[Closed] All bikes should have dropper posts.

Why? NOt something I have ever felt a need for and I don't have one on any of my bikes

🤦‍♂️

I think droppers are one of those very few components that are terrain specific. If I still lived in the Chilterns I don't think I'd bother with one. They're very useful when they're useful, but otherwise...nah.

I agree. They are ace. Improved my kids riding and enjoyment when they got them. We need better, cheaper droppers.

Rebuilt my Ventana a few weeks ago. Thought it would be handy to have a drooper. I've yet to drop it in anger...

You don't NEED one but the trouble is once you've ridden with one I do think they make rides more fun. I'll probably never ride without one now!

I’m with you... I can’t even get on and off my bike now without dropping the saddle...and that includes my turbo bike 😀

Has anyone used the words skill and compensator yet?

Only you.

Nope.
They're good if you're doing lots of steep and/or techy terrain but for normal, "downcountry"/trails/XC/bimbling that most of us do they're an extra complication.

I've never used a dropper, but I'm putting one on my current build because sometimes I'm riding my bike but I also wish I was on an office chair.

They do transform a bike and a ride, especially if you ride rough stuff, but even on pretty tame terrain. I'd really miss mine. I occasionally forget to drop it on tech sections and I am amazed at the difference. Loving the hate too. Seems to happen with a lot of new tech that eventually becomes universal

Most of the time, I own a rigid bike, and even that has a dropper in- because riding with no suspension is fun and challenging while riding with no dropper is just not being able to ride like I want to.

It's not a "big gnar" thing either, tbh the gnarlier the trail the more likely it is to be entirely downwards. The first time I really clicked with a dropper, was Drumlanrig- because there are loads of sections that have enough downwards, or technical options, or dubious line choices, to want the post down but also enough pedalling to want it up. Around the pentlands reservoirs I feel the same, I wouldn't want to have it either up or down.

I think droppers are one of those very few components that are terrain specific.

I think they're rider specific, there's a lot of folk that are completely wooden when riding, who hang on to the bars for dear life and let the bike do the work, and don't move at all, apart from pedalling.

Those folk don't use or need droppers.

I like to drop my post pretty much every time I stand up, even on flat trails they make the bike more manoeuvrable. I don’t understand why people only drop them when things get steep.

Just a load of more faff we’re told we have to buy to faff about with to ride a push bike. I don’t like faffing about.
I’ve never used one by the way but I bet it’s a load of faff.😀

there’s a lot of folk that are completely wooden when riding, who hang on to the bars for dear life

They're called Roadies. 😂

I've often thought my rigid singlespeed should have one, instant Big-BMX for twisty singletrack.

Apart from balance bikes, trials bikes, tandems, recumbents, BMXs, DJ bikes, tall bikes, unicycles.

Heavy, ugly, unreliable. No thanks.

So I've got one, and do use it, a Fox Transfer. But once its worn out it'll be getting replaced with a plain post, because in the analysis it isn't worth it.

Bike components, it's all subjective.....

Bit presumptive to say those that don't rate droppers also don't move about the bike properly, proper internet comment that.

But, what about droppers Simon?

Got one on the big bike.

Often get to the bottom having found I didn't use it.

Don't have one on either xc bike or the touring bike. Couldn't find one for my TT bike or my road bike (aero seat posts-so surely that would mean no sloppy keyway ;))

Yes so not all bikes. And even those with in my case are doubtful.

Put one on the wife's bike as she likes to put the saddle up and down to suit.

For me -I do drop the seat when terrain dictates - but most of what I do is long climbs and descents. so somewhere ( to take a place I have ridden) like the quantocks where the ups and downs are only a few mins apart I get it. But when you climb for an hour a descend for half an hour I just don't need it. I'll be stopping at the top anyway to see the view / catch my breath

wow, didn't realise. I thought they were pretty universal for most these days

I thought they were pretty universal for most these days

You thought wrongly 🙂

wow, didn’t realise. I thought they were pretty universal for most these days

Do not make the mistake of thinking this place is representative of actual MTBers.

Yeah they're not necessarily always needed, but they definitely are good to have for some rides. I've removed mine for maintenance reasons some time ago, can't remember when and haven't got round to fixing it. Have just been dropping the post manually using a multitool. Sometimes if feeling energetic then I'll just stick with it down for the whole ride, standing up as much as possible, pushing gently if seated to save knees.

I am happy not having one on my gravel bike, but would rather not ride my FS if I had to use it with a rigid post.

Heavy, ugly, unreliable. No thanks.

That’s what my seatpost says about me! Maybe I should change the bastard. He’s always been too laid back for his own good anyway.

🥁

I think it does depend on terrain, but also how/when you learnt to ride.

I’ve been riding a long time and droppers didn’t exist for the first 20 years of me riding bikes. So now, even though I’ve ridden plenty with one, I just don’t see the value unless you’re on the steeps, as I’m used to moving my bike and my body with the saddle where it is.

I can see where they’d be useful, but that’s not the riding I do.

You know when you google something and you find a singletrack thread from about 10 years ago, that’s what this one reads like 😂

😂

My brother only drops his when he puts his bike in the car.

You know when you google something and you find a singletrack thread from about 10 years ago, that’s what this one reads like 😂

Before that was disc brakes, before that it was suspension etc etc etc.

Not sure all bikes should have one.. my touring bike, my shopper and my road bikes don’t need them (And DH bikes, leave their seats down). I was a non believer or at least a piss taker of them, still if riding a DH track I’d lower my seat. Now a days - one on my Enduro race bike, a Bird and on my Solaris but there isn’t one on my single speed and when I rode down a stairway last week in it, I felt pretty uncomfortable with that seat up. I can just about pootle down some of the softer local gnarlier tracks with a seat up but I’d like to see someone do them any faster .. drops, small jumps, steep roll offs, logs on the track - seat up would make these pretty unpleasant If not downright dangerous, so you are at least undoing the clamp and pushing the seat down with out a dropper. I’ve seen people doing enduro races without a dropper but they lower their seat at the beginning of each track, like I do but at the end they are stepping off their bike and trying to get the seat right to ride up. Singletrack on an old school bike fine. Seems it’s down to your bikes and where you ride.

Have them on all my bikes, i enjoy techy downhills and jumpy stuff, so they are good, days at places like BPW i do tend to just have it lowered all the time, so can see how folk can survive without them, i did for the first 18 years of mountain biking, but they are one of those things in biking that has vastly improved bikes, especially with the way trail centres and the changes in trails around the country, where you are getting more techy descent more often, with features added, then straight into uphill at the turn.

At present, pretty much all bikes have the ability to use a dropper post, which is good enough, wouldn't want to see them on all bikes as you'd just get a lot more of the cheap and nasty ones that have more reliability issues and reduce the overall confidence in them.

Unreliable? I've had a Reverb for three years with no problems other than one bleed. Which is really easy. Heavy? Heavier than a standard post, but meh. Ugly? I'd maybe agree that externally routed posts aren't the most aesthetically pleasing, but internally routed ones don't look much different to a standard post. An extra cable does make the front look a little messy, I suppose. If I could afford the wireless Reverb, or a Magura Vyron I'd jump at the chance to tidy the cockpit up a little.

Faffy? Stopping to drop/raise the post when terrain dictates is way faffier than simply pressing a lever, popping your arse down and getting the saddle out of the way for a more fun descent.

I've just taken mine off and put a regular post on. I quite like how there's one less thing to think about.

It also means that taking the bike apart (maintenance, travelling) I no longer need to worry about the cable - I dread ever having to disconnect the cable from the post, and losing the tiny grub screw.

I might go back, but it will be externally routed so I can just take it off.

Wouldn't consider a mountain bike without one, but each to their own. I put one on my gravel bike, which seems a bit less common, but I like it and use it all the time. Even on road descents I prefer to get a bit lower (aero and cornering) and any sort of off road descent just feels much more fun with the seat dropped. I did start with a 150mm dropper (One Up) but actually found that a bit much for the gravel bike for some reason. Shimmed it down to 120mm and that seems to work better for me.

Have had them on MTB’s for a while, and recently got one on my Genesis Fugio 30 gravel bike and find it very useful.

Rather go back to canti brakes than lose the dropper

I'm a convert. I like to keep my bikes as simple as possible, ie rigid singlespeed so I thought they were just another gadget.

However I fitted one to my bike for the 'Puffer because I find getting my leg over the bike as the race wears on gets more and more difficult. It was going to be purely for that purpose - drop the saddle when I stop to make the remount easier.

I very quickly discovered the advantages of dropping it in all sorts of conditions, basically any time I was out of the saddle because that allows more mobility for the upper body, and therefore better bike control (IMO).

And they're brilliant if your solution to tech stuff is windmill legs... 🙂

I'm now looking at getting one for the gravel/Rough Stuff bike.

I used to do a short commute on my mountain bike (it wasn't worth buying another bike for a 2km ride). I found the dropper to be super-useful in a busy urban environment, especially being able to drop it when waiting at traffic lights. Essential? No, but pretty handy.

Not necessarily a dropper but if new riders are tackling drops and jumps get that ****ing seat down!

Every Friday Fails etc has examples of people getting kicked up the arse over the bars by a high seat.

It's amongst the most easily preventable MTB accident. Along with lack of speed and stopping the back wheel with your arse going off drops. I show videos of these things to newbies as an example of what to never ever do in any circumstances!

I think it does depend on...  how/when you learnt to ride.

interesting. I have heard that old folk are less open to new ideas.

I think it does depend on terrain, but also how/when you learnt to ride.

I’ve been riding a long time and droppers didn’t exist for the first 20 years of me riding bikes. So now, even though I’ve ridden plenty with one, I just don’t see the value unless you’re on the steeps, as I’m used to moving my bike and my body with the saddle where it is.

And your point is caller?

I've been riding MTBs for over 30 years, and have always embraced technology.
I was an early adopter of dropper posts (2006 Maverick Speedball anyone?) and think they're an ace piece of tech.

I didn't used to drop my seat all the time because it was a hassle with a normal post, now it's second nature, and it makes riding more fun.

When you're used to having one, you really miss them when you don't have one. Nothing like cresting a hill, reaching for that button from instinct, and then the panic hitting when you realize it's not there.

I could understand people who just say they are happy to stop and put their seats down ‘manually’ (a bit inconvenient but whatever). But I’m staggered by the number of people who claim not to need to drop their seat ever. That’s just weird.

It's just old skool xc racers that like to think that having 2 foot of seat post stuck up their arse on descents makes them more of a man!

Having said that, 'all bikes' should not have droppers. Don't see the point on road bikes.

They are good on an MTB but I will never be putting one on my fixed gear bike (which is ridden off road) for obvious reasons so not for all bikes.
Also anyone that says it makes an MTB (29" wheels and all) feel like a big BMX has never ridden a BMX and I would suggest you buy a BMX rather than a dropper...

Plus one for Mtb’s should always have a dropper, massive game changer in terms of enjoying the downhills with one less thing to think about.

Still yet to try it on the gravel bike. there are times when I’ve wanted one but it’s usually when I’m being a bit silly and taking it somewhere it has no business being eg

View this post on Instagram

So I’d like to try it on the gravel bike but feel I should probably just not be on those sort of tracks on it anyway!

Ps See how I’m riding without much body movement because there s it anywhere else to go with the saddle there!

Also anyone that says it makes an MTB (29″ wheels and all) feel like a big BMX has never ridden a BMX and I would suggest you buy a BMX rather than a dropper

Maybe, but I’d rather ride (jump) trails on my enduro bike than on a BMX with a massive seatpost.

titusrider

Still yet to try it on the gravel bike. there are times when I’ve wanted one but it’s usually when I’m being a bit silly and taking it somewhere it has no business being

I got a cheap KS for my gravel bike to see if was a viable idea, & yes it was.
Now I've got a good one & use it a lot in silly places.

All depends for me how high you run your seat anyway. I run mine lower than 'optimal' for performance purely because i like it where i like it, i don't want/need a massively high post. So a dropper isn't as much of an issue to me as it is to some.

I rarely fit mine unless doing somewhere technical.

Maybe, but I’d rather ride (jump) trails on my enduro bike than on a BMX with a massive seatpost.

That is because a BMX is not a good bike for riding trails on. Surprisingly the small wheels don't roll that well and I moved up to a 24" race cruiser for riding trails when I wanted a BMX feel. Having experienced riding 20" BMX, 24" BMX and 29" MTB there is no maybe about them feeling the same.

Hell, I've poked the nest here... To clarify, thread title was a bit tongue in cheek, but I really don't know why you'd choose to ride off-road without a dropper these days.

I've had droppers on my MTB's for 4 or 5 years now, and wouldn't be without one out of choice, they're not just for the steepest descents, there are loads of situations where they enhance the ride.

They just allow you to move around the bike more, get it leant over, lower your centre of gravity, and fear less for the health of your gentleman bits (not for women, obvs, though maybe it helps their regions too). They can make getting on and off and getting the bike in the car easier too.

As for faff, once setup they're less faff than stopping before and after steep descents, dropping and raising the post, adjusting QR tension, getting the height right and making sure the saddle is straight. They're cheap enough too, a reliable, internally routed dropper can be had for not much over £100! A new Thomson fixed post is £80 RRP. Yeah, they're heavier, but I'll bet most people would regain any slight weight disadvantage by being faster in lots of places.

I thought I'd just try this dropper in my gravel bike for a laugh and it might work for more off road biased rides, but I know now that I'll barely take it out, if at all, it's just bloody handy. No faff either as it's an under saddle lever. One trail I ride is just an east bridleway through a wood, slightly downhill, but it's rooty and there are a few tricky bits, I don't see how there can be any disadvantage to getting my arse lower for those bits.

I really don’t know why you’d choose to ride off-road without a dropper these days.

Same reason you might not use gears or suspension - but I know what you're getting at and yes, very few bikes don't benefit from a dropper. TT or track bikes maybe, that's it. (edit, tough to justify on a road bike but that new DT XC inverted dropper and an Alpine decent could be all that's needed)

As the vast majority on this forum are either roady/gravel/CX riders/other similar bollox or old and you can't teach an old dog new tricks and despite this being a MTB forum, I'm not surprised that the vast majority claim to say that dropper posts are pointless.

They changed the game more than anything else that has been developed recently, for MTBers that is not pootlers.

I do not have one on any of my bikes.have always run saddles low on gnar bikes and quite low on xc bikes.dont think I would use one even if I had one on my bike

I tried droppers on my bike about 7 or 8 years ago and didn't use it so I took it off.

When I built up the Solaris I decided to try a dropper again. I used it for the first few rides as it was a novelty, since then I just forget it's there so ride with it up. Needless to say it'll be coming off and going in the classifieds, so if anyone's interested in a low-use AXS Reverb then give me a shout!

Best invention for bikes in the last ten years. I’d have one on all my bikes, but I only have one bike. I use it all the time, not just on the steep stuff. Never had one fail either and I’ve owned a reverb, KS Lev and Fox.

As the vast majority on this forum are either roady/gravel/CX riders/other similar bollox or old and you can’t teach an old dog new tricks and despite this being a MTB forum, I’m not surprised that the vast majority claim to say that dropper posts are pointless.

Some truth in saying that riders who can't bunny hop properly or don't jump/drop are more likely to see droppers as unecessary or just an aid on steep descents. Lower saddle = more space to move your body weight = better flow and speed even on XC singletrack. Might not need 150mm of drop though, even just 50mm is a big advantage imo. But whether you want/need/use that advantage is another thing, nothing wrong with some old school high-postin' XC.

"simplify then add lightness"

One place where I ride that needs saddle down is GT. Seat up - climb from the bottom. If i do Pennals vennal seat down then up again for the climb all the way to the top. Then down all the way to the bottom.

So in a 2 to 3 hr ride its twice put down once put up. Easily done with a QR which unlike one of the posters above is simple. quick and easy. No issues getting the seat back to the right height or straight

Conversely not all off-road needs a dropper.

High burn side - large parts of scolty - mastermind - Golfie. Yes dropper adds something to the experience (but not essential)

Heartbreak ridge , glentress marked trails /inners red, dalbeatie , laggan. Lairig au laiogh never felt the need.

But as you rightly assess I was brought up riding DH where the saddle was not slammed but the knees were used to push into the saddle for control purposes And subsequently XC where bums up saddles down with inverted headangles. - so you learn how to move around a whole bike even with saddle up. - but yes it has its limitations when the going gets really steep....but to say you need it for every trail on every bike is just blinkered. Horses for courses.

You'll be shocked to learn you don't even need suspension for all trails next.

To add to my post above - with a QR I can put the seat down without even stopping. I am not racing so to stop for 30 seconds is no hardship anyway.

A I said - I get it if yo are on undulating terrain that is steep and tricky - but thats not where I ride

I’ve started riding a new area and now need a dropper.

Problem is that at the bottom of the mega massive dropper hill (that took me 1.51 to descend On a 2 hour ride)is a massively boring gravel ride to the top.
If I don’t go down the hill I can spend more time with my seatpost up riding lovely flowy single track.

The dropper however does make getting my bike in the car a doddle and with a blanket over it , it no longer looks like a bike.

I could certainly live without one and just have a QR seatpost.

but I really don’t know why you’d choose to ride off-road without a dropper these days.

because this is off road riding

And this is also off road riding:

The irony is that the lad in the first picture hasn't dropped his saddle 🙂

If droppers are such a huge advantage why did they not get used on the olympic XC course which had some fairly large features on it that certainly riders of my sort of standard would find tricky?

do any XC racers use them? - I mean at the top level

Lots do..and still make descending look tough.. But taking nino Schurter for example. He does not habitually run one.

But will fit when he deems necessary.....

He can make his bike fly.

They are starting to.

do any XC racers use them? – I mean at the top level

Yeah. Short travel ones, but yeah.

I can see an application for them for most bikes, inc road.

To add more fuel to the fire...

You’ll be shocked to learn you don’t even need suspension for all trails next.

I'd rather have a dropper than suspension. In fact I do on my Stooge.

Interesting read this. I was a sceptic for for years in "Not needed, I'll use the qr" camp. Eventually gave in and tried one and bought one straight away. Would rather ride a fully rigid single speed with a dropper on rough terrain than a full suss without. Would never have an mtb or bike that rides off road without one. For me they are up there as one of the most important tech innovations in mtb's. Just look at how they now come stock on most mid to high end bikes now and how many posts there are on the market now - that's because the demand is there not marketing bollocks. They genuinely do make riding off road a better experience, heck even most xc pro's use them now for most races.

Would never criticise anyone for their choice of bike or gear, and of course nothing is ever 'needed', but dropper posts are 100% undoubtedly a beneficial advancement. I learnt my lesson about being closed minded to new tech with dropper posts so am now much more open and non judgemental about new bike kit until I've tried it.

Anyway, as has been said, I thought we had this debate years ago? 😉

To add to my post above – with a QR I can put the seat down without even stopping. I am not racing so to stop for 30 seconds is no hardship anyway.

What you describe is a primitive shitey dropper, ironically.

The fact XC racers don't use them means nothing. Sports people can be slow to adopt new wacky things. They like the way they've always done things...they're creatures of habit and maybe a bit superstitious and don't like being laughed at by competitors unless they're sure they're going to get enough of an advantage to beat them and have the last laugh. I mean look at road racers and gear ratio's - alot still look at a 32t cassette with scorn even though Froome and a few other riders have schooled them in the high mountains on the benefit of having the right ratio's. Maybe a case of what percentage of the time will the dropper help vs. the additional weight of it...is there a net gain? Maybe on an XC course there isn't a net gain so being a bit slower on the few short technical descents where a dropper would be beneficial it's not worth it for the rest of the course. A few of these chaps would have benefited from a dropper though:-

I think one of the big bike brands was experimenting with some form of simplified dropper on road bikes instead of that ungainly thing where they sit on the top tube on descents. Dropping the saddle on a descent would be safer and enable you to get the rider into an even more aero position. But I guess weight reigns supreme at the top end of the sport.

I can imaging a dropper being useful sometimes on a gravel bike if you're on a more wild trail with a few gnarly steep sections. But depends on the routes you ride. If you think you'd benefit from one on your gravel rides then go for it. You don't need the approval of the STW massive.

What you describe is a primitive shitey dropper, ironically.

Nah doesn't sound like a reverb to me.

I'm just waiting for you to get a T6 reference in, we've had reverb and nino schurter now! 🤣🤣🤣

the 3 bikes i have owned over the past year, i wouldn't be bale to mount or dismount with the seat at the correct height
same for my 9 year old lad, was able to fit a cheap mechanical and that allows him to use hte full range of movement when pedalling, but without falling off when stopping
where i ride, id be over the bars without fail, or constantly dropping my seat, or id be hanging off my bike and unable to get back on the seat
even just riding along on my hardtail, gets a little bumpy? lose a few inches of seat height..