So,

I’ve been idly toying with the idea of a dropper seatpost. I’ve kept half an eye on discussions here, and recommendations all seem to be for expensive solutions that are, for my mincing luddite purposes, over engineered.

I’m not racing and am quite happy to stop mid-ride to admire the view, take photographs, eat jelly babies, or find other excuses to cover up the fact that I’m cream crackered. I don’t really want, or need, pneumatic hydraulic spring-loaded cleverness, or remote control or anything. I’m really just looking for something where I can get the saddle out of the way and then later return it to the same position, it doesn’t have to be much more advanced than a regular QR.

Does such a thing exist even, or were they rendered obsolete years ago and I’m going to have to pony up a three-figure sum for a bloody seat-post (or more likely, do without)?

A regular QR…? Sorry to be a smartarse, but what more do you need it to do?

Ghetto Post

This got slated on here a while back but it might suit your needs

Standard seatpost with markings?

It was called the Hite-Rite. 🙂

QR and a bit of bailing twine/string?

You tie the string between the seat rails and the frame so that at full height it is taught, just to make it easier to find your preferred full height position each time.

The QR provides you “infinite adjustment” of seat height…

Or look at a “forza” post.

The QR is ‘effort’ to open and close, I’d prefer a button or lever or something (MTFU, I know). And getting the saddle back to the right place is a bit of faff, post markings wear off and it’s a bit of a fiddle to align. First world problems I know, it’s not a huge issue, just figured “click” – up / “click” – down would be a lot quicker and simpler.

Oh, and,

How do I know which of the 47 different post diameters I have, short of measuring? Is one “standard” more standard than the others or anything?

those cheapy £75 ones (Forza??) seem to be ok as a toe in the water.

Joplins etc come up cheap on here fairly regularly if you want to have a go for a bit and see if it works for you.

[edit] seatpost size – take current seatpost out of frame, read size off bottom of seatpost, buy one that size.

take current seatpost out of frame, read size off bottom of seatpost

Ah, cunning. (-: Amusingly / pathetically, I’d never have thought of that. Ta.

they’re damn clever these engineering types, you know 😉

Buy cheap, buy twice.

What you NEED is this bad-boy – check out the genital crushing power at around 1:40 in.

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WxZbizCz4es[/video]

Been using the forca post for a while on my hardtail and its done the job fine, bit industrial but works and easy to strip and clean, no brainer option imo.
Have a giant dropper on full suss and infinate adjustment is great but was double the price of the forca.

take current seatpost out of frame, read size off bottom of seatpost, buy one that size.

What do you know, that worked too. 30.9mm, apparently.

Someone on another thread suggeted a TMARS post. At £65, that seems like a bargain to me. Two things:

1) anyone any first-hand experience of them, and

2) seems I’ll need a shim, and they come in aluminium and ‘thermoplastic’ (whatever the geoff that is). Any compelling reason to use one over the other, or does it make bugger all difference?

cor that RAZE post me me wince, thats as near to an ejector seat as you’re gonna get.

Tmars/Forca/ICE V8, as a basic model will do you fine. You may need to disassemble the post for a greasing, but it’s pretty straightforward. As for a shim, I’d go Aluminium, just because its the same as the seatpost and seat tube, so less likely to produce issues.

That rase one wouldn’t be so, lets say, punchy if you were sat on it and let your weight dampen it. Sold out though 🙁

I started with a 75 Quid one and to be honest it was more of a hindrance. While the basic mechanics were good the lever was horrible. The whole point is getting the seat out of the way and then back with no fuss. The variant I had was just awkward and impossible to use quickly.

Sold it and went for a Gravity Dropper Turbo. Yes they are expensive but they are fit and forget. In addition it just works, it works well and it works quickly. If it is something you are going to use it is a fantastic purchase.

That rase one wouldn’t be so, lets say, punchy if you were sat on it and let your weight dampen it.

I have one of those – and 2 bollocks still

Sold out though

rumoured to be a new version coming

I quite like mine FWIW – if the new one has 2 saddle clamp bolts it’ll be good

1) anyone any first-hand experience of them, and

Me, and I’d recomend it highly

2) seems I’ll need a shim, and they come in aluminium and ‘thermoplastic’ (whatever the geoff that is). Any compelling reason to use one over the other, or does it make bugger all difference?

Bugger all.

Buy cheap, pay twice! I would highly recommend the reverb! I’m a trained bike mechanic and I’ve stripped these down can say that these are a top quality product.

How much are those Rase? Does anyone own one?

According to rase, around £220 but not sure if that’s inc import duty.

I saw a CB Joplin go for £30 today on eBay. They are known for having a lot of lateral play and this was a lever operated one… but still… £30!!!! times that by about 10 for a reverb!

I’d never buy a cb product without a warranty. And even then, I’d buy the reverb before a Joplin. And I did.

try the Ice Lift V8…its supposed to be pretty good and cheap (£120) compared to the others

ICE review here

http://dirt.mpora.com/featured/fresh-produce-ice-lift-v8-seatpost.html

Is this the same

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2013-New-TMARS-Adjustable-Seatpost-Seat-Post-27-2X425mm-/130790415484

If it is it looks a major bargain

ICE V8 through purebike.fr was £87. With Euro warranty.

If you stay with a solid post, then ROOX ones with markings are very good, never wore when i had one- pretty too. Unfortunately i snapped mine many moons ago giving myself a lessen in self disection..

Thing is, I know my current ride locations and routes, and riding as I do in the chilterns, where its all gently flowing hills and no one breaks into anything as perverse or demeaning as a sweat, I don’t need a dropper. When I go to the parts of the world where one might benefit from getting he saddle out of the way, I like to stop and pause and have a good look at what I’m getting into, so QRs are a perfect excuse for that.

I’m probably doing it wrong though…