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First time out tonight with my x-fusion hilo. I'm a serial seat dropper and it was great not to have to keep getting off the bike. There's a few places where I can't normally be bothered, but having the option definitely more fun.
Mine's a 27.2 and was a bit worried about the robustness of the unit. Time will tell, but one (muddy ish) ride in, very impressed.
Personally anything tech with a full seat post terrifies me. I'm 5'11" with long legs and a short body. My saddle at efficient pedalling height is higher than my friends, he is almost 6'2" and doesn't bother to drop his saddle at trail centres or similar.
It is less of an issue on my 29er, so I'm thinking it's probably a centre of gravity thing. To all you non droppers I salute you, but do wonder are you doing much in the way of jumps? Drops? Fair play if you are, it wouldn't be me.
I logged on this morning and sadly, page 3, you two are still arguing like school kids.
Cant you take it off line, its tiresome.
Agreed, the sexual tension is quite off-putting when I'm trying to eat my breakfast.
What is this "heels down" stuff on downhill?
Is it just another of the MTB over complicating techniques?
If i'm feel im going forwards, i get get back further and lower, you can do it any which way you want, as long as it works.
I'm a BMXer, ridden bikes for 10 years, been doing MTB for 6 months. I keep on coming across little bits of technique tips that people pick up, then concentrate too hard on whilst out riding. Tips that actually really bad.
Tips like this "heels down", people who are learning to ride, will keep their body stationary and simply put their heels down. They don't make the connection that it's a whole body movement, not just one little move of the leg.
It's like the whole pedal down thing in turns, people do it in turns without adding all the other ingredients, so it inevitably does not work.
Tips on forums are complete garbage in comparison to being out on a bike, trying it, and working it out for yourself.
I hope that little rant kind of makes sense.
I the subject of seat height, i have a 16.5" frame and run it slammed for interesting stuff, im 5ft11. You can't move around the bike as you need to, or IMO should do, with a seat sitting above even your knees.
shhhhhh dean, you arent supposed to talk sense on here...
For me I ride heels down when the going gets techy. Your right about it being a whole body thing though. I wish Id learned to ride BMX first. Its taken me years to learn to move my body around on the bike.
Heels down to me means that if the forward progression of the bike is likely to be resisted by rocks/roots/holes etc Im less likely to be pushed forward onto my hands or over the bars. My heels down position means my body weight tends to push the bike forward if it comes to a halt, rather than me going over the bars.
This is in conjunction with my body position being low and centered, hands light on the bars, wrists slightly down for the same reason.
After a while it becomes a reflex and not a thinking thing. Then it makes sence. It tends not to work if you have to think about it.
But I do still crash.
^trimix, that makes sense. haven't looked at that point of view before.
I assumed that if you're going into something that could halt progress of the front wheel, you lift your front wheel over it or bunny hop it. Well that's just my BMX instinct kicking in then.
I have resisted this advance in technology, as I resist most 'great leaps foreward??????'. Being cynical I think these dropper posts are made nescessary by poor bike design. Bikes with overly high bottom brackets and lower front ends make it difficult to get your arse out back to even out your centre of gravity on very steep descents. Bikes with long wheelbases/top tube lengths create a similar problem.
IE. I will probably get one in five years time! Ain't gone tubeless yet though!!
Dean- my heals are down on really steep tech stuff to avoid my feet slipping off and also i feel its more of an attacking position, to me it feels right, i where flats, i suppose if you use spds you would'nt need to as much, but at the end of the day do what you feels right. 🙂
Agreed, the sexual tension is quite off-putting when I'm trying to eat my breakfast.
Oh no. I quite like it! It makes me feel all... hot.
Please - carry on! 😀