Uppy downy seatpost things - when/how do you use them?

.blitz

I realise you drop them on the descents and raise them for the climbs but is there more to it?

I hear nothing but good reports about them (in terms of usefulness) but I'm not sure I would actually use one.

Do they suit some people/bikes more than others?

cat_with_no_tail

They are one of those items (in my opinion) that you don't realize you miss until you've actually tried one. Then you wonder how you ever got by without it.

They are so easy to use, that you find youself dropping your seat even for really easy stuff, or really short descents, for no reason other than the fact you can.

I think they probably do suit some bikes more than others though. You'd probably not want one on a superlight XC race bike for example. Because the extra weight cancels out any usefulness you might get, especially on the sort of terrain you're likely to ride.

They are VERY expensive for what they are though, and not everyone is as big a fan as I am. Reliability can sometimes be an issue (although it seems to vary wildly), but warranties are usually rock solid.

For that reason, I'd suggest trying one first if you possibly can.

.blitz

Cat With No Tail wrote:

They are so easy to use, that you find youself dropping your seat even for really easy stuff, or really short descents, for no reason other than the fact you can.

Thanks Cat. I'm not really finding my saddle gets in the way at the moment - were you adjusting your saddle height before you got a dropper?

BorisSpencer

I drop mine less and less, and almost never to the bottom, it's a GD 1+3.
But simply knowing that I can is a fantastic confidence boost.

cat_with_no_tail

.blitz wrote:

Cat With No Tail wrote:

They are so easy to use, that you find youself dropping your seat even for really easy stuff, or really short descents, for no reason other than the fact you can.

Thanks Cat. I'm not really finding my saddle gets in the way at the moment - were you adjusting your saddle height before you got a dropper?

Not really. I'd drop it for very steep, or very long descents.

I was always very sceptical of them. I mean, how big a difference can they make, seriously?

It is hard to describe though. As corny as it sounds, it really did transform my riding. I just find that I'm now able carry much more speed, with much more confidence over much more of the trail.

I use a Gravity Dropper Turbo. For no reason other than it was one of the only ones available to fit my size seatpost (30.00mm). I've also had a Joplin in the past on the old bike. Never had any issues with either of them (touch wood).

pastey_boy

i find i use mine all the time, certain situations such as large descents that suddenly turn to climbs or jumps are easily dealt with hitting rocks at speed on a hardtail can be hard but by dropping the post you can use you legs more to take the shock. i drop the whole way for silly stuff but even dropping an inch or so can help at times. as for them being an easier option to a traditional qr i would have to disagree as you can keep riding without little breaks to adjust your seat. absolutely love my post and yes they are expensive, but the effect it has on my riding i think its money well spent. the first one i tried was the ks900 with the under saddle lever, the first one i had went wrong but i was given a 2nd gen one which proved faultless. the i got the ks i950 with remote lever which was much better and much smoother probably thanks to the inline head, but the remote lever was the biggest improvement. ive just heard that a new improved ksi950 is on the way with 150mm drop and other improvements such as the saddle not moving when lifting the bike with its seat.

Almightydutch

I guess it comes down to riding style. For those XC types who just want speed then yeah they wont be using them anywhere near as much as someone like me who likes to hoon about whenever he can.
Its surprising how much you keep dropping it just so you can make the most of each section/trail.

stumpyjon

I drop mine less than when i first bought it. After going on a skills course and realising that backside buzzing the rear tyre is not a good riding position I found the saddle wasn't in the way as much. Still drop it on steep or techy descents, the remote is invaluable for this or I wouldn't bother.

Anonymous

I use mine all the time. Before having it, I'd often stop the bike before a "section" of trail if I knew there was going to be hooney stuff to ride, even if it meant I'd be having to stand and pedal for a while before getting to it.
Since using the Jplin, I leave the saddle in the best position for pedalling all the time, and drop it whenever something fun crops up.

Bascially, it doesn't matter if you've been on a skills course, like Stumpy - a bike with the seat right up your arse is never going to let you move as freely or absorb hits as effectively as a bike with the saddle lowered.

stumpyjon

a bike with the seat right up your ars* is never going to let you move as freely or absorb hits as effectively as a bike with the saddle lowered.

Tis true, I also learned that dropping my seatpost so I could hang off the back somewhat screwed up my ability to steer. The skills course got my riding position to be significantl;y better so that I could start to move around on the bike. Bear in mind I'm not the most rad of riders, my wheels usually only come off the ground as a result of something going badly wrong. That all said the post is still on the bike so on balence I like it (Joplin 3, no mainteance issues, jobs a good un).

Raymondavalon

Cat With No Tail wrote:

They are one of those items (in my opinion) that you don't realize you miss until you've actually tried one. Then you wonder how you ever got by without it.

This!

I remember when I first saw the old Speedball seatpost on a rider's bike, he was telling what a different it makes on steep descents.
We encountered some of those descents that day and dropped our traditional seatposts 3 or 4 times.

I later invested in a CB Joplin when the US$ was worth just £0.50, Wiggle were selling them cheap at £65, so that was the opportunity to get one, but made the mistake or not buying the Remote model. The underseat lever caused me to have two offs while trying to activate it on the move, so I then bought the Remote kit.

I don't use it that often (riding at Cannock) but when i need it elsewhere, it's an absolute Godsend and I do smile wen my mates have to stop drop their seatposts to descend. What's even more entertaining is watching them trying to get the seat height spot on when raising it back up.

Money well spent at the time, just keep them clean and get them serviced when they need it and they'll serve you well. My Joplin's been faultless in the two odd years of owning it.

Northwind

I use mine a lot... Quite a few folks think of them as a sort of trail centre tool but I've always found them most useful on more natural XC rides, since trail centres are often big up, big down, and sometimes even have signs saying "Descent" to warn you. Whereas XC is all over the place and if you don't know the trail you have no clue.

If I'm riding Glentress red route or similiar, it doesn't get used that much, it's mostly just convenience. But if I go to Kirroughtree, which is loooong, and pretty hard work, and has singletrack traverses that go on forever and have climbs and descents and fast bits and all sorts, that's when they become absolutely brilliant.

There were times when I was in France that the riding pushed my endurance absolutely to the edge, close to dropping... So being able to sit and pedal for stretches in a 20-minute varied descent was literally what stopped me having to get off the bike and sit down for a bit

I even left mine on for XC racing. Didn't have any suspension, didn't have a granny ring, didn't even have tyres with any grip... But the dropper let me dick around on descents that'd otherwise need caution, and take bad lines for overtakes, and generally made the day a lot more enjoyable.

stumpyjon wrote:

After going on a skills course and realising that backside buzzing the rear tyre is not a good riding position I found the saddle wasn't in the way as much.

A lot of people overdo the weight shift, but a dropper lets you get your weight low, or off the side, as well...

hobbitsharley

ive just fitted the Tranz X XLC pro dropper £120 it has a lever under the saddle - no remote so as a good test to see if i get on with the idea of the post dropping - its getting tested Sunday round Cannock, if i like it then its not awaste and ill save for a Rockshox reverb, if i hate then its no real loss as i still have my thompson Elite and should be able to add it to my hard tail come winter when i get it

cat_with_no_tail

hobbitsharley - Just remember, there is FAR more of an improvement with a remote dropper over a lever dropper as your hands never need to leave the bars. As a result, you find you'll get more use out of it

johnnygooner

Agree with all the positives of a dropper seat post. Apart from the obvious of getting full extension on climbs, when its in the lower position, you find you can move your body weight about soo much easier and not just fore and aft. You find you control the bike far better and as a previous poster points out, because of that you can carry so much more speed into and through corners and a range of other obsticals. One minute youre pinning downhill sections like a pro (well alright only in my head) but at the press of a lever you've rearranged your position and are peddaling like an olympic xcer (again probably, no, definately, only in my head). Point being they allow you to do so much more than the obvious. Once you've had one its v hard to go back

Anonymous

Before dropper posts came along, MTBing was always about compromising pedalling Vs control - now we don't have to compromise anymore. Basically.

Thewaylander

Does someone want to buy me one? a 4" or a 5"...

edhornby

there was a multi test of all of them in singletrack recently - it said if you're gonna get one, make sure it has the remote lever

dan shard

Id love one but theyre pretty pricey still. I find that Im constantly on and off my bike adjusting the height, and often end up with sore thighs when Ive forgotton to put it back up, or realising half way down a descent that its too high and struggling for control.














/ and they look really nice too

Northwind

edhornby wrote:

there was a multi test of all of them in singletrack recently - it said if you're gonna get one, make sure it has the remote lever

I used to have one without a remote (luckily a gravity dropper descender, so convertible). It was good for making it obvious how great one with a remote would be, while simultaneously being barely any use at all.

Anonymous

I got on fine with mine before getting the remote. It was rare that I coudln't use the under-seat lever.

Northwind

But do you not find that those rare occasions are exactly the times you most want it?

Anonymous

Northwind wrote:

But do you not find that those rare occasions are exactly the times you most want it?

Not really no. I did need it then, sure, but the occasions where I wanted to, but wasn't able to use it were very very rare.

Northwind

Fair dos. Maybe it's a difference in approach then.

Anonymous

I don't have much trouble riding with one hand, whilst I scratch my forehead, or clean my glasses or something like that though. If you weren't so confident doing something like that then yes, it would cause a wobbly moment!

Northwind

Yeah, but you don't clean your glasses in the middle or when you're setting up for technical or rough sections do you, you get that out the way when nothing else is happening.

Anonymous

Northwind wrote:

Yeah, but you don't clean your glasses in the middle or when you're setting up for technical or rough sections do you, you get that out the way when nothing else is happening.

It depends. Not when I'm hanging on for dear life, no, but I do clean them on occasion on rough ground.
But I used that example to illustrate a point. Don't get all argumentative.

sheepsteeth

i dont like to ride a bike without one.

i had a speedball, have had a few joplins, currently have a gravity dropper and a KS i7 is on the way for the other bike.

the only problem worth noting is how expensive they are, it is ridiculous.

i agree with the sentiments above about how being able to drop the saddle isnt all about moving a gajillion miles backwards so your nutsack is getting buffed byt the back tyre, the ability to lower your centre of gravity (especally when mine is so high normally!!) is the best thing about them.

Northwind

yeehaamcgee wrote:

Don't get all argumentative.