# First Time Using a Dropper Post. Help me!



## JCKID58 (Nov 20, 2017)

So I bought a new bike a few months ago. YT Izzo, first 29r, first dropper post. It took what seemed like forever to adapt to the feeling and handling of the 29 inch, long, low, slack geometry, still feels a little barge like on tight turns. Especially tight downhill switchbacks, which are my nemesis anyways. The dropper post is a whole other issue. After 25+ years of gripping the seat or using it for support in different downhill situations now dropping it out of the way has me feeling way off balance. Tried using it quite a bit this past weekend on some steep rocky downhills and felt terrible with the seat down. Anyone else in the same boat? Suggestions for getting used to it, other than keep at it. I have been at for months now, feel like I must be going about it all wrong since apparently a dropper is a must have these days.


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## ShakyDog (Oct 24, 2019)

I also am having this same issue. Got a new bike after about 10 years of nothing and I love the bike and ride it for the most part as I did with the adjustments for size and changes in suspension, I just am at a loss as to how the dropper is used correctly by us old school guys. Watching online I see where they are always above the bike with the seat out of the way. I guess my leg muscles are not what they used to be, but I am still learning.

Steve


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## dysfunction (Aug 15, 2009)

I hate to say it, but it's either a matter of changing habits.. or not. There's nothing special about it.. It's so much nicer than having to manually drop the saddle though, which I used to do.

The switchbacks? Those get easier as you get used to the geometry.


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## hdave (Feb 9, 2005)

where did you find the YT? New or used. sorry - curiosity couldnt stop me asking.


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## JCKID58 (Nov 20, 2017)

hdave said:


> where did you find the YT? New or used. sorry - curiosity couldnt stop me asking.


Ordered it new. After several delays and the entire shipping container literally getting lost once it came ashore in L.A. I finally received it in November. It was about 2 months past the original due date.


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## JCKID58 (Nov 20, 2017)

dysfunction said:


> I hate to say it, but it's either a matter of changing habits.. or not. There's nothing special about it.. It's so much nicer than having to manually drop the saddle though, which I used to do.
> 
> The switchbacks? Those get easier as you get used to the geometry.


 Serious question. What new habits or techniques should I be working on to get used to the dropper.


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## robbbery (Jan 12, 2021)

Is the issue that you like to grip the saddle with your knees during rough descents, but now the saddle is too low to do that? If so, you could either get a dropper with less travel or just make sure to only drop the saddle part way when you know you're going to want to do the knee grip (this is what I do, since I have a knee gripping habit).

Or is the issue something else?


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## dysfunction (Aug 15, 2009)

If you're used to using the saddle as leverage, that'll just take time unlearning.. I came from BMX, so I never liked the saddle when standing anyway, so for me.. natural transition. Also means, probably not a lot of help 

But I do get it...


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## Trinimon (Aug 6, 2019)

I used to ride like that back in my BMX and early MTB days from the 70-early 90s. First time getting a dropper, it felt strange not having the bike saddle to latch onto but I got used to it in no time, now I appreciate the seat being away from me when leaning away from some corners and when hitting the big drops and jump lines.


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## Gumby_rider (Apr 18, 2017)

Start practicing any of these: manual, bunny hop, technical lift or the punch, endo turn, etc. They will get you to drop the saddle in no time.


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## D. Inoobinati (Aug 28, 2020)

*Member has removed content due to fundamental disagreement with this site owner's views favoring expanded access for electric mountain bikes (eMtb) on multiuse singletrack in public lands.*


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## JCKID58 (Nov 20, 2017)

robbbery said:


> Is the issue that you like to grip the saddle with your knees during rough descents, but now the saddle is too low to do that? If so, you could either get a dropper with less travel or just make sure to only drop the saddle part way when you know you're going to want to do the knee grip (this is what I do, since I have a knee gripping habit).
> 
> Or is the issue something else?


That's exactly what I do. With the saddle down there is nothing there to grip, the bike seems to be swapping side to side under me. I'm fighting the bars to keep under control, all arms, no legs. Never even thought about dropping it less! DOH!


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## Harold (Dec 23, 2003)

You have to learn to get comfortable with the bike moving underneath you. That means unlearning the whole "gripping the saddle with your legs" thing. That was never good technique, but tons of people latched onto it when their saddles were way up in the air.

Honestly, this one goes WAY back to practicing range-of-motion drills on the bike. One of the most basic drills you're going to find. But you have to learn how to get comfortable letting the bike do one thing while your body does something else.


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## Harold (Dec 23, 2003)

JCKID58 said:


> That's exactly what I do. With the saddle down there is nothing there to grip, the bike seems to be swapping side to side under me.


Yeah, you need to learn to get used to that.



JCKID58 said:


> I'm fighting the bars to keep under control, all arms, no legs.


You need to engage a lot of muscle groups to manage this. You need to use your core and your legs, too, to maintain control while the bike is doing its own thing.


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## Zguitar71 (Nov 8, 2020)

You don’t have to drop it all the way, you can drop it enough to get it out of the way but still use it to your advantage. I used one for the first time this fall and now I don’t think I could go with out it. It was different at first after 30 years on a fixed post and I also made the move to a slacker 29er for the first time like you. What it did for me was make cornering much better, I can lean the bike farther underneath me and get the bike on the side knobs. It also allows me to get my weight low over steep decents. It also helps on those steep switch backs, I drop the post and get down low, set my ass down and unclip my inside foot and put it out and go right around the 180. Switchbacks kill me too. With the post down and the bike free to move below you the wide bars give leverage to keep the control you need.


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## bitflogger (Jan 12, 2004)

Here's the advice I give. For context, I've started a bike park and until recently was one of the directors at a ski area with lesson programs for all ages, teams and wide array of features features.

Like skiing, you have to carve the bike. Ride in it and not on it. Get that seat out of the way and work at what keeps the right parts of your tires gripping at the correct times. Get rid of clip/cleat shoes if only for learning important stuff. You can put them back on when you can pump and jump a bike without them.

Learn to pump. If you're holding your bike by the seat with legs you are probably giving up all the advantages of pumping. Free speed, more for your effort.

Also just like skiing and other activities - hesitation buys you nothing or trouble. Go for it.

Edit: This is 2021, not 1982, 1993, 2005 or maybe 2012. Get rid of bikes with stupid designs. Don't ride a racing bike if you're not a racer.


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## blatido (Sep 14, 2005)

JCKID58 said:


> So I bought a new bike a few months ago. YT Izzo, first 29r, first dropper post. It took what seemed like forever to adapt to the feeling and handling of the 29 inch, long, low, slack geometry, still feels a little barge like on tight turns. Especially tight downhill switchbacks, which are my nemesis anyways. The dropper post is a whole other issue. After 25+ years of gripping the seat or using it for support in different downhill situations now dropping it out of the way has me feeling way off balance. Tried using it quite a bit this past weekend on some steep rocky downhills and felt terrible with the seat down. Anyone else in the same boat? Suggestions for getting used to it, other than keep at it. I have been at for months now, feel like I must be going about it all wrong since apparently a dropper is a must have these days.


Several months? Wow. My advice: get rid of the dropper and install a good old nice rigid seatpost. I did it just after few days and I'm glad I did. Not only saved ~500 grams, I'm not carrying around something I just couldn't find a use for.


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## Spencer Baum (Mar 31, 2021)

A big thing that I've taken a while to learn is holding your body steady while you let the bike move underneath you with the ground. Be the head of a chicken as you move the chicken's body (the body being the bike in this analogy) This lets the bike ungulate and kind of float over rough terrain. If you're grabbing the seat with your legs, the bike cant move which transfers all the impacts into your body which slows you down. Also, if you're gripping the saddle with your legs, there's no way to move your body around over the bike. for instance, If you're going down something steep, you aren't able to get your weight centered on the bike correctly. Let's say you're going down a steep hill and there's a little roller drop halfway down. If you are neutral on the bike, with the seat all the way down, you can push the front wheel into the divot so you can keep traction on the front tire so you don't go over the bars.
I would suggest that you watch some videos of pro racers (maybe ews races) so you can get a good idea of what I mean by "float"


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## dysfunction (Aug 15, 2009)

You should also play with different heights for different things btw. I love dropping the saddle a bit for more technical climbs, and having it at full road riding height when it's time to hammer on it.


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## JCKID58 (Nov 20, 2017)

A lot of great advice, appreciate it. I will be working on some of these suggestions. Thinking about it more as I read through the responses, I think some of my gripping the seat habit comes from 50+ years and counting of riding and racing dirt bikes. One of the first rules of MX riding is gripping the bike with your knees. Light bulb moment!


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## d365 (Jun 13, 2006)

As another 25 yr user of fixed seat posts, It took me quite awhile to get fairly smooth with using the dropper. It was real clunky feeling at first, but I use it constantly on our twisty, rolling terrain. It really is the key to getting the most out of new geo, moving around in the space where the post was, not behind it. Especially evident in cornering.

You don't need to drop it all the way down for everything. That can be wasted energy sometimes. You'll get the feel for how far to drop it, and the timing of it. Just takes a bit of relearning how to ride the new geo.


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## Riled (May 1, 2012)

I’m in the same boat as you, plus a few months more experience with droppers it sounds like. I, too, have not had it “click” with me yet as I expected from hearing others say how they couldn’t live without it. I expect it may still wow me, but I’m getting skeptical.

That said, I do use it every ride mainly for downhills and flat turns that need to be taken at less than full speed. Flat, slower turns are the ones for me that I really have to weight my outside foot, and getting the seat out of the way helps. It also allows me to dip my body down at the apex of the curve to dig in for extra traction.

Otherwise, bermed turns or faster (more gradual) flat turns feel fine if not better with the seat up. When I’m leaning the bike hard into a berm, I’m staying in-line with the lean of the bike and the seat up helps me find the right point of balance. On a faster gradual flat turn, I don’t need to lean the bike as hard and don’t have to dip my body for a traction burst.

Dropping the post on any serious downhill also helps just in general to make sure you have the room to shift and respond to the trail. With new geo you don't have to put your butt way back any more, so getting the seat out of the way let’s you move around equivalent to how you did with the older geo bikes.

I’ve watched several tutorials, and haven’t seen anything that made me think I’m missing some technique, but maybe I haven’t watched the right ones.


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## Amt0571 (May 22, 2014)

JCKID58 said:


> So I bought a new bike a few months ago. YT Izzo, first 29r, first dropper post. It took what seemed like forever to adapt to the feeling and handling of the 29 inch, long, low, slack geometry, still feels a little barge like on tight turns. Especially tight downhill switchbacks, which are my nemesis anyways. The dropper post is a whole other issue. After 25+ years of gripping the seat or using it for support in different downhill situations now dropping it out of the way has me feeling way off balance. Tried using it quite a bit this past weekend on some steep rocky downhills and felt terrible with the seat down. Anyone else in the same boat? Suggestions for getting used to it, other than keep at it. I have been at for months now, feel like I must be going about it all wrong since apparently a dropper is a must have these days.


I felt like this at first. I kept using it until I got used to it, and now I think droppers are the greatest thing since sliced bread.


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## sgltrak (Feb 19, 2005)

I have just recently added droppers to a couple of my bikes after riding fixed height seat posts on my mountain bikes since 1988. (I used the QR to lower the saddle the first 3 years on my MTB and then decided I was too cool to lower the seat in 1988). The droppers took a bit of getting used to but I have become a convert. I don't ride full suspension, so I am already used to the standing crouch on the descents, so having the seat lower allows me to maintain a similar position and gives the bike a bunch more room to move around underneath me. It also allows me to get a lower center of gravity in the turns. I have seen some significant gains in downhill speed in the last few months with the droppers, but I haven't noticed much difference in switchbacks.


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## Thoreau (Jun 15, 2017)

D. Inoobinati said:


> This all happened to me too, at first. Then I realized that I was dropping it too low. That made all the diffrence, dropping it just a few inches for the downhills, then back up for the uphills. Now I use the dropper more often than the derailleur. It's awesome.
> 
> I practically never drop it all the way.


I don't have a massive mountain biking history (other than in my childhood, and that was just a cheap huffy in the late 80's/early 90's) so maybe I don't have as much to unlearn as those with more experience. My only time without a dropper in modern history would've been about 6-8 months on a 26in hardtail from REI that got me hooked on riding, followed by about 6 more months on a 29er Specialized Camber that came without a dropper. I added a 100mm dropper on that bike another 6 months later. I then ended up on a Stumpjumper that had 120 (or was it 125?) of drop from the factory, which was then replaced with a non-Specialized dropper (OneUp) of the 150mm variety.

Then my current Enduro which came with a 150mm, and has since been changed out for a 170mm axs post.

Long story short, I can't get enough drop. I'm definitely not billy badass always out of the saddle... my fat ass gets tired too quickly for that, but on just about any drop or measurable descent, that thing is slammed as low as it can go. It's pretty rare that I don't drop it to the maximum if I drop it at all. Maybe if I'm speeding through some chunky bits I'll just lower it about 1/4 to 1/2 way.


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## andy f (Jan 13, 2004)

JCKID58 said:


> So I bought a new bike a few months ago. YT Izzo, first 29r, first dropper post. It took what seemed like forever to adapt to the feeling and handling of the 29 inch, long, low, slack geometry, still feels a little barge like on tight turns. Especially tight downhill switchbacks, which are my nemesis anyways. The dropper post is a whole other issue. After 25+ years of gripping the seat or using it for support in different downhill situations now dropping it out of the way has me feeling way off balance. Tried using it quite a bit this past weekend on some steep rocky downhills and felt terrible with the seat down. Anyone else in the same boat? Suggestions for getting used to it, other than keep at it. I have been at for months now, feel like I must be going about it all wrong since apparently a dropper is a must have these days.


It sounds like you're still getting your weight way back on steep descents like you trained yourself to do for the past 25 years on mountain bikes with road bike derived geometry. You can safely stay far more centered on your Izzo than you may realize and once you find the right fore-aft balance point, the bike will handle much better and the barge-like feeling should go away.

You also want to take advantage of the opportunity to lower your center of gravity that the dropper provides. Doing so while remaining balanced fore-aft requires you to hinge at the hips quite a bit. If you have tight and/or weak hamstrings, prepare to be sore as you adjust.


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## Silentfoe (May 9, 2008)

Find a local coach and spend a few bucks and a day relearning how to ride a bike. It'll be worth every penny.

Sent from my SM-N986U using Tapatalk


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## WHALENARD (Feb 21, 2010)

One of the big things I see with guys new to droppers is still clutching the seat with their knees or thighs. Stop doing that. Get that seat down and out of the way and start moving that bike around. 

Sent from my Pixel 4a (5G) using Tapatalk


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## old_er (Dec 27, 2020)

JCKID58 said:


> A lot of great advice, appreciate it. I will be working on some of these suggestions. Thinking about it more as I read through the responses, I think some of my gripping the seat habit comes from 50+ years and counting of riding and racing dirt bikes. One of the first rules of MX riding is gripping the bike with your knees. Light bulb moment!


I found this video by Kyle Warner helpful with dropper posts. I just started using one this year. It becomes second nature after a while but I do find myself gripping the seat from time to time.


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## Mikhs (May 18, 2006)

old_er said:


> I found this video by Kyle Warner helpful with dropper posts. I just started using one this year. It becomes second nature after a while but I do find myself gripping the seat from time to time.


I was going to link to the same video. Great info.

And like others have said, work at not gripping the seat. It will take time but you will get there.
I remember a couple of years ago when a riding buddy got his first dropper that I would encourage (yell at) him to quit gripping the seat. He finally had the light bulb moment and now he swears by droppers too.

I have heard the saying, 
wide stance and let er dance.


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## CyNil_Rider (May 21, 2014)

There's a terrain for every technique!

I will get low and knee-grip the saddle when I blaze through babyhead gardens on a straight, fast downhill. On the hardtail.
I am still able to shock absorb with my legs, though not as much. But the extra points of contact help with not getting bounced off my flats. 

Honestly I'm usually just wishing the seat could go a little higher on the climbs and get a little lower in the drops....


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## bitflogger (Jan 12, 2004)

Silentfoe said:


> Find a local coach and spend a few bucks and a day relearning how to ride a bike. It'll be worth every penny.
> 
> Sent from my SM-N986U using Tapatalk


Yes and no. I see that at scale having been one of the leaders starting lesson programs for kids and then adults, and just retired from ski area director where one of the well known training/coaching firms has clinics. In that we also do and have done outreach for kids, PSTD vets, and people dealing with physical and mental health issues. They don't have a coaching budget and might get more than most from riding.

Not everyone can afford it, and people can get a little too caught up in theory. Some gear choices make a difference and need budget too. It can be a rider needs the right terrain - budget to go to a pump track if there's not one near you. Find group rides and especially the funster, session, trials types who welcome everyone.

I've witnessed people who get instruction but refuse giving up their old bikes from the era of stupid designs or emulating racers. Their turning point is when they get off the stupid design bikes.

Knowing demographics here are likely very broad I'll leave it at a pro can help a lot if you can afford it but it's not necessary.

For dropper posts it's as easy as the way we should should live - embrace change, get it done, play hard, rinse, repeat.


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## fredcook (Apr 2, 2009)

Having ridden 40+ years without a dropper made me feel I'll just never "get used to" using a dropper. Been on droppers for 10 or so now, I think. But I've come to realize, it's just not my riding style, and really has nothing to do with "getting used to it". To this day, I still prefer to slide off the back of the saddle when I drop vertically. It's not right or wrong, it just works better _for me_. I've learned that it also depends on the bikes geometry. I've been on some bikes that dropping the saddle way down seemed better, others not so much. My current daily ride trail bike... not so much. I hybrid, I guess. Drop the saddle just a little, AND slide off the back when pointing down. For me, that gives me the best control and playfulness I like. I also like to drop an inch or so for steep technical climbs, and sometimes when sweeping through fast flow. But I never drop it all the way, out of the way. To each his own, I guess.


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## rockychrysler (Aug 9, 2003)

I got my first dropper on my "new" bike when I bought it, off the rack, in 2017. And I, too, was perplexed as to its function, having ridden, as many of you have, for some 30 years with a stiff posted seat either glued to my ass, or wedged between my thighs, or pushed into my belly or ribcage, given the circumstances and as the case may be in the moment on any given ride. And I, too, held firmly to the belief (I am, admittedly, a bit of a Ludditte) that it was an essential point-of-contact critical to my ability to shred my bike like a pro.

And then I got to ride behind Joe (while I could hang with him), a few times who, you see, has been a _legit_ pro, and has even, a time or two, been a World Champion and is also a Skunk and a Hall Of Famer and practically lives on a bike as his fulltime job _still_, so its safe to say he really knows how to ride, in the sense that it's like watching someone make music to watch him ride, and despite the fact that he is actually a couple years older than I am (and I'm nearly 55).

And the deal is, Joe (and I now, too) uses his dropper a lot, not just when he's descending, but also when he's cornering. Like a lot a lot, as in dozens and dozens of times in a given ride, in almost every fast corner and on the slightest decline. In every case his natural center is much closer to the ground and his body position is able to make quicker microadjustments to the terrain than a traditional stiff posted bike would accommodate, plus he is able to tip his bike well up onto the sideknobs when cornering, literally putting him on rails in the corners, a thing of beauty to behold, indeed. Riding behind Joe (while I could hang with him) was the epiphany I needed to figure out what I could aspire to when it came to implementing my fancy new techy dropper-post into my riding.

And I am here to tell you, several years on, it has changed my life, and especially my riding, all for the better a thousand times over. Another friend once told me, long before I ever rode with a dropper, "They're even more essential an advancement in how we're able to ride than clipless pedals were." And, while I didn't want to believe him at the time, I am more than compelled now to admit that he was right. Nothing (other than the flat-freedness of tubelessness) has made my riding funner, faster, or has improved my ability to navigate my bike capably over all types of terrain than riding with a dropper post has.

I've put one on several other of my go-to fun bikes now, any bike that I want to go fast on and rip corners with. I highly recommend all y'all old farts do likewise.


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## Fleas (Jan 19, 2006)

I just started using a dropper last year. It reminded me of riding my old BMX bike. I found that standing a lot, without a place to rest, I felt the fatigue in my legs. This was somewhat short-lived.
Also, without the saddle in its "up" location as a reference, I sometimes couldn't really tell where, exactly, I was on the bike.
The dropper, fully dropped, is a boon for steep descents, cornering, and bunny hops. But say I'm just on a really bumpy trail - I'll just drop it an inch or so. I can even pedal from that position. But that way I still have that point of reference, and something to put my leg against - which has become a new source for bruises. 

-F


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## Clyde Ride (Jun 7, 2019)

It seems to me that the issue is really learning some basic mountain biking skills. Learning to ride correctly will make the dropper use more obvious.


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## NorCal_In_AZ (Sep 26, 2019)

For those of you that have to learn how to use a dropper, have any of you ever just gone to the local park, parking lot, bike path and just tried leaning the bike over as much as you can? Pick or spot on the ground (or use a cone) and just round it by leaning the bike over. Don't lean your body, lean just the bike. Do some front wheel lifts, learning to get your body weight back over the rear axle. Do a front/rear wheel lift onto a curb. Then small bunny hops learning how to drop your body weight straight down over the cranks, then lifting. 

My point is, get off the trail that you've ridden one way for 10 years, and go learn how to move the bike under your body. Most of us, ride to ride, and don't practice to get better at ridding.


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## diamondback1x9 (Dec 21, 2020)

it's simple for me: up when i'm climbing or doing long stretches of flat ground, and down when i'm descending. no middle ground.


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## MSU Alum (Aug 8, 2009)

Harold said:


> You have to learn to get comfortable with the bike moving underneath you. That means unlearning the whole "gripping the saddle with your legs" thing. That was never good technique, but tons of people latched onto it when their saddles were way up in the air.
> 
> Honestly, this one goes WAY back to practicing range-of-motion drills on the bike. One of the most basic drills you're going to find. But you have to learn how to get comfortable letting the bike do one thing while your body does something else.


This is worth repeating!

Additionally, YouTube has plenty of cornering "how to" videos that are based on having a dropper that is down and may give you some insights.





I have gotten to the point that I think of it as a "riser post" as much as a dropper. It's down a lot, including in the flats when I'm turning.
And there are plenty of times I'll have the dropper part way down, such as in techy climbing. It's an incredibly useful tool.

Edit: I see old_er beat me to the YT recommendation.


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## Gumby_rider (Apr 18, 2017)

Just go watch any of the World Cup downhill race, you’ll see how quiet the rider upper body is while the bike is moving like mad in all directions underneath. That’s how the bike is supposed to be ridden.


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## upstateSC-rider (Dec 25, 2003)

Droppers are pretty meh to me, I can take them or leave them, I have a couple of bikes with them and a couple without, but at the end of the day you gotta run what you brung.


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## NordieBoy (Sep 26, 2004)

Don't feel I need one on the Kona Unit, but definitely do on the Anthem.
Undecided on the rigid flat bar gravel/CX/shorttrack XC bike.

On the Anthem it gets used as often as the gears.


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## JCKID58 (Nov 20, 2017)

Checked out the videos. I'm going to set up some cones in the yard for some cornering drills with the dropper in different positions. Riding tomorrow and Saturday so I'll give it a go again in some different trail conditions. Appreciate all the input, even y'all who said don't bother with it!


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## Stevebiker (Feb 17, 2004)

Here's a post form a couple years ago. There are some good info in some of the replies to this thread. .









Things nobody told me about dropper posts


So, I like to ride tech stuff. Not really looking for drops or lots of air though. I feel like I still have a long ways to go before I am good at it and don’t want to let getting older get in the way of getting better. Bought pads and a helmet with better coverage a couple of years ago. Last...




www.mtbr.com


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## bitflogger (Jan 12, 2004)

Gumby_rider said:


> Just go watch any of the World Cup downhill race, you'll see how quiet the rider upper body is while the bike is moving like mad in all directions underneath. That's how the bike is supposed to be ridden.


Carve it like skis. Go to a cycling studio or leave a turd in a toilet if you're just going to sit, huff, puff and grunt.


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## deuxdiesel (Jan 14, 2007)

I finally got the whole dropper post thing dialed I think. When I pull the bike out of the 4Runner, I push the lever and the seat rises to the proper height. When I am done riding, I push the lever so the seat drops enough to fit in the 4Runner.


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## 33red (Jan 5, 2016)

I will have my first dropper next month(new bike).
Any good video suggestion like 101 ...


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## MrIcky (Oct 2, 2007)

Once I got used to the dropper, I can't even imagine riding without it. IMHO it's maybe my single favorite 'modern' bike thing. Getting low instead of getting back when going over things has made everything so much faster/safer/smoother.


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## Clyde Ride (Jun 7, 2019)

MrIcky said:


> Once I got used to the dropper, I can't even imagine riding without it. IMHO it's maybe my single favorite 'modern' bike thing. Getting low instead of getting back when going over things has made everything so much faster/safer/smoother.


I'd give up full suspension before I give up my dropper.


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## bitflogger (Jan 12, 2004)

Clyde Ride said:


> I'd give up full suspension before I give up my dropper.


Funny in that I'm spending more time riding drop bar bike from home to trails and am eying the PNW Pine. At my age I would not want to give up my modern trail bike for some riding but that's for dedicated MTB terrain either super fast with gravity features or super gnarly.


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## JCKID58 (Nov 20, 2017)

A little update. Ridden probably 4 times now with the intention of using the dropper every chance I thought I could/should. First couple times were pretty bad, timing was just stupid on my part, nearly hit a couple trees looking for the seat in a few faster, tight downhill turns. Next 2 times have been much better. Hitting those fast tree lined corners much faster, "almost" keeping up with my 11 year old son! He did notice I was closer to him at the bottom of the hills. I have intentionally trying to get that separation from the bike in those corners, it is coming a bit more natural so it's progressing at least. Still feels odd but getting there.


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## upstateSC-rider (Dec 25, 2003)

JCKID58 said:


> A little update. Ridden probably 4 times now with the intention of using the dropper every chance I thought I could/should. First couple times were pretty bad, timing was just stupid on my part, nearly hit a couple trees looking for the seat in a few faster, tight downhill turns. Next 2 times have been much better. Hitting those fast tree lined corners much faster, "almost" keeping up with my 11 year old son! He did notice I was closer to him at the bottom of the hills. I have intentionally trying to get that separation from the bike in those corners, it is coming a bit more natural so it's progressing at least. Still feels odd but getting there.


I also rode today with the intention of using the dropper more often. Rode a fairly flat trail system with tons of tight turns and rollers and did notice a positive difference on quick tight turns but that's when I realized what my issues were all along...If I know the terrain, like on familiar trails, I can get in position just fine, but when I'm on new trails I'll set up for a turn, for example, and if I realize a dropped saddle would help, I don't like to get out of my attack position to push down the dropper. 
Maybe a dropper that automatically drops with the push of a button would help me (does the magura do that?) but that really only affects me on unfamiliar trails.


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## rangeriderdave (Aug 29, 2008)

I'm old school rider too, started in 86. I also had a little trouble with figuring out when/ how to use a dropper. I put one on a tallboy from around 2012 , I used it but no big deal. The more I rode it , the more I would find it useful. Then one day I was riding a down a hill at speed and got into a rut , dropped the saddle and rode it out . That convinced me.

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## Fuse6F (Jul 5, 2017)

Proper mtb technique, IMO, requires that you stay pretty much motionless and the bike moves around underneath you. The dropper gives you room to move the bike beneath you. Ever seen a too big kid ride those spring mounted rocking horses at the park. The ones with the big single spring in the middle. The kid will stay centered while he shakes the horse forwards backwards side to side etc.

try Cornering by dropping the inside bar and transfer weight to the outside foot. 

Practice riding in a straight line keep your head motionless and tip/arc the bike left right under you letting your feet feel like heim joints attached to the pedals.

dropper post good!

have fun.


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## Rev Bubba (Jan 16, 2004)

JCKID58 said:


> So I bought a new bike a few months ago. YT Izzo, first 29r, first dropper post. It took what seemed like forever to adapt to the feeling and handling of the 29 inch, long, low, slack geometry, still feels a little barge like on tight turns. Especially tight downhill switchbacks, which are my nemesis anyways. The dropper post is a whole other issue. After 25+ years of gripping the seat or using it for support in different downhill situations now dropping it out of the way has me feeling way off balance. Tried using it quite a bit this past weekend on some steep rocky downhills and felt terrible with the seat down. Anyone else in the same boat? Suggestions for getting used to it, other than keep at it. I have been at for months now, feel like I must be going about it all wrong since apparently a dropper is a must have these days.


My first question is did you go directly from a 26" wheel to 29"? That could be the issue.

As for getting used to a dropper, it took me almost a full season and I ride around 100 days a year. My first dropper was on a 2015 Santa Cruz 5010 so I was going from 26" to 27.5". It took time to realize I didn't have to use the complete drop of the post. I felt, and still feel, dropping only partially is best for me.

Now I ride a new Santa Cruz Tallboy (29") and don't give the dropper a second thought. Because the eastern terrain I ride is rocky, rooty, and twisty, I am constantly changing dropper height and while I have little trouble riding a bike with a fixed post, I can't imagine not having the options of a dropper post.

Your riding style will evolve to fit the dropper eventually and you do have the option of not dropping it if that remains an issue.


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## MrIcky (Oct 2, 2007)

upstateSC-rider said:


> I also rode today with the intention of using the dropper more often. Rode a fairly flat trail system with tons of tight turns and rollers and did notice a positive difference on quick tight turns but that's when I realized what my issues were all along...If I know the terrain, like on familiar trails, I can get in position just fine, but when I'm on new trails I'll set up for a turn, for example, and if I realize a dropped saddle would help, I don't like to get out of my attack position to push down the dropper.
> Maybe a dropper that automatically drops with the push of a button would help me (does the magura do that?) but that really only affects me on unfamiliar trails.


Think the opposite of this- make the default to have the saddle down, then you have a single button press for pedaling uphill. That will get you used to the seat down position fast.



Fuse6F said:


> Proper mtb technique, IMO, requires that you stay pretty much motionless and the bike moves around underneath you. The dropper gives you room to move the bike beneath you. Ever seen a too big kid ride those spring mounted rocking horses at the park. The ones with the big single spring in the middle. The kid will stay centered while he shakes the horse forwards backwards side to side etc.
> 
> try Cornering by dropping the inside bar and transfer weight to the outside foot.
> 
> ...


I dont stay motionless at all, on a corner the whole chain as I've been taught is: *approaching* (hinge/dont hunch torso back - then push weight down and forward - brake hard -scan turn) / *just before* (let off brakes <brakes now vorbotten until you're through the turn> pedals level - deweight bike and turn hips in <back of bike may come around a little- this is good>- start looking through the turn) / *turn commited* (pedals flat unless clearance issue - keeping hips turned in- drive hips down through pedals <pump>) / *coming out of turn* (look ahead, square up and pedal like crazy).

You be you and have fun- not trying to start an argument or anything. I just believe modern geo bikes are happiest when you are really active on getting your weight around and pumping.


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## JCKID58 (Nov 20, 2017)

Rev Bubba said:


> My first question is did you go directly from a 26" wheel to 29"? That could be the issue.
> 
> As for getting used to a dropper, it took me almost a full season and I ride around 100 days a year. My first dropper was on a 2015 Santa Cruz 5010 so I was going from 26" to 27.5". It took time to realize I didn't have to use the complete drop of the post. I felt, and still feel, dropping only partially is best for me.
> 
> ...


No, I came off of a 2018 27.5 Specialized Camber. It was a bike I never gelled with. I think I actually like the quicker handling than the Izzo, but that was about it. It was a lower end model, but it always felt so heavy and slow, I tried every thing I could to get the suspension to my liking. The forks were just harsh and the rear end was either too stiff/harsh or wallowing. I rode it for 2 years and I was so frustrated with it the whole time. Even took it back to the dealer because I certain something was wrong with the forks. My last ride I was using the dropper quite a bit, not there yet but feeling better with it.


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## MTBeing (Jan 11, 2012)

Took this 50 yr old about a year or better to start using it with regularity. Where I generally ride there's not much opportunity to use it, but when I do want it, it's now second nature. Like others, I only drop it a few inches when I do use it. Mostly, to lower my center of gravity on steeper descents. Puts you more 'in' the bike, which I feel gives me a better sense of control.









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## Crankyone (Dec 8, 2014)

I don’t know if it helps others, but I have made a change with the use of my dropper posts.
You don’t have to minimize your seat post, but rather adjust it to circumstances. If you Want your saddle to disappear (in my case no longer be able to pedal) the bike becomes a surgical instrument. 
If you want to get some power strokes in on a punchy climb, you can put the seat at the same spot you rode your Mtn bike at for 30 years. 
The real genius is when you extend the saddle to the same height and leg extension you rode on your road bike for 50 years. Pure comfort and cadence!


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## sgltrak (Feb 19, 2005)

Crankyone said:


> If you want to get some power strokes in on a punchy climb, you can put the seat at the same spot you rode your Mtn bike at for 30 years.
> The real genius is when you extend the saddle to the same height and leg extension you rode on your road bike for 50 years. Pure comfort and cadence!


Aren't these two the same thing?


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## Crankyone (Dec 8, 2014)

I was not very successful at dropping behind the saddle when it was set for full leg extension. Baggy shorts getting stuck on the way forward was a genuine fear. I used to stop and drop the saddle an inch or two to ride roots and baby heads. Gradually it created a compromise position that worked okay for pedaling and being able to move back off the saddle. With a dropper I still ride quite a bit of my ride with the saddle an inch or so lower than full extension. Climbing I extend it fully even if I am not in the saddle. 
I haven’t bailed over the handlebars for some time (knock on wood) and I think it has a lot to do with the dropper post.


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## JCKID58 (Nov 20, 2017)

UPDATE, Because I know everyone was wondering about this post .
I've been working pretty hard on using the dropper on every ride. I haven't mastered it yet, occasionally I'll get caught off guard on a new trail and not use in time. But I will say I have come to rely on it quite a bit now. My nemesis has always been tight down hill switchbacks, with the dropper down now I am flying around them now, not really, but they are not much of an issue anymore either. We spent a week riding in north GA. around Ellijay 2 weeks ago. Used it constantly and it did make the long steep downhills much easier. I still couldn't keep my son in sight so there's that. So anyone who is still "struggling" to get used to a dropper I really recommend to keep at it.


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## rod9301 (Oct 30, 2004)

I hope that now you drop it all the way down on any downhill

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## chazpat (Sep 23, 2006)

JCKID58 said:


> UPDATE, Because I know everyone was wondering about this post .
> I've been working pretty hard on using the dropper on every ride. I haven't mastered it yet, occasionally I'll get caught off guard on a new trail and not use in time. But I will say I have come to rely on it quite a bit now. My nemesis has always been tight down hill switchbacks, with the dropper down now I am flying around them now, not really, but they are not much of an issue anymore either. We spent a week riding in north GA. around Ellijay 2 weeks ago. Used it constantly and it did make the long steep downhills much easier. I still couldn't keep my son in sight so there's that. So anyone who is still "struggling" to get used to a dropper I really recommend to keep at it.


Were you riding with Roge in Ellijay?


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## JCKID58 (Nov 20, 2017)

chazpat said:


> Were you riding with Roge in Ellijay?


No we weren't. We stayed at Mulberry Gap. We were there in the middle of the week so we had the place to ourselves! We rode mostly in the area around there, drove out to Talking Rock one day, looped it twice. Looking to go back in the fall.


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## chazpat (Sep 23, 2006)

JCKID58 said:


> No we weren't. We stayed at Mulberry Gap. We were there in the middle of the week so we had the place to ourselves! We rode mostly in the area around there, drove out to Talking Rock one day, looped it twice. Looking to go back in the fall.


Ah, ok. Don't know if you saw, he posted about going to Mulberry Gap with several older guys a little while ago so I thought maybe you were one of them. I'll be up that way a few days next week and will probably ride Bear Creek/Pinoti. I also ride Aska and Cartecay and I've ridden Talking Rock just once.


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## TooTallUK (Jul 5, 2005)

When the trail gets to the point where you stand up, then the only points of contact you want with the bike are your hands and feet. If you're going down, you want weight back, heels down. Getting that saddle out of the way makes you quicker, safer, more capable. It takes practice to change and it is worth it. I'd give up any other bike tech on my bike - other than disc brakes - before I gave up my dropper. I've ridden for 30+ years but I know my bikes and my riding need to evolve and I can always improve in some way.


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## swissarmychainsaw (Aug 4, 2010)

D. Inoobinati said:


> This all happened to me too, at first. Then I realized that I was dropping it too low. That made all the diffrence, dropping it just a few inches for the downhills, then back up for the uphills. Now I use the dropper more often than the derailleur. It's awesome.
> 
> I practically never drop it all the way.


Came here to say this! I micro adjust my saddle all the time, they might not all do that though.


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