Dropper posts on XC bikes ?

Hi – I have used a dropper post for years now and love em – But I fancy doing a bit of more XC type riding next year – and maybe doing a few races , enduros etc – My question for the forum is Do most XC,ers use droppers ? – I ve got my eye on an EPIC for next year – and its a 30.9 seat post diameter – so thats no problem – So that just leaves the weight issue – most “off the peg” XC style bikes dont come specced with droppers – Just wondered if they were frowned upon in the XC world ??

Seen less often admittedly, but you do whats comfortable, if you don’t mind sacrificing weight then go ahead.

I took my ‘enduro’ bike to an XC race once because it was all i had, still enjoyed it.

most don’t but don’t let it stop you

Toe the line, be a sheep.

Oh you are, as you need to ask on an Internet Forum for permission… 🙄

I have, if someone frowns at me I just smile back.

The most common crash I see xc whippet types perform, is over the bars due to a 100ft high saddle and a 100ft long stem.

These folks could really use droppers… 😀

KS are working on a short drop carbon dropper for ‘XC’ use..

Wasn’t there an Specialized Epic ‘Evolution’ model with a dropper post as standard?
If it suits your riding, just put one on. I doubt you will see many at a XC race though.

makes a lot of sense to me

can have the seat at max efficiency pedalling height but still hit the rough stuff at full pelt

less of this?

Yeah droppers can be a big benefit on XC bikes, the trouble is the weight so they’re seldom used. If you’re not a weight weenie and reckon you can get an advantage on the descents from the dropper then I’d go for it.

can have the seat at max efficiency pedalling height but still hit the rough stuff at full pelt

This is why I’ll be fitting one to my current build in progress. I don’t race XC but that’s mostly what I ride these days and the thought of being able to get enough height on the saddle to climb efficiently is what appeals to me.

go-go-gadget seatposts make MORE sense on an XC bike.

hardtails/short travel bikes get bucked around more, the ability to drop the saddle a bit without stopping is ace.

if you’re more a ‘winch and plummet’ kind of rider, you may won’t mind so much stopping at the bottom/top of the hill to set your saddle height the old fashioned way…

I reckon they’ll grow in popularity. Some folk already using them.

Well it’s a bit like real tyres. It will only take a top contender to win on one of them and say ‘I won thanks to the dropper’ to see an increase of popularity.
* Although unlikely to happen

XC race bikes were the last to get suspension because of the weight issue…

A friend of mine recently put a gravity dropper on his carbon Cannondale Lefty equipped whippet bike. I was skeptical about it when he was first talking about it – saying he ought to get a more modern one for that sort of bike. But as it turns out its the only bike Iv ever seen look good with a gravity dropper. The boot on the dropper perfectly matches the boot on his lefty.

Oh and he’s also a lot quicker DH now too 🙂

Works a treat mate, weight isn’t an issue TBH…

I think dropper posts are more relevant to XC bikes as the gradient changes more frequently. If you’re riding in, say the Alps, where there are long climbs and long descents it’s easy enough to adjust a normal seatpost at the top or bottom.
Go with whatever you fancy.

I do the odd XC race and I run a dropper post. I’m crap, though, that’s why. The really fast lads all ride HT 29ers with about five foot of carbon seatpost sticking up their backsides and they leave me for dead on the downs as well as the ups…

I’ve got droppers on both my full-suss and my hardtail, and use both for what I regard as XC. Firstly it’s great to be able to drop your saddle with interrupting your ride and so breaking the flow. Secondly it means you can have you saddle a bit higher than you might do normally, knowing that you can drop it a bit when things get tricky.

As others have said, it makes more sense for XC than DH

I’ve got one that I put on my Anthem 29’er (it also has guides for the cable routing) for general riding, days out and trail centres.

However I don’t race with it, purely as I haven’t come across a course where I think / feel I’d gain an advantage – other than the Dyfi Enduro. That includes racing at Lee Quarry and Cannock (the chase not the trails).

If you want to fit one, go for it.

I have a brand new dropper in a box at home. I keep going to fit it to my full sus (not light) bike, pull the seat post out, hold saddle and post in one hand and dropper post in the other… put dropper post back in box 😉

I’ve used droppers a lot and have one on another bike, and I know if it was already on I wouldn’t even think about the weight, but they really are a lump compared to a nice rigid post.