[Closed] Has anyone gone back to a normal post after having a dropper?

I've got short legs and to be honest I can't get the right top position as it's always too high. If I drop to a smaller frame then the seat tube is ok but reach and length is thrown out.

Think I'll have to admit defeat and go back to a normal post.

Not normal, I have taken the dropper off my hardtail and replaced it with a U.S.E suspension post. It better suited the riding I was doing on it. Superb bit of kit too.

Occasionally, due to bike swapping or mechanicals. It's shit though.

Yes lev had to go back lasted a week, hated it. Having to guess the up position was the worst.

I swapped back whilst my reverb was being serviced, and liked the comfort of my old carbon post so much I haven't bothered to put the dropper back on again. I will when I go to Whales, but for general riding on a hardtail it is less than perfect.

I have replaced the dropper with a normal seatpost on my new bike from the off. I had a dropper on my previous bike as standard and didn't use it much, when I did use it it was for me a distraction trying to get the position right by which time I was either through or in the middle of the section I wanted to use it on. I just feel a lot more set up on a normal post and one less thing to go wrong. If dropper posts go electronic or something, can be set to specific settings and don't require weighting of the rider to operate I think they would be great.

Sounds like some people have droppers that are too long for them/their bikes.

Yes. Worst month ever.

Yep, t was rubbish. Thankfully only once whilst it got serviced.

I'd probably just miss the ride next time.

I have, the dropper was just extra weight for me and I never seemed to use it. When I did it just seemed a faff.
I was never one for stopping at the top of trails to drop the post if it gets steep and just ride them so that's probably part of it.
Didn't seem to add any benefit for me so I flogged it.
It did come on a second hand bike I bought so it wasn't a conscious buying decision.
Mind you, I'm still on 26" and 3x9/2x9 so I'm not overly bothered by the latest greatest things. I just ride (when I get the chance).

No but I happily could.
I've ridden for so long without one I forgot to lower it 50% of the time anyway.

A lot of total mincers too!

Yes. Was pretty much the same as alanf. Never been one for dropping the saddle with QR. Clearly I've lost some RadGnar points but I can live with that.

Take mine off when doing a trip so luggage doesn't wear the stanchion of the post but to be honest the last trip was a couple of months ago and I haven't got round to putting it back yet.

had a Reverb on my last 26" FS bike

not had a dropper since ditching FS bikes and getting 29'er hardtail

on my 29'er the drop between saddle and bar is much flatter than my 26" FS bikes, I've never felt the need to put the saddle down as you don't feel like you are going to go over the bars

Yeah it never really worked on my hardtail

I'm a tall and the bike is small so for the small amount of drop I needed it wasn't worth it and tbh it looked like a dropper post with a bike attached. Noticeably heavier as well

Much prefer it with a fixed post. There are definitely some bikes/riders that need them but they're not for everyone.

Only on my singlespeed, but as you almost never sit down on that anyway I can leave the post [s]down[/s]. I mean slammed.

Not quite - I had a gravity dropper but changed it for a Specialised CP XCP, which only has about 35mm of drop, which is all I want.

I was getting some knee pain (from something else I think) but a dropper post allowed me to have a full height post for climbing hills and not have a compromise position, which seemed to help a lot.

1x11 and the Specialized SRL lever is really good, the drop is just like changing gear.

I can't seem to get on with a dropper.

Never really used it, thought it made the bars more cluttered and another lever to press etc.

Sold the droppers and very happy with a normal post, hardly ever move it on the trail either.

I know that I'm in the minority though, but al least I have tried it.

Doesn't suit me though.
Regards

Denis

I built up an n+1 hardcore hardtail, obvs no dropper, but just riding to the shops etc it's good fun, really miss the dropper tho !

It all depends on how and what you ride really

glasgowdan - Member
A lot of total mincers too!

I reckon it's more to do with where you live/ride, ie when I lived in the south I didn't have one and didn't feel the need of one - then I moved to Scotland, and no way would I would I want to be without one.

I've a suicide dropper on my hardtail which I swap out for a normal post depending on where I'm riding. XC ride with few stops I put the dropper on, rides where I'm just out in the local woods I use a standard post and slam it when I'm at an interesting bit.

I have just finished a mandatory abstinence from my LEV as it had been sent away for yet more repairs. Though I was perfectly able to get down most of the descents with my saddle up I have found my technique has fundamentaly changed and my stance is centralised more and going back to the arm stretched ass off the back of the saddle feels really ungainly now.

It's just how you like to ride- if you like riding with the seatpost up, then there's no point to a dropper. Being able to easily drop the seat is better, but that's not really very relevant, like/dislike is way more important than better/worse.

Folks having trouble with position- is that because you've not got enough room in the frame for it, so you need to stop it before the top?

I went through a weight weenie phase and chucked one on my XC bike. Was ok, but definitely the tiny weight saving was far outweighed by the inconvenience of not having it on anything slighly technical

then I got fat and gave up on trying to reduce the bikes weight...back on went the dropper, the front mech and the lock on grips. When you are 2 stone overweight it didn't make much sense..

Northwind, mines exactly that. I've short legs and the high position is too high. I'm at the collar in frame point so no more adjustment.

I'm on a 16" frame and going down to the next size down is often too small everywhere else.

Mine is a 125mm drop as I couldn't find a stealth 100mm anywhere without spending unjustified hundreds.

That'd drive me up the wall.

Just swap it for a non stealth.

Reverb will be coming off my Soul in a few months for a bikepacking weekend - I think I'm going to miss it 🙁

I'll just use as is for now and keep my eye out for a 100mm stealth.

To be honest I'm not fussed about it being a reverb. A Lev would do the job nicely too.

I never realised the advantages of dropping my saddle for years. I was alwas able to handle steep stuff with it up, so never bothered.

However in the last few years I've realised that it's not necessarily about being able to get your back over the saddle more easily; it also helps you lower your centre of gravity, which makes a long travel bike handle better. Also, if you have long travel forks they dive less if your CoG is lower and further back. I only drop by 1-2", unless jumping off tall things (not that I do that very often) when the seat needs slamming.

So I want one for the Patriot, I don't think I'd bother for my other bikes.

I did/do, I've one dropper and a few bikes.

TBH I don't notice it too much, it's nice to have, but equally I can quite happily ride trail center type stuff with the saddle right up. You get he occasional bad landing when you end up with your weight forward, but on the whole it's of minor consequence.

It's a comfort blanket 90% of the time.

Recent convert to droppers here (150mm stealth reverb, had it for 6 months). I was alway a bit of a mincer on steep gnarly stuff, but now I can drop the seat out of the way easily I'm happily riding stuff that used to scare me.

Makes a hell of a difference, I can't see myself ever going back to a fixed post.

Had one, always forgot to use it. Took it off again.

My riding is all Swinley & the surrounding area though so a dropper is really not needed.

MoseyMTB - Member
I'll just use as is for now and keep my eye out for a 100mm stealth.

To be honest I'm not fussed about it being a reverb. A Lev would do the job nicely too.

Have a look at the KS Crux integra - 100mm drop and just shy of £200

Sell yer reverb and it wont cost much to put a Crux in

Having to do without a dropper a few times made me realise how totally dropper dependant I have become. I'm not complaining, though - a dropper makes riding so much more fun.

I'm not obsessed enough to stop riding whilst the bike is dropper-less, but it is way less fun without the dropper.

Will happily ride with either because if there is one fitted I don't use it that much, I don't get dropping the post right down as I like to stabilise the bike with my thigh against the saddle when I'm out of it.

My day to day bike (rigid 29) does my commute to work, Antur Stiniog and all in between and the post hasn't moved since the original build setup.

Confirmed saddle dropper here so I do miss my dropper when I don't have it, but there's always a qr for the proper descents.

I like to stabilise the bike with my thigh against the saddle when I'm out of it

Of course whether a dropper* (or stopping to manually drop the saddle**) is [i]worth[/i] that benefit is an entirely different question.

*Heavy, expensive, potential faff lumps that they are.
**Messes up my flow dude.

. So I reckon most people would benefit from dropping their saddles and CoG and riding "in" the bike a bit more.
Of course whether a dropper (or stopping to manually drop the saddle) is worth* that benefit is an entirely different question.

have one on my main/big bike and use it all the time. Just bought a fat bike, did 2 days in Afan and a few hours at more local Woburn with a normal post and didn't even consider dropping it or miss the dropper. Even bought a shim so I can use my GD on it, and not fitted it.

hmmm.

My riding is all Swinley & the surrounding area though so a dropper is really not needed.

I would probably not use one at Swinley due to the requirement to pedal a lot. Although maybe I'd go down an inch for the sections where you lose elevation (hesitate to call them downhills).

I would probably not use one at Swinley due to the requirement to pedal a lot. Although maybe I'd go down an inch for the sections where you lose elevation (hesitate to call them downhills).

...Specialized XCP - 35mm drop...

b r
I reckon it's more to do with where you live/ride, ie when I lived in the south I didn't have one and didn't feel the need of one - then I moved to Scotland, and no way would I would I want to be without one.

When in the South visiting family however, I can happily ride for hours on & around the ridgeway, South Downs, Swinley etc without ever moving the post and have no less fun.

Hmm. I've found it nice on my particular bike to be lower on twisty singletrack, even if it's not downhill. If I had one I'd definitely use it in places like Surry. Point is, it's not just about steep descents.

Hmm. I've found it nice on my particular bike to be lower on twisty singletrack, even if it's not downhill. If I had one I'd definitely use it in places like Surry. Point is, it's not just about steep descents.

Also Cafall. The down sections whilst not demanding are defintely more fun with the seat down a bit, you can manhandle the bike better. But they are not that long and interspersed with short bits of flat and up that are a PITA to do with your saddle still down.

Yes but not by choice. I'll be on my fourth one when wiggle send me a new warranty replacement one this week. I hate not having one in the Peak District, but when I rode Sherwood Pines last week I didn't miss it.

I still think a lot depends on whether you view it as a dropper post, or an upper post.

I you're the kind of person who rides a lot of flowing XC for miles and miles then you use it as a dropper, only dropping for the techy descents, chances are you feel like you could probably do without one.

If your riding is more winch and plummet and a lot of techy riding then you probably treat it as an upper post, default down and raise for the climbs and longer peddally bits, chances are you might also be happy to stop to adjust and can do without one.

It's the middle ground all round riding where i now wouldn't be without one.

If you do a bit of both then You probably end up in the same camp I'm in, some of my bikes have them, others don't, the ones that do I would miss the dropper on, and the ones that dont I never feel like I need it, so yeah, as much about the bike and the kind of riding you do as anything, and the more genuinely all-round your riding and trails are the more useful one becomes as you end up in that sweet spot where you needs and upper and a dropper a lot on the same ride 🙂