Home made dropper post.

After seeing someone attempt it on a thread on reddit I thought I’d give it a bash myself. (As usual there is blog spam that I’ve written on the matter)

Used a gas strut in-between two clamps that I had made up that work like a quill stem.

Threaded one of the bolts to take the thinner end of the gas strut and the other end has a dome eyelet to sit in the head of the other bolt. A 150N gas strut provides ample force, others I have seen use an 80N but I suspect once its taken out in the mud it would clog up a little bit, so went for nearly double the force.

Full build album here
Video of operation below (if the formatting works!)

Will end up at ~£50 once the seat post clamp has been bought (assuming £25 for a QR clamp) which is a lot cheaper than the alternatives. I admit that having to undo the QR is a pain whilst moving but at the price its minor really.

Also not too happy about the seat post and seat tube wearing against each other but if its well greased I don’t see a major issue as this bike doesn’t have a huge amount of mileage put through it.

What do you think?

It’s very ingenious but, for me, trying to undo the QR, stopping the saddle twisting whilst it goes up/down and then doing the QR up again tight enough to stop the post twisting in use would be a recipe for lots of falling off.

So, you have to stop, undo the QR, push the post down, redo the QR, ride, then do the reverse?

Is that right? Sounds a waste of time if so, you might as well just have a regular seatpost, surely?

Not knocking your inventiveness, but sounds a waste of time if I’m understanding you correctly.

It seems to be basically one of these but without the ability to keep the seat lined up:

I’m not sure it sounds worth the hassle.

you might as well just have a regular seatpost, surely?

Regular seatpost doesn’t come back up on it’s own, and… er that’s it.

Regular seatpost with a spring in the seat tube 🙂

wwaswas – yep, with practice it should be fine, its not for me its for my dad and he didnt fancy spending a huge amount on a dropper so I said Id make him one.

woody – the idea is that with a QR you can do it without stopping, and it puts it to the same height each time if your fussy about that kind of thing

Robin – exactly like one of those, couldn’t find one of those and my dad didnt want something external.

nemesis – pretty long spring youd have to have there!

Tmars dropper is £50 with a remote. Might have been tempted just to buy that for him.

Yes, a long spring (or a shorter one with a longer (plastic) spacer but it’d do exactly the same thing and a lot simpler…

nick – didnt know you could get them that cheap, Id have been tempted as well if I knew, but where’s the fun in buying when you can make it?

nemesis – Don’t think that would work to return the saddle to the same position as conditions got worse as you’d have a variable force. Gas struts are fixed force over their travel (near enough)

I’m confused. Love home made stuff but what does this do that drawing a line on the seatpost doesn’t?

Not quite £50 but still very tempting
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/like/281435175115?limghlpsr=true&hlpv=2&ops=true&viphx=1&hlpht=true&lpid=108&device=c&adtype=pla&crdt=0&ff3=1&ff11=ICEP3.0.0-L&ff12=67&ff13=80&ff14=108&ff19=0

£50 if you are happy to wait for an international delivery.

You need a laser under saddle for seat alignment

Does your Dad have a will and are you in it?
If so this is ingenious
I would consider upping the gas pressure to create an ejector seat

Ten out of ten for having a go, but what does this do that would be different to just putting a spring under the bottom of the seatpost and allowing it to bottom out on the bb shell?

All I can see it doing is saving the ‘effort’ of pulling the saddle up when you’ve undone the clamp(?)

If you can undo a seatpost qr on the move, allow the saddle to come up (or push it down) and use your inner thighs to align the saddle, then you are either riding along something flat, or mega-talented.

One major problem is the point of lowering the seat is that it out of the way allowing you more movement over the bike without snagging on the saddle. That is just creating a pogo seatpost which will be more annoying than just having the saddle at a fixed height.

I still think there is a market for the Hite Rite 🙂

Oh dear, it’s looks as though the Dragons say no.

SOM – Indeed it does, at least my dads happy with it eh?

craig – You use a QR clamp, its not a pogo seatpost when its clamped.

danny – I agree but again, with practice I think that will become pretty easy, I wouldnt expect the saddle to rotate much if your sitting down on it. I am pretty sure he wants it for something like bike park wales where theres a massive flat section at the top and a little bit at the bottom so you could do it along those.

nd – 😆 Fortunately its a fixed travel strut so that’s as high as it will go, could get more force but if I did I think it would be like slamming a saddle into your nuts.

picton – can do it on the fly (at least thats the plan)

Could you fashion a remote to operate the seatclamp?

peachos – not in the week I had to do it, but I am intending on doing that.

I see, I think I’d be worried about doing too many things at once and having a stupid crash on the flat that skins my elbows.

You tried the changing gear with the other hand thing whilst carrying shopping trick?

Multi tasking on a bike is a lot harder than your mind tells you it should be. 😆

Could you fashion a remote to operate the seatclamp?

Undo it maybe, but do it up again…?

I was thinking more of a tension coil spring to replace the lever and something to push them apart when actuated. would probably need to be a strong spring to ensure the post doesn’t slip though…

I have about 3 or 4 Hite Rites in a drawer somewhere. I tried to use them to make a modern version of it. The remote release is where the convenience is. Also, the Hite Rite needs a welded-on seatpost clamp collar otherwise it shoots up and takes the collar with it. I used one of those telescopic two-piece seatposts and fannied around for a couple of years. I gave up and bought a Reverb!

In the 80s when the Hite Rite came out, my mate fashioned a tailgate strut version for his bike. It was spaced out by dropping sockets down the seat tube. Strangely enough, it didn’t increase the weight of his bike by as much a percentage as you would think…

“It was spaced out by dropping sockets down the seat tube.”

Now that is bodgery!

Interlock Racing Design did a seatpost QR remote many years ago to work with a Hite Rite. It used a thumb shifter as the remote lever.

I can’t quite see how it closes again. There must be a huge return spring in the cam lever. Looks very interesting though! I might have a go!

I can see how it closes but no idea how it opens! I may also try to have a go..

It’ll be held closed by the lever/cable.
Moving the lever releases it enough to allow the post to slip.
If you look at the pic – it’s not a locking cam

It only has one cable. So if you remotely release it, what tightens it up again? Or do you have to get off and retighten it?

If you look – the cable holds it closed – release that and the clamp is loose.
Pull the lever, cable goes tight and clamps it again.

No carbon wrap or spoons

Re-dic-u-las
Not spending my children’s inheritance on that
I’m out