[Closed] Uppy Downy Seat Posts - has it transformed your riding?

Personally I would go so far as to say it has transformed my xc/trail riding. Most of what I do has a jump/DH bias, so I'm used to having the saddle right out of the way.

As for skills training I have had a couple of sessions and I'm looking forward to one with jedi on the 17th of June, but I very much doubt he will be teaching me to ride with the saddle wedged up my ****.

It did transform my riding. 8 years ago I went over the bars because of going down a steep hill, started slow but gained speed due to the gradient and low grip, high seat post and just couldn't ride it out as I couldn't get my rear end over the seat. Broke my scapula, a few ribs and since then have used up and down posts. I haven't owned a bike in 5+ years that didn't have a drop seat post on and I won't ever ride a bike without one again. Both my current bikes have them (Spesh Command posts). I could have avoided the crash by dropping my normal post before the descent but it was an unfamiliar trail and when you don't have that luxury your sometimes simply to lazy to stop and drop the post.

I may not be a cross country god but I am a regular motocrosser/enduro rider and can jump some serious doubles/gaps on a good day so it's not like I use my droppper post as a skill compensator either.

Now I just bomb down anything. Even if I don't drop it at the start of the descent I still often drop it on the way down when I feel I want to. They are fantastic and make your riding flow much better because at the press of a button it's down and you can maintain your speed down some very steep stuff where in the past you would either have had to stop to drop your post or taken it more slowly descending down a particular bit of the trail. Then, soon as the gradient increases you press the button again and climb. I use mine a hell of a lot on most rides, that's what it's there for.

guess!

crank bros?

top marks!

Peachos - you can google the word 'transform' as well as the next man.

To say 'it WILL make a significant difference' is a matter of personal opinion.

I have one, has it made a marked change to the way I ride, or even how I ride... no.

Would I choose to ride my HT around technical trails without it... no.

I'm adamant that if you think it will make a huge difference and you've not had any skills coaching, you should spend your money on some coaching first.

Just set your seat post lower than you usually would, stand up a bit more (Becoming stronger as a result and being able to move you body around for more balance) and you don't need one. If you like to to ride with your seat jammed up your posterior at every given opportunity maybe they are a good thing.

I would say the main benefit is being able to put your seat up rather than down as you can ride around with your seat a bit lower and the only issue is that your are not in the most efficient position for pedalling and saving energy.

I didn't have one, and thought they seemed like a really good idea because I do like to drop and raise a lot on the trails I ride. So I bought one - it was ace, so ace in fact that I bleated on to people about how ace it was at every opportunity.

Then it broke, half way round a 40k loop in wales, and broke in a very annoying way, the top would spin round freely, but only anticlockwise, so I couldn't even hold it in the middle with my knees, totally ruined my ride so I took it off and sent it back to be repaired.

It was repaired and has now sat in a box in the loft for the last 2 months. I dont trust it and I found during the time it was away that actually, using a qr lever isn't as much faf as I remember.

I think what I'm trying to say is 'meh' they're OK, but not essential (to me)

For me, anything that makes a bike less reliable or adds more maintenance burden isn't worth it.

I run my seat at below optimum pedalling efficiency position and have no issues moving my weight around. if the trail is going to get silly then I'll just drop it fully. Get one if you think it'll help and it probably will.

Oh, and not sure where all this 'go on a training course' excitement is coming from - have we all reached the point where we can't possibly improve our riding by going out more and in more varied situations?

Apologies for my grumpiness.

Transform is a strong word, but you really do notice how much you miss it when it stops working (as they all do..).

vinnyeh - Member
I do wonder whether a hite rite would still be the best solution for most people, if somebody had the willingness to put it back in production? Low weight, cost, and durability. Does the seatpost need to be going up and down like a yo-yo?

I for one would be interested as it looks simple yet stable, it also looks like something that would retail for far less than the hydraulic versions, if someone could produce a strongly made steel version with steel office chair type lever, with either a 3 position version (not sure if that would be possible though with that hite rite design?) or two position version but with some choice for the buyer, ie: 2 inch drop, 4 inch drop, then I would be interested.

Like the guy you quoted, I mainly stand up and this is because I realised there can be value in doing so if we are talking about constant up & down trail centre/cheeky trail typical singletrack, converting my HT to SS has helped me gain the leg strength required quite a lot, I even stand up on the FS in pro pedal mode a lot now and can climb like that too, or simply revert to sitting slightly more forward on the saddle when legs are tired, but basically, I ride all the time with the saddle in the compromised (saddle down just enough, about 2 inches max, to make it slightly easier) position, I don't have any trouble keeping up with those that aren't elite racer types so I don't mind riding like this as it's not a race for me anyway.

I'm exactly the type of person the hite rite would benefit I think, I can see the value in those hydraulic droppers but I'm not great with mechanics and fear that I may have to mess about with failures, these posts are still a lot of money for the better ones. A new style of hite rite, if selling for, shall we say anywhere between £29.99 to £49.99 max if they can produce it at that price point would sell well IMHO.

peachos - Member

what about these badboys - anyone got one?
http://www.jensonusa.com/store/product/SE266G03-X-Fusion+Hilo+Adjustable+Seatpost.aspx?sc=FRGLUK&cc=GBP

Think you might have missed this post?

GEDA - Member
No. Definitely not. I have no problems with the uppy downy x-hilo post I have, it has a remote and works very well it is just that I don't sit down that much so can run my seat lower anyway

I've never bothered changing my seat height, but I have friends who do. The problem at present seems to be the unreliable nature of the products available; one guy I know has had three, and all have failed in some way or another, to the extent that he actually leaves an old post in the car as a back up.

We are the same height, but my legs are shorter than his, and I think the people who like to drop saddles are probably taller/longer legged than me. I've also ridden a fair bit on rigid and cyclocross bikes, so have maybe got used to not dropping the saddle. When I do it, I feel that I have less control, not more.

ah cheers MM!! seem to remember them getting decent reviews over on pinkbike too.

just couldn't ride it out as I couldn't get my rear end over the seat

If the saddle is so high you literally can't get behind it at all, it is way too high for pedalling too.

Superb, wouldn't be without one.......well apart from when it's away being repaired.......which is most of the time.

Yep loads, if you want to get all over the bike when its in the air they are very handy, they let you lower your center of gravity any keep your weight where ever you want it..
Haters be gone..

There is a big difference between thinking they are not strictly essential and being a "hater"!

It is well worth practicing getting behind a normal height saddle, even if you have a dropper post, because one day you'll forget to drop it.

Only Had it a Week or so, so certainly not a definative view, but it is great, I wouldn't call my riding "transformed" but the fact that having the seat up or down is simply a half second flick of a lever, Vs fannying about with a QR and re-setting it to the right heigh at the bottom of a descent.

it means that rather than just putting up with having a fully extended seat for shorter sections, I'll drop it as and when I feel the need.

On my reular loop the other evening I must have put it up/down 12-15 times Vs maybe 3 with the old QR, overall I was a bit faster for not having those stop/starts and not having to compromise on the descents.

I wouldn't mind an extra inch of drop (mine is 4") just to get the seat that touch lower but so far I'm very pleased...

I haven't had a single faceplant since getting one. I used to be a faceplanting specialist.

Just to balance the 'mine is always broken' brigade, myself and my wife have had a total of 7 dropper posts between us over a 5+ year period and had no problems so far apart from the very first one I bought many years ago that developed a bit of side to side play (replaced under warranty). It's been one of the most reliable parts on our bikes. We have had far more problems with hydraulic brakes and suspension forks than with our seatposts.

There's a hell of a lot you can do to eliminate going over the 'bars, and you really should do the same stuff regardless of where your saddle is set.

Great for trail centres where there are plenty of downs and ups

glenp - Member

There's a hell of a lot you can do to eliminate going over the 'bars, and you really should do the same stuff regardless of where your saddle is set.

There's a hell of a lot you can do to eliminate going over the 'bars, and you really should do the same stuff regardless of where your saddle is set.

How do you 'do the same stuff' if your saddle is in the way?

I think those that think saddle height doesn't matter are short with long upper bodies. And I suspect they're right (for them).

There's a hell of a lot you can do to eliminate going over the 'bars, and you really should do the same stuff regardless of where your saddle is set

ok, i'm going to leave my seat high and lower my COG or be all nice & loose in the knees whilst the seat is up my ass. please tell me how i can do this oh masterful one...

I'm liking mine a lot.

Cheers IR Bandito. 🙂

There's a hell of a lot you can do to eliminate going over the 'bars, and you really should do the same stuff regardless of where your saddle is set.

This and a couple of other peoples previous comments read a bit like your accusing those of us who dare to vary our seat heights of being cack handed fools who constantly pitch themselves over the bars mistified by the most basic of bike handling tasks, whilst I'm sure that's not your intention, it does make you sound a little conceited.

Not everyone want to spend all of their time perched on top of a full height saddle which while one [I]Could[/I] ride with it fully up all the time, many people generally get more from their riding by being able to adjust the bike to suit the task at hand a little better, that is what this thread was discussing...

ok, i'm going to leave my seat high and lower my COG or be all nice & loose in the knees whilst the seat is up my ass. please tell me how i can do this oh masterful one...

I never said seat up was the [i]same[/i] as seat down, only that there are lots of little details that can mitigate against going over the 'bars. Heels down and head up for a start - you can and should do that stuff whether you have the saddle high or low, and even with a "pedaling" saddle you shouldn't be going over the 'bars all the time.

I don't think you need to give it all the nasty sarcasm. But go for it if it makes you feel better.

ok, i'm going to leave my seat high and lower my COG or be all nice & loose in the knees whilst the seat is up my ass. please tell me how i can do this oh masterful one

lets keep this about your personal experiences of uppy downy seat posts 😀

some really useful posts on here, terrain of choice and riding style seem to be the biggest factors other than price. price is such a huge factor with this product though... hence me not wanting that to be part of the opening question, just after your own experiences of the product.

cheers for all the comments guys! muchos appreciated-os x

ok, i'm going to leave my seat high and lower my COG or be all nice & loose in the knees whilst the seat is up my ass. please tell me how i can do this oh masterful one...

I just meant that it did not follow that riding with a normal saddle means going over the 'bars all the time.

That's all.

lets keep this about your personal experiences of uppy downy seat posts

I know a few people that really like them, but not quite to the extreme of being essential. A nice-to-have for those that I have met.

Always struck me an interesting idea, but for me personally at the moment the'te too heavy and look gopping. As soon a slinky weight weenie version is invented that doesn't look like a blue peter build made of bog rolls I'll get one for my big bike.

I think I got one 5 years ago? Whenever GDs came out.

I really think it's body shape (height in particular) rather than anything else that determines how useful they are.

What transformed my riding was using my QR to put the seat down for everything but the long boring flat/ascending bits. But if you don't really like the benefits of a low saddle on anything interesting (not just steep bits) then I can see why you wouldn't appreciate a dropper post.

In answer to the op, yes.

Went to Morzine for the first time in 2005, & just did mainly the d/h trails, so seat was down all the time. Went to Les Arcs in 2006, 90% singletrack riding with trailAddiction, & was forever stopping to down/up/down etc with the seatpost q/r.

Went again in 2007 but this time my bike was Gravity Dropper (with remote) equipped. Total transformation! Kept the 'flow' on the trail, no more stopping faffing, come over a ridge to a techy downhill, just push the lever, drop the seat & carry on. Its ace!

I never said seat up was the same as seat down

only that there are lots of little details that can mitigate against going over the 'bars. Heels down and head up for a start - you can and should do that stuff whether you have the saddle high or low, and even with a "pedaling" saddle you shouldn't be going over the 'bars all the time.

I don't think you need to give it all the nasty sarcasm. But go for it if it makes you feel better.

best bit of kit in ages in my opinion.
optimum hieght for up and down. no comprimise.

see you soon bagstad

GW I should just ignore you, because you clearly are just argumentative for the sake of it.

But. You def should get your heels down, regardles of saddle height. Having the saddle down makes it easier to get away with, but doesn't make it a good idea. There is nothing wrong with dropping the saddle, and it does open up new degrees of movement - that isn't the same as saying that having the saddle up means you go over the 'bars all the time.

You probably can ride well (at least I've no reason to doubt that you can), but I've done thousands (literally) of skills sessions and I use and understand a system that is very well proven. The physics of the system are exactly as used by other very well known skills coaches, including the most well known one on here. I was teaching to this system years before that person was qualified to use it. I don't see you slagging anyone else off in the same way, so I guess it must be personal. So why don't you just ... go away.

Bagstard - Member

They make even more sense on trails you don't know.

Killer app, that- people say "Oh, I've got a quick release, I can just lower it at the start of the trail"- but not if you don't know what's coming up. I think they're great, but a lot of the time I wouldn't miss it that much... But on new trails or ones I don't know well, I wouldn't be without one now.

glenp - Member

I don't see you slagging anyone else off in the same way

Seriously? GW's a consistent ball of internet rage

could do with one,try and keep mine up as much as possible thoguh,as i cant be arsed putting it up and down all time,too much faff!

we had a code of keeping our posts up as much as possible for a larf like.silly really

I don't see you slagging anyone else off in the same way,

so I guess it must be personal.

So why don't you just ... go away.

I'll let you know. i didn't think I needed one, i can ride pretty much everything around this way with my seat where it is, and the few bits that I consider really steep it's no hassle to lower the post at the start and then when I'm down and picking all the bits that fell off when i crashed / checking my pants for bits of poo, it's no hassle to put it up again.

But then on my skills course with you know who, he put my seat down anyway even on the flattish bit of singletrack that we were working on, singletrack i would never have considered dropping for. And while it felt strange, it also felt good.

Since then of course I CBA to stop every few minutes to adjust every time I transition from fireroads and climbs into singletrack and descents, and like before, I get on OK. But i finally got one today, on his recommendation (it was the only kit comment he made on the whole of the skills session we had, pretty much as he said above) and I'll be using it routinely from now on.

And to throw my hat into the ring for Glenp too - of course you should do the same things seat up or down - the basics of head up and heels down. I don't see the XC pro's over the bars that often, look at their technique and you'll see it's just the same.

wish they were a bit cheaper, must try it out on yeti's bike, then maybe, just maybe.... group buy anyone?

Downhill- defo heels down! Gravity droppers- best thing since disc brakes! But thats just my opinion. 😀