Unanswered To drop or not to drop, that is the question

[Agamemnon]

‘Tis right to drop the seat low when getting into technical/ tougher stuff on the trails?
Is the purpose to get my butt back, and or get low for stability?
Where is the treatise: Dropper seat FAQ?
Thanks.

Oh yeah, being we’re here in questions, do we emtber’s have a gang sign? Or secret form of address?

 

[Rusty]

Oh yeah, being we’re here in questions, do we emtber’s have a gang sign? Or secret form of address?

Yup

The - fonk, I hope my battery lasts the next 10/10/30 miles sign.

 

[Rusty]

Oh yer .... dropper post ............. vastly over-rated.

 

[Supratad]

‘Tis right to drop the seat low when getting into technical/ tougher stuff on the trails?
Is the purpose to get my butt back, and or get low for stability?

Yes, both. In my short time with a dropper post, I'm up and down like a bride's nightie.

 

[KennyB]

Pure dead brilliant. My hardtail came with one years ago and I thought solution looking for a problem - then I rode with it. All the years of XC racing with the saddle in my chest on the technical downhills and the weight too far back gone in an instant with the ability to keep low, keep the weight on the front wheel and move around on the bike. A professional racer once said given the choice between a dropper and rear sus, dropper every time.

 

[Zimmerframe]

Oh yeah, being we’re here in questions, do we emtber’s have a gang sign? Or secret form of address?

I thought it was the "two fingered salute" .. except with the fingers presented flat/horizontal to represent plugging in to charge ?

 

[Channing]

Just got my dropper installed last week, very nice to be able to get the seat out of the way for the downhill stuff!

 

[steve_sordy]

Dropping the saddle also allows the saddle to whip back and forth between your legs without snagging on your shorts (or their contents).

 

[slippery pete]

Is the purpose to get my butt back, and or get low for stability?

"Low" is more generally useful.

"Back" is no good if you run out of range of motion - arms outstretched means you're about to get proper sketchy.

The position should always feel centred. Learning to be comfortable on steeper terrain is a lot about overriding the brain's natural desires. Centred will still mean "further back than on flat terrain" but really not as much as you might think.

Getting your head low and your hips low centres you and gives you lots of range of motion in both arms and legs. If the steep terrain drops over a step (usually does), you can just extend your arms to meet that obstacle. If your arms, instead, are outstretched, the drop will tug you forward... out of balance and worst case OTB.

 

[Mcharza]

Dropper give you more room to move on the bike and you still stay centered.

And my second point: Saves your balls

 

[HikerDave]

"Low" is more generally useful.

"Back" is no good if you run out of range of motion - arms outstretched means you're about to get proper sketchy.

The position should always feel centred. Learning to be comfortable on steeper terrain is a lot about overriding the brain's natural desires. Centred will still mean "further back than on flat terrain" but really not as much as you might think.

Getting your head low and your hips low centres you and gives you lots of range of motion in both arms and legs. If the steep terrain drops over a step (usually does), you can just extend your arms to meet that obstacle. If your arms, instead, are outstretched, the drop will tug you forward... out of balance and worst case OTB.

Great advice. If there’s any chance I’ll have to roll over a step on a downhill I’ll get off the bike and drop the seat post, even if that downhill is relatively mild. Otherwise extending arms to let the front wheel drop, which also moves the seat rapidly forward doesn’t work; I don’t have the thigh gap for that. I’m really missing the dropper on my conventional MTB; I probably get on and off the bike ten times on a typical ride to adjust the saddle because I use a fairly high seat position most of the time to save my old knees but it gets in the way of maneuvering.

 

[routrax]

Yup

The - fonk, I hope my battery lasts the next 10/10/30 miles sign.

Or, hope my motor lasts...

I think that if you don't find a dropper useful, you're not really riding proper trails.
I'm pretty late to MTBs and I remember seeing MTBs in shops with droppers and didn't get it. I did some bikepacking on a old hardtail without a dropper and enjoyed it so much I bought a much better bike which had a dropper without a remote. It had a weird lever under the seat. Revelation time! Once you get the seat out of the way you can take on very steep terrain and move around the bike to keep it stable. I couldn't imagine riding an MTB without one now.

 

[Rusty]

Oh yer .... dropper post ............. vastly over-rated.

Was actually extracting the urine - waiting for @Zimmerframe to chime in.

Once you have used a dropper out in the wild it is very difficult to ride without one. Dropping off a ledge you can get your weight back for the initial drop then get centered so you don't go off the back at g-out.

 

[Ameiza]

It’s not a proper trail bike without it...

 

[Zimmerframe]

Was actually extracting the urine - waiting for @Zimmerframe to chime in.

Once you have used a dropper out in the wild it is very difficult to ride without one. Dropping off a ledge you can get your weight back for the initial drop then get centered so you don't go off the back at g-out.

Yup sorry .. service has been lacking lately !

But yes .. with no urine extraction ... you do need a dropper .. everyone should have a dropper.. it's crazy not to have a dropper .. If only for when you fracture your pelvis and can't walk or get on the bike .. you can lower the seat and slide on from behind and still, painfully, ride.

 

[Gary]

"Back" is no good if you run out of range of motion - arms outstretched means you're about to get proper sketchy.

Or you're manualling and the range of motion has switched to your hips/legs.
I don't disagree with your advice BTW. just adding to it.
it's good we're not all obsessed with riding in a permanent enduro position

 

[Nomad1]

Or, hope my motor lasts...

I think that if you don't find a dropper useful, you're not really riding proper trails.
I'm pretty late to MTBs and I remember seeing MTBs in shops with droppers and didn't get it. I did some bikepacking on a old hardtail without a dropper and enjoyed it so much I bought a much better bike which had a dropper without a remote. It had a weird lever under the seat. Revelation time! Once you get the seat out of the way you can take on very steep terrain and move around the bike to keep it stable. I couldn't imagine riding an MTB without one now.

A dropper is even useful on the road. No matter your skill level you will find a good dropper useful after using it for a short time.

 

[Nomad1]

‘Tis right to drop the seat low when getting into technical/ tougher stuff on the trails?
Is the purpose to get my butt back, and or get low for stability?
Where is the treatise: Dropper seat FAQ?
Thanks.

Oh yeah, being we’re here in questions, do we emtber’s have a gang sign? Or secret form of address?

The dropper can be helpful on both ascending and descending on or off the saddle. There is a steep section of trail I ride where I lower my saddle some but not all the way and pretty much stay on the saddle to have the right amount of traction.

 

[steve_sordy]

Great advice. If there’s any chance I’ll have to roll over a step on a downhill I’ll get off the bike and drop the seat post, even if that downhill is relatively mild. Otherwise extending arms to let the front wheel drop, which also moves the seat rapidly forward doesn’t work; I don’t have the thigh gap for that. I’m really missing the dropper on my conventional MTB; I probably get on and off the bike ten times on a typical ride to adjust the saddle because I use a fairly high seat position most of the time to save my old knees but it gets in the way of maneuvering.

Fit a remote lever!!! and drop/raise on the fly. No more dismounting!!!, Maintain your flow!