Dropper requirement ?

[TheRealPoMo]

I still consider them unnecessary. A 5mm allen wrench does the job suitably well and saves a pound of weight. ;-)

Is this a popular view in this community ?
Just that I am considering one - convinced myself I do not need a remote, just an underseat lever because of my "modest" riding style and terrain choices.
I have a quick release post clamp and have been using that when things ahead look iffy - don't even need the allen key.
I have had the odd untidy, unplanned dismount though that a dropper probably would have avoided.

 

[Rusty]

Never used one until I bought my first eMTB late 2018 and have really found them to be something I don't use a lot. However, there are several drops on the trails I ride that I do drop the seat for as with the seat up I have little control. To me, the convenience far outweighs the weight addition. Heck, I am about to buy a regular MTB and a dropper post is one of my requirements.

When I was shuttling up and was running basically DH trails, dropping the seat manually was what I used to do on occasion. To be honest, I hate riding with a low seat as it loads up my knees and causes pain so dropping the seat was not done often.

 

[Husky430]

I was the same as you with a quick release on my seat post, stopping at the top of a descent, dropping the post, get to the bottom and stop again and put it back up and then I bought a bike that came with one. There is no comparison to your ride once you can adjust it on the fly.
I managed to bend mine in a stack and was without it for a weekend ride and missed it heaps. As a mate said to me recently, "the dropper post is the biggest thing in MTB'ing since hydraulic disc brakes". I would pretty much agree with him too. Even the convenience of dropping in a bit when you get into some tight single track makes a huge difference to your handling of your bike. It initially takes a bit to get use too, just remembering that it's actually there and to use it where applicable, but once your in the groove with it I don't think that there is any going back. I replaced my expensive stock dropper with the budget Brand-X dropper (around $170 AUD delivered) and it works just as well as the more expensive ones. Hope this helps.

 

[iXi]

I never had one until I got my emtb also and now if I jump on a bike without one it's just not the same. My emtb had the over the bar style but when I put it under the bar it was night and day. For a couple of hundred dollars it's probably the best adittions you can add to your bike.

 

[papab]

I've been using a dropper post for quite a few years now, & would never go back. I was reluctant, but was convinced when my wife got one and all of a sudden she was keeping up with me instead of lagging behind on the downhills.

 

[urastus]

Before I bought my first dropper post, I used use the quick release, drop down my post, stop at the bottom of whatever it was, use the quick release and pull it up again. I felt bad doing this - I hate unnecessary wear, especially in part of the frame that can't really be replaced. I eventually paid the exorbitant amount for a dropper at the time. Of course the seat tube was so loose from the post sliding up and down, that I used contact cement on the new dropper to help it not slip down the seat tube and minimise sideways and front and back movement in the tube (the dropper post below the clamp). I still have to use contact cement whenever I take the dropper out of that bike. It's still reasonably easy to remove - loosen clamp, twist from side to side etc. That was probably just a month of wear on a then new bike?

I imagine if you lived somewhere incredibly flat, like Holland, they may be of little benefit. I'd still want one when jumping curbs or running down stairs or just when I anticipate having to brake really hard.

 

[TheRealPoMo]

Thanks all.
I was going to drop the motor this weekend and refit with copper grease and loctite to hopefully get rid of the last vestiges of the dreaded Bosch creak. Maybe I should wait and fit an internal remote dropper....the lever type KS seems out of stock everywhere here anyway.

 

[R120]

I would never ride a mountain bike without one, single biggest advancement in MTB design since suspension IMO - in fact I would rather ride a bike without suspension than without a dropper!

 

[routrax]

I didn't think they were necessary until a hardtail (clockwork) I bought a few years ago came with one.
I wouldn't want to ride without one now, I have much more confidence on descents now with the seat out of the way.

 

[MrBrownstone]

Nope. 30 years riding and racing and my saddle on a rigid post has never felt in the way whether I’m hucking drops, rolling down steeps where wheelie drops are required towards the bottom. I’ve tried droppers on demo bikes and honestly I don’t get it really. People I see using them are oftentimes using way more body English with a dropper than the terrain requires. Think funky chicken. I like riding fast everywhere in all terrain and the last thing I need to think about is my seatpost.

 

[MrBrownstone]

Any new ebike I get, the dropper is the 1st thing to go. My Speedfox AMP thankfully came with rigid post.

 

[Zippy]

I thought they were a bit gimicky but since I have had one I have changed my mind. Although I don't do anything really hardcore, because I run the seat post quite high, due to long legs and a dodgy knee, it definitely gets in the way if I don't push it down. I am certainly converted.

 

[p3eps]

I’m another who rides with my seat quite high due to long legs. I love my Reverb AXS post, which gives me the ability to drop a few mm at the touch of a button when it gets a bit more technical.

I usually find myself dropping the post right down when I come to a stop so the bike is easier to get on and off!

Im on my 3rd bike that came with one as standard, and I wouldn’t be without one now. I absolutely love the wireless AXS post, and will be getting that (or the newer version) for any future bikes.

 

[MrBrownstone]

Every time I see a photo of a mtb with its post dropped I can’t help but think of bikes like this haha.?

 

[routrax]

I usually find myself dropping the post right down when I come to a stop so the bike is easier to get on and off!

I've started doing this, it's like a stairlift on a bike ?

 

[Fingerpuk]

Dropper is now an essential for me, can’t imagine riding without one.

 

[MrBrownstone]

Dropper is now an essential for me, can’t imagine riding without one.

That’s exactly how I feel about emtb’s. Acoustic mtb? Frig that noise haha.

 

[salko]

Dropper post it's definitely a must have on any mtb!

 

[flash]

Could I ride without a dropper? Definitely. Would I ride without one, given a choice? Absolutely not. It took a couple of months at first but there's no going back. My hardtail came without a dropper and it was the first thing I upgraded after one ride.

Gordon

 

[Doug Stampfer]

Sorry... are you saying they make mtbs without dropper posts????? I can't remember seeing a bike without one unless we're going back into the 90s. How about those new fangled gear changer things on the back wheel

 

[I want my 2 Dollars!]

I've been riding since 1985. When I first got a bike 3 years ago that had a dropper, I'd forget it was there and not touch it for much of the first season. 3 years later and I'm always using it. It gives you so much more control and makes the longer Downs much more fun! If your not really riding off road then I'd say it's not a requirement. But if your biking off road and have a pair, your boys and your body will thank you for it.

I've seen a few emtbs set up with the control on the right. It belongs in the left. And should have a lever with a nice action. There are really cheap controls that don't let it work nicely. You can replace the awful toggle with a real thumb lever for about 25 bucks on Amazon.

 

[wkearney99]

I'm an older and taller rider (6'3"). The dropper remote has the added benefit of making it easier to throw the leg over the bike when getting on.

Use the remote, mash it down, throw a leg over, start pedaling, pop the remote and you're back to ride height.

I remember days from childhood regular destroying seat posts on my BMX bikes. The dropper is a HUGE improvement over the old days of rigid posts. I know you CAN ride without a dropper, but they're sure nice to have.

The single biggest challenge for me on the Levo Comp is that it has no front derailleur, so I have to stop pressing the dropper button thinking I can switch front rings. My knees DO NOT like being in a 'ready for gear change' rotation and then having the seat drop! Yeah, all problems should be so trivial, I know.

 

[cole_inman]

YES. Droppers belong on all bikes except racing road bikes. I put one on my gravel bike and it instantly made it more fun and comfortable. OneUp droppers are simple and great with great customer service. Literally the best $200 you can spend on your bike.