle up because it just feels like it's in the way.

Thing is, they don't.

They aren't at full height either though, and they're pointed at the sky.

A XC/Trail/Enduro/AM bike does not ride just one type of terrain like a DH bike does, and certainly doesn't get ridden UP hills.

Worth a read
http://m.pinkbike.com/news/zeps-how-to-mythbusters-position-balance-steeps-heavy-braking-2016.html

hmm never really thought about hanging off the back, more just that the seat was in the way.

moving weight side to side, or anywhere in 3 dimensions is easier with a lower seat, that isn't at full "roadie" height? you can suck up and absorb bumps with it lower too.

Can't believe all the different ways that dropper's are being used..just thought they were for making it easier putting the bike in the car boot!

Yes, if you ride smooth, long climbs, then a single descent, stick with a plain old quick release.
If your trails go up, down and around continuously there is a huge benefit to using one. For cornering, for drops, for jumps and logs, for skinned or anything else you might fall off...

Obviously it's possible to ride strep stuff with a high saddle, World Cup Xcode races are pretty gnarly and steep these days. However, for most of us with more modest skills, the dropper post will improve more than it will hinder due to its weight.

Obviously it's possible to ride strep stuff with a high saddle, World Cup Xcode races are pretty gnarly and steep these days. However, for most of us with more modest skills, the dropper post will improve more than it will hinder due to its weight.

Absolutely essential kit to me these days. Would really feel like going backwards not having one on a ride now.
My fatbike still hasn't got one but it will eventually. As mentioned, they become totally intuitive on the trail. Brilliant invention.

One of the best things is being able to sit down on your bike when you stop for a chat and a drink. 🙂

best bit of kit in modern mtb

My bikes are more fun to ride with a dropper post fitted. Surely that's the most important thing?

tjaard - Member

Yes, if you ride smooth, long climbs, then a single descent, stick with a plain old quick release.

it's probably over-kill for many, but a go-go-gadget seatpost means your saddle always goes up to the same height - handy even for those who aren't frequent droppers...

(yes, you can get a seatpost with markers on, but the markers last about 5mins in my experience)

After not seeing the point since their release, I got a dropper in 2013, the last of my group.

It took about three rides for the light to come on. Curiously, I use it the least on big mountain rides. But with everything else, it gives more space to move on the bike.

Not having one now would be really sucky.