I’ve been running a standard seat post (aka; analog dropper) since, well forever. I’ve yet to own a dropper post on any of my bikes. And with droppers being all the rage right now, I wonder if it’s time I pony up and join the crowd. With that being said, I jumped on the net and found out what benefits other riders are experiencing with their adjustable posts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Do I need a dropper post for Mt. Biking? No. I’ve been riding for years without a dropper post, and I still love riding today just as much as I did the day I first started mountain biking, maybe even more. But I will confess, the thought of being able to just press a button to change my seat height without having to stop and dismount has really got me thinking about jumping ship.<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Do you know the guy that has to stop at the top of the uphill to lower his seat, just before heading down? That is me. This routine has worked great for me for years. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It affords me the extra movement around the bike while railing hard to really get the bike to go where I want it to go and do what I want it to do. The bike becomes much more maneuverable, manageable, flickable as some might call it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Overall, it just makes the bike safer to ride at high speeds. There’s no dispute that having a lower seat for the downhills is the way to go. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even going from an XC bike to a trail bike, with its lower standover height and the ability to lower the seat a fair amount more is a drastic difference in motility. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Because of this fact, the vast majority of riders today swear by their dropper post and claim they would never go back to the analog post. And with bike manufacturers equipping their steads with droppers clear down into the entry-level price points, it can actually be a little challenging to find a bike without one, unless of course, you look into the extreme end of mt. biking; XC and downhill.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even with that being said, we’ve just recently begun seeing smaller travel adjustable posts, designed specifically for cross country style riding. Will we see a downhill dropper soon?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Is a Lower Seat Height Safer for Jumping?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

A lower seat height is much safer for jumping, for a few reasons. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It can be common for a taller seat to want to pop up and slam you in the ass when jumping, potentially bucking your weight forward and over the handlebars. OTB (over the bars), is not that much fun.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Additionally, a lower seat will allow you to pull the bike further up and closer to your body when bunny hopping (either American on Standard bunny-hop) getting much more height out of the maneuver. That could be the difference between clearing that 30ft road gap and coming up short, snapping the frame or causing you to eat a face full of handlebars and stem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Why Don’t I Just Run a Standard Seat Post in Its<\/strong> Lowest Position?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

It can be done. But it’s not fun, and your legs will be on fire in no time once you start pedaling. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A taller seat height will allow your legs to extend fully while in the lowest point of the pedal rotation. Our legs afford us the best mechanical (strength) advantage when at or near full extension, and they only getting weaker as they compress further.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Having your seat slammed will force your quads to do a tremendous amount of extra work when climbing in the seated position, and will burn your legs out much quicker as a result. If you hope to have any legs left for the downhill, which if you’ve ever tried a challenging downhill with noodle legs you’ll know takes a surprising amount of leg strength to do, you’ll want to ride high on the uphill portion of the trail. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What About Cornering?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Cornering, whether on high speed berms or slower flat turns, is much less cumbersome with a lower seat. The lower center of gravity makes for much better traction, and the ability to lay the bike completely flat while your upper body stays almost vertical, let’s you get in and out of the twisties as quickly and efficiently as possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When you attempt a corner on a fully extended seat post, then follow up by riding the same corner with the saddle slammed, the improvement is immediately evident. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Do Dropper Posts Add a Lot of Weight to the Bike?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Dropper posts are surprisingly lightweight when you compare them to a standard aluminum straight seat post. An average run of the mill alloy seat post weighs around 300g or just a smidge over half a pound. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dropper posts, on the other hand, are usually around 500g, give or take, and that’s for some of the less fancy models that fall right in the middle of the price spectrum. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So in reality, you’re only looking at a little over half a pound gain, by going to a dropper. For the gain in maneuverability, and capability you realize, that half a pound won’t even be noticeable. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What if I Ride Park?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Park and downhill kind of go hand in hand as far as riding disciplines are concerned. Even if you don’t ride a full-on downhill bike, you’re not going to experience much uphill pedaling at the bike park.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you ride park specifically, and only park, it doesn’t make much sense to pony up the cash for a seat post that’s going to be in it’s lowest position nearly it’s entire life because you ride the chair lift to the top. It’s hard to justify a $200 or more upgrade that will rarely be used. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Save the cash and spend it on more lift tickets throughout the summer! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Size Dropper Post Should I Get?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

As large as you can go. The general rule of thumb is that you want as much drop as your saddle height and seat tube length will allow. Most riders are of the mind that the lower you can drop it, the less cumbersome and impeding the saddle will be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many cross-country riders prefer to have just a few inches of seat drop and no more. Their thought process is that it’s rare for them to go extended periods without peddling, so getting the seat down just a tad when on varied trail conditions, is PERFECT. Any more, and they would be causing excess leg fatigue due to poor mechanics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most trail\/enduro style riders prefer to have a tall seat height when climbing and have it slammed to the frame for railing the downhills. I myself, favor this technique as well. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition to your particular riding style, you’ll need to make a choice based upon your particular frame requirements and your highest seat position. Generally speaking, a taller rider might be able to able to use a longer 200mm travel seat post, while a shorter rider would never be able to reach the pedals with anything more than a 150mm. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Likewise, frames with deeper seat tubes can generally run a longer travel post. Check with your local bike shop to see which post exactly will work for your needs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Can I Adjust it on The Fly?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Yes. And that’s probably the biggest benefit to owning a dropper post in the first place. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

With on the fly adjustability (aka; ability to adjust it without stopping), we can constantly vary the seat height based upon what’s coming up next on the trail. See a small hill ahead; pop the saddle up for a quick seated sprint, with minimal leg burn. Is there a 4-foot drop-in on the other side of that hill? Slam the seat fully down, to make room for your legs to absorb the impact. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Undulations on the flat sections of trail bucking you off the seat? Drop it just an inch or two in order to reduce bucking yet still maintain pedaling power. You get the idea. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The ability to change your seat height spontaneously has opened up a whole new level of riding that wasn’t attainable before their advent. I’ve heard more than one rider claim that ‘if they had to choose between full-suspension or a dropper post, they’d pick dropper any day’. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It can be quite easy at times to get hung up on the seat when getting out behind the bike on steep downhills. Whether it gets snagged on your shorts or stuck on your gut, it gets real hairy when you’re unable to get your weight back centered over the bike when the trail demands it. And now you’ve been defleshed of your funny bits, by a rabid rear tire, clawing at you like a badger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Do I Want Hydraulic, Mechanical or an Electric Actuated Dropper Post?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

There are currently three different ways of activating a dropper post, to either raise or lower it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hydraulic –<\/strong> hydraulic actuation works similar to your hydraulic brake system. A thumb lever attempts to push fluid through a line, creating pressure which in turn, releases the locking mechanism inside the post, allowing to it be adjusted. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

RockShox’s Reverb dropper post is probably the most popular hydraulic post on the market today, if not the only. Unfortunately, they haven’t experienced the greatest track record. From poor to non-existent cold weather operation, bleeding difficulties and short life span before needing to be serviced, have been the common complaints about the Reverb post.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hydraulic post actuating just doesn’t seem to be cuttin’ the mustard when it comes to dropper posts, in my opinion. The function and reliability just aren’t there yet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mechanical –<\/strong> mechanical or cable actuation is the most common, and dependable form of operation today. This mechanism is operated in much the same way as your derailleur or old mechanical brakes; using a lever and shifter cable. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This method has been tried and true, with the vast majority of manufacturers using cable actuation to activate their posts. As a result, the pricing on these posts can be down around the $200 mark for a very well built, and dependable model like the ones from PNW Components. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For only a few Hamilton’s more than the cost to rebuild a Reverb, you can have a brand new mechanically actuated post. That seems like a no brainer there. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Electric\/Wireless<\/strong> –<\/strong> Bluetooth has made its way into mountain biking components, first on shifters\/derailleurs now on dropper posts <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Magura was first on the scene to offer a Bluetooth enabled post, until recently when RockShox released the Reverb AXS to the market. Each offer height adjustment at the push of a button, and rechargeable batteries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Both have been receiving good reviews, and we would hope so, as these two posts fall on the high end of the price spectrum; around $500 for the Magura Vyron and a WHOPPING $800 for the Reverb AXS.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If your looking for the Blingiest of bling, look no further, because these dropper posts are it, with the Reverb AXS incorporating seamlessly into their, top-tier Eagle AXS drivetrain. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Internal or External Routing?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Just about every brand out there offers their posts for either externally routed (outside the frame) or internally routed cables or hydraulic lines. If your frame is built with hidden pathways for lines, then you’ll be able to keep everything out of sight and tidy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why You May Not Want a Dropper Post<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Believe it or not, there are a few instances where you may not want a dropper post on your mt. bike. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Downhill –<\/strong> For many downhill riders, it doesn’t make sense to run a dropper on their bikes, because they’re rarely ever seated, and even less frequently pedaling while seated. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The vast majority of the time they are riding with the seat down and out of the way, so it wouldn’t get used any if at all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Do I Need a quick release seat post clamp<\/strong> with a dropper post?<\/strong> No. Many times with externally routed models, a quick-release clamp will not clear the cable housing inlet, and you’ll need to use just a standard seat post clamp.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A side benefit to that is it may potentially deter any would-be dropper post thieves, that aren’t carrying a hex tool set. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So all that being said, in a quick word I can say, I will most definitely be putting a dropper post on my bike in the near future.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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