I have a 29er hardtail. In your opinions do i need a dropper post to take it to Afan? In the past i have got off and manually lowered the seat, which is a bit of a faff. Are those steeper sections easy to ride without adjusting seat height?

All bikes need a dropper! 😮

Get one! Once you have one, you’ll wonder how you did without one… 😛

You don’t ‘need’ one to ride anywhere.
Yes, it will make any ride more fun in my opinion as at any point on a trail where you’d be able to move the bike around more on a feature with the saddle out of the way you can.
There’s nothing wrong with just manually dropping your saddle for the main downhill sections, we did it that way for years but the ability to do it for little bits of the trail and then raise it again if the downhill gets pedally is well worth the cost in my opinion.
I’d lose my suspension and gears before my dropper.

I have actually taken the dropper posts off my main two trail bikes ( I live very near to Afan , and ride there ~ twice a week).

I know most people will shudder at the thought, but I simply don’t use the dropper.

For me it just clutters up the ‘bars and adds weight and complexity to the bike.
It just doesn’t fit in with my type / style of riding.

You definitely don’t need one for Afan, but you may prefer to have one. Not many trail sections where you really need one at Afan though.
Regards

Denis

Following the post above I’d say you need one less anywhere that you ride regularly as you know what’s coming. When you’ve no idea what’s around the corner or how long this climb goes on for a dropper is great. Not needed but it makes the climbs easier and the downs more fun.

I bought one a few months ago, and pleased I did. I dont think folks really need one however when they have fitted one the guys I ride with say they would not be without one. IMO its a nice to have and not a need to have.

I’ve ridden MTB’s since the late 80’s and have had just about every gizmo and gadget from Girvin flexi stems to the latest 1X11 XT drivetrain.

Everyone I’ve ridden with urged me to get one, I knew they were here to stay just like the first Answer manitou elastomer forks with 25mm travel but I resisted the temptation right up until Easter this year.

For the first month at least after riding a particular section I was asked how did you find the dropper on that bit? “Oh I don’t know I forgot to use it” I stated to use it a bit more until it’s second nature now.
I’d say as most others have on here that No you don’t need one, but once you have one you will realise the benefits.
Recently in the Alps one guy we rode with constantly kept throwing himself over the bars, he had a fixed seat post and he refused to accept it would help him manoeuvre the bike so I lent him my bike for a few descents and the pain eased a little.

In the past i have got off and manually lowered the seat, which is a bit of a faff.

And what, pray tell, do you think a dropper post is actually for?! 😉

I used to get off mine and lower the seat, then get back on and think that’s a bit high and get back back off and think no thats a tad low now……

I ride a local trail where there are a few jumps, having the dropper makes the difference between rolling straight in and cleaning it or rolling in and having the seat nudge into my no mans land,

I think dropper posts improve riding flow.

There seems to be mis-conception that a dropper is only used on downhill sections so the saddle is out of the way (and you don’t smash your knackers on your saddle when the going gets rough)and then fully extended when you get to a climb.

Rememember most posts have infinite or pre set positions – i drop mine to a mid position on flatish terrain so i can still pedal but the seat is out of the way for any interesting “fun bits”. I also don’t run the post at full extension on technical climbs, as sometimes i find that full extension can contribute to front wheel “lift” having the post slightly lower on climbs also makes it easier to get out of the saddle for those last gasp efforts.

If your an XC racer who needs to save weight (and likes going over the bars) then don’t run a dropper, But for the average trail rider i think it is one of best MTB developments of all time.

I think beer247 sums it up pretty neatly.

You may not ‘need’ one, in the same sense that you don’t ‘need’ suspension, wider bars, grippy tyres, but (generally) once you have used one you’ll find it hard to go back due to the benefits it brings. Personally speaking a remote activated dropper is a must on any mountain bike I own.

beer247 – Member

I think dropper posts improve riding flow.

Yup. Ride with less stopping and less compromise basically. Not essential of course but imo more than nice to have too. But also depends on how and where you ride, if you’re a habitual stopper/faffer or you’re happy with the seat up it’s also less benefit.

I say this in every dropper thread- my rigid bike has a dropper, because riding without suspension can be fun but riding with the seat up is just shit.

Totally agree with Beer247 and Northwind.

Its not only useful for gnarly descents. I find just as useful for everything, on the flats and even technical climbs. It allows the seat to move out of the way so you can pump and manoeuvre around the bike more effectively allowing you to corner sharper or quicker and hold your speed more.

At Bristol bike fest a few years back I was overtaken a lot up the climbs by some very fast racers. But as soon as we got to a section with tight berms and roller bumps I found I could stay in touch by just pumping the bike and not peddling much. The racers would be braking into each corner and then peddling hard out of the corner and struggling to gain any distance on me especially over the bumpy rhythm section. If I had the fitness to peddle hard after climbs I could have easily caught up and if there was room even overtaken them.

In my opinion this was simply down to me being able manoeuvre the bike better and get more speed through the corners. This was happening on pretty much every lap with many different riders. I am also an mediocre weekend warrior and don’t have Steve Peat like skills.

Yes, you will die without one, especially on a 29er.

Having never considered a dropper, or even looked at one in the flesh for that matter im quite tempted, especially for the ride compromise. At the moment I leave seat up and its a tad to high on rocky descents. Much prefer the seat down but faff stops me getting off.

Do any allow use of existing seat post, I like the layback current post offers? Also are there any standout bang for buck droppers reccomended?

I put a dropper on my Spesh Hardrock it cost about 50% of the bike! Was absolutely worth it for me

I’ve just got one of these to try, ordered over the weekend and came today.

http://www.bike-discount.de/en/buy/exaform-eten-remote-hydraulic-drop-post-30%2C9mm-44685

I think it is enough to spend to see what all the fuss is about, once I am hooked then if needed I’ll look into getting a better one.

I think it is enough to spend to see what all the fuss is about

should have got one of those £29.99 decathlon ones then..

should have got one of those £29.99 decathlon ones then..

Wrong size for me unfortunately, otherwise I would have.

I’d say you need one less anywhere that you ride regularly as you know what’s coming. When you’ve no idea what’s around the corner… a dropper is great.

Agreed. Well observed.

But as soon as we got to a section with tight berms and roller bumps I found I could stay in touch by just pumping the bike and not peddling much.

That’s because they sucked at berms and rollers, not because you had a dropper post.
(I know this from experience of XC racing but sucking really badly at berms and rollers.)

You don’t need one to take a 29er HT to Afan and I don’t think not having one will ruin your fun there either. It’s just a nice to have, especially in standard trail centres – the only time I’ve really depended on mine to enjoy the riding was in Spain where a lot of the trails we did were out-of-my-comfort-zone-steep.