# Dopper posts poll



## edubfromktown (Sep 7, 2010)

There has been a lively discussion about dropper posts so I figured it is time for a poll (and comments from a wider audience)

Have at it!!!

I'm dropper agnostic- happy to use them on rental bikes when I'm renting/traveling and have no worries when they are not available (in HI, UT, MT, PA, MD, VA and elsewhere for example). I click off 2-3k or more of miles on 4+ bikes every year and do not deem them a necessity for what/where/how I ride most of the time.

Wot say YOU? lol

Admin Edit: add photo for featured thread


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## .WestCoastHucker. (Jan 14, 2004)

oh hey! look at me too!!!


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## jeremy3220 (Jul 5, 2017)

Always use a riser post on trail bikes. Obviously not on my DJ as it's always in the default position.


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## DtEW (Jun 14, 2004)

.WestCoastHucker. said:


> oh hey! look at me too!!!


(This is in reference to the original discussion thread which predates this one by 17 hours. As-of-current, the original thread has 77 replies in 4 pages, and 3K views.)


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## Sparticus (Dec 28, 1999)

Personally I'd never consider owning -- nor renting nor borrowing -- a mountain bike that lacks a dropper.
In my universe a mountain bike without a dropper is about as fun as a mountain bike without pedals.
=sParty


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## Impetus (Aug 10, 2014)

I would give up suspension and gears before I give up my dropper.
fight me.


I actually DID ride a rigid 29+ singlespeed with a 150mm dropper for a while. It absolutely made the bike more capable.


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## maynard4130 (May 12, 2019)

I'm a minimalist. Ride a Single speed...rigid for a long time. I wanted to hate dropper posts...I really did. But they are game changers. Sometimes less isn't more.


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## driven916 (Jul 24, 2009)

Sparticus said:


> Personally I'd never consider owning -- nor renting nor borrowing -- a mountain bike that lacks a dropper.
> In my universe a mountain bike without a dropper is about as fun as a mountain bike without pedals.
> =sParty


This. Of course there are specialty bikes that are exceptions, but for the majority of bikes it's just way more fun with a dropper.


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## WHALENARD (Feb 21, 2010)

Sparticus said:


> Personally I'd never consider owning -- nor renting nor borrowing -- a mountain bike that lacks a dropper.
> In my universe a mountain bike without a dropper is about as fun as a mountain bike without pedals.
> =sParty


I will readily admit that I have completely lost the skill set of getting behind my saddle. And I'm fine with that. 

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


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## Fairbanks007 (Sep 5, 2009)

I was a late convert to dropper posts, but I definitely like them for bigger drops and elevated skinnies. I know that a lot of us rode without them for decades, but I just have more confidence in those situations when I can quickly lower my CG a few inches without worrying about getting stuck behind the saddle.


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## maynard4130 (May 12, 2019)

My last ride I was with my gf and had plenty of time while she caught up....I was messing around leaving the post up and trying to get behind it on tech decents. Having your arms fully extended is too awkward. I wish I didn't fall in love with dropper posts, but it is what it is.....


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## BushwackerinPA (Aug 10, 2006)

WHALENARD said:


> I will readily admit that I have completely lost the skill set of getting behind my saddle. And I'm fine with that.
> 
> Sent from my Pixel 4a (5G) using Tapatalk


the reality is that stupid position to be in. So glad the bikes today let us be in the correct position.


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## Sparticus (Dec 28, 1999)

I would ride a bike with a front defailure and a dropper post before I'd ride a bike with a 1x drivetrain and no dropper.

It's that serious.

Heck, I'm considering starting a new religion -- The Church of the Dropper Post. Think of the tax benefits. Not to mention all the wimmins...
=sParty


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## andy f (Jan 13, 2004)

I drop my saddle any time I'm going to stand for a bit while riding. On my older bikes, the standing position was far enough forward of the seated position that the saddle wasn't in the way when I stood up to pedal but on my newer bikes with steeper STAs, the saddle pokes me in the ass unless I drop it. And with a longer wheelbase/slack HTAs, I don't need to get so far back for descents. If I leave the saddle up and get behind it like I used to do, I don't have enough weight on the front wheel to steer well.

Agree or I will post links to my rides on Strava.


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## Sparticus (Dec 28, 1999)

andy f said:


> Agree or I will post links to my rides on Strava.


I agree! I agree!

Now will you join my church?
=sParty


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## Dirtfiend (May 5, 2010)

Been riding MTB since 1998 and I literally just rode with a dropper post for the very first time yesterday - at Crockett Hills, and it was glorious. I will simply state that I will never ride without a dropper again. And if anyone knows of any support groups for retrogrouches please DM me.


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## dsciulli19 (Apr 14, 2014)

I got my 1st dropper post in 2019 after a brief few year hiatus from MTB when I was working on my house and my 1st son was born. Before I took a break, dropper posts were a thing but they were all $300 - $500, and none were known to be reliable. Once I got back into things, I bought a Brand-X ascend dropper for $99 (with a lever!!) from CRC on black friday and never looked back. Both of my bikes have droppers and honestly after using one I don't know how this could even be a debate. Especially with how good they've gotten these days.. the OneUp I have on my hardtail is stellar. 

-DS


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## Nick_M (Jan 16, 2015)

I do not have dropper on DJ bike, cause seat newer being higher then knee


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## blkdout (Oct 3, 2021)

I considerate it mandatory on my full suspension. Seriously considering adding one to the hardtail even though it doesn't see much trail use anymore.


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## noapathy (Jun 24, 2008)

Sparticus said:


> I agree! I agree!
> 
> Now will you join my church?
> =sParty


I would, but then might end up dropping it. (sorry, couldn't resist)


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## Sparticus (Dec 28, 1999)

noapathy said:


> I would, but then might end up dropping it. (sorry, couldn't resist)


Satan rides without a dropper.

The Church of the Dropper Post needs your generous donation now.
=sParty


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## *OneSpeed* (Oct 18, 2013)

Droppers on everything at all times! Even my gravel bike has a 120mm dropper. 

210mm on my newer MTB's and I use every millimeter.


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## rockcrusher (Aug 28, 2003)

I started mountain biking, probably like a bunch on here, before there were droppers. My particular timeline was back when your seat post had a quick release and some of us would use something called a hite rite to ride our bikes. It was dropper post 1.0. You would reach down while riding and undo your seat post clamp then an external spring attached to your seatpost and the seat post binder would allow your weight to lower your saddle and you would then clamp it back and descend whatever you were heading towards. Once you descended you would do the same again and it would pop back up. There was a device you could get that would mount to your handlebar and would actuate your seat post binder with a cable and a thumb shifter, but they were rare and finicky. 

As time and history progressed bikes became more trending towards clean lines and fast geometries and quick releases on the seat post became rarer. So rare that companies like Salsa offered replacement seat collars so you could replace your pinch bolt binder with a quick release binder. Unfortunately it was not compatible with the Hite Rite, so we were stuck with lowering our posts by hand again. Thankfully freeride bikes emerged and the requirement to lower your bike seat became important again though bikes still did not come with seat post qr's. Around this time though Paul Turner from Rock Shox fame came up with the idea of a dropper post that actuated with a spring in the seatpost and lever under the saddle. From that point droppers sprung forward from "Stupid idea" to "must have".

My personal experience was that I didn't need one. I always would have a seatpost qr so why would I need to have one. Then I got my wife one for her devinci. She swore it was a life changer so I had to try. The only one that fit my particular bike (a 27.1 frame) was the PNW rainier and the shortest travel one at that (110mm) but oh my what a change! I am now wishing I could fit a longer dropper on my bike and seriously considering getting a new bike just to change to a longer dropper and my current bike I have been riding for over 7 years now. 

I am a proponent of them beings as integral to the experience as disk brakes and tubeless tires.


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## milehi (Nov 2, 1997)

I've been on one since 2006 and could live without it. As it is, mine has way too much drop. Controlling your bike with the saddle is a thing.


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## gregjet (Jun 7, 2010)

Only have a NFW to cover the fact that I don't use droppers. Been riding mtb's for 33years. Bought one when they first came out. Didn't like it much, but did wish I had taken one to Rotorua when I went to New Zealand. If I did more DH trails I would reconsider but really don't have a need for one. Don't jump much and don't do serious DH ( we don't have any proper DH tracks and stopped racing DH in the earlt 2000's). Bought a couple of bikes that had them on and ended up removing them. Don't like the feel of the weight up high to be hoinest.
Interestingly my girlfriend had them supplied on her two emtbs and asked to have them taken off. She said she just couldn't be bothered using them. But as I said we don't have serious DH tracks. I suspect we could have used them if we had stayed in Derby ( Tasmania) a bit longer, and she may have got used to using it.


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## Sparticus (Dec 28, 1999)

I find it interesting that some people buy bikes that come with dropper posts and then remove the dropper.

I once ordered a pickup that came with heated seats. I didn't know the model I ordered came with heated seats until I picked the truck up at the dealership. This was in August. Since I'd never owned a vehicle with heated seats before, I rolled my eyes and said something to the effect of never having needing heated seats and now I'd have a pansy truck.

Of course I didn't flip the 'on' switch for the seats -- it was August.

Then fall came. First freeze arrived. It wasn't long before I swore I'd never own another vehicle without heated seats.

I'm not saying that everybody who buys a bike outfitted with a dropper should fall in love with it. I'm saying if I really didn't want to use the heated seats, all I had to do was ignore the 'on' switch.

Why take a factory installed dropper off a bike? It's not as if it's reflectors, a kickstand or something equally superfluous.
=sParty


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## chazpat (Sep 23, 2006)

Sparticus said:


> I find it interesting that some people buy bikes that come with dropper posts and then remove the dropper.
> 
> I once ordered a pickup that came with heated seats. I didn't know the model I ordered came with heated seats until I picked the truck up at the dealership. This was in August. Since I'd never owned a vehicle with heated seats before, I rolled my eyes and said something to the effect of never having needing heated seats and now I'd have a pansy truck.
> 
> ...


Wait a minute, now you're wanting a heated seat on your bike?


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## dysfunction (Aug 15, 2009)

chazpat said:


> Wait a minute, now you're wanting a heated seat on your bike?


Heated grips would rock for commuting.. they do on other 2-wheeled conveyances


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## Nat (Dec 30, 2003)

Enduro bike -- dropper
Trail bike -- dropper
DH bike -- no dropper
Singlespeed -- no dropper 
Commuter -- no dropper


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## Sparticus (Dec 28, 1999)

I had a moto with heated grips...

I suppose I could put them on my ebike. Which wouldn't be such a bad idea. Last winter I discovered I don't get warm riding that thing.
=sParty


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## older'nslower (Feb 28, 2009)

If you have short legs, maybe you don't need a dropper since your cg is low anyway. Those of us with long legs find them to be nothing short of miraculous. As has been said before, I'd give up rear suspension before giving up the dropper.


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## dysfunction (Aug 15, 2009)

Sparticus said:


> I had a moto with heated grips...
> 
> I suppose I could put them on my ebike. Which wouldn't be such a bad idea. Last winter I discovered I don't get warm riding that thing.
> =sParty


Go figure.


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## Ducman71 (Mar 18, 2015)

Hard to believe this is even a question.


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## Hurricane Jeff (Jan 1, 2006)

rockcrusher said:


> I started mountain biking, probably like a bunch on here, before there were droppers. My particular timeline was back when your seat post had a quick release and some of us would use something called a hite rite to ride our bikes. It was dropper post 1.0. You would reach down while riding and undo your seat post clamp then an external spring attached to your seatpost and the seat post binder would allow your weight to lower your saddle and you would then clamp it back and descend whatever you were heading towards. Once you descended you would do the same again and it would pop back up. There was a device you could get that would mount to your handlebar and would actuate your seat post binder with a cable and a thumb shifter, but they were rare and finicky.
> 
> As time and history progressed bikes became more trending towards clean lines and fast geometries and quick releases on the seat post became rarer. So rare that companies like Salsa offered replacement seat collars so you could replace your pinch bolt binder with a quick release binder. Unfortunately it was not compatible with the Hite Rite, so we were stuck with lowering our posts by hand again. Thankfully freeride bikes emerged and the requirement to lower your bike seat became important again though bikes still did not come with seat post qr's. Around this time though Paul Turner from Rock Shox fame came up with the idea of a dropper post that actuated with a spring in the seatpost and lever under the saddle. From that point droppers sprung forward from "Stupid idea" to "must have".
> 
> ...


Just to keep the history of the dropper post straight, it wasn't Paul Turner who invented, designed, prototyped, shown or brought dropper posts to market.


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## RS VR6 (Mar 29, 2007)

My road bike has no dropper.


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## blkdout (Oct 3, 2021)

What is the poll option if I only have 2 bikes, one dropper?


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## WHALENARD (Feb 21, 2010)

RS VR6 said:


> My road bike has no dropper.


I wager they will soon. I'd certainly run one. Frankly surprised they are not common already, not only is that more sales but it just makes sense. 

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


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## dir-T (Jan 20, 2004)

Sparticus said:


> Personally I'd never consider owning -- nor renting nor borrowing -- a mountain bike that lacks a dropper.


Same here. I think I've been riding dropper posts for, I don't know, maybe 8 years now. Mine blew up while on a MTB vacation last year and I had to buy a used "normal" post to finish out the last couple days in St. George. I'm glad that was the end of the trip and we only had one day of easy riding left.


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## chazpat (Sep 23, 2006)

older'nslower said:


> If you have short legs, maybe you don't need a dropper since your cg is low anyway. Those of us with long legs find them to be nothing short of miraculous. As has been said before, I'd give up rear suspension before giving up the dropper.


Wait a minute, you've backed off there, what was said was suspension, it wasn't limited to rear suspension!


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## upstateSC-rider (Dec 25, 2003)

Nice to have but not necessary.


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## Sparticus (Dec 28, 1999)

“You’re either with us or you’re against us.”


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## blkdout (Oct 3, 2021)

Sparticus said:


> Satan rides without a dropper.


Satan rides with no seat at all. Doesn't care how or what you ride. Just says, "You do you."



Sparticus said:


> “You’re either with us or you’re against us.”


 Says both sides.


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## sgltrak (Feb 19, 2005)

I rode fixed height saddles on all of my mountain bikes from 1988 until February of this year when I installed cheap droppers on a couple of my bikes. In the last 8 months I have become quite fond of them and have ordered droppers for two additional bikes.


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## cookieMonster (Feb 23, 2004)

I have droppers on both my hardtail and my enduro bike, but actually use it even more on my hardtail because that is what I use for XC (not racing). I have debated on going back to a fixed post on my enduro bike to save the pound, but nah, it’s way too nice to have. I still ride that bike on occasional up and down terrain. Mostly winch and plummet though.

I can’t stand riding with my seat up. I didn’t “use to” ride with it that way either. Even in the 80s I’d stop to lower the seat at the top of bigger descents.

Droppers just ensured that I could ride properly at all times, with the flick of a switch.

I value it more than rear suspension.


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## Sparticus (Dec 28, 1999)

I just ordered a dropper for my road bike. Woo hoo! 🥳
=sParty


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## noapathy (Jun 24, 2008)

Sparticus said:


> I just ordered a dropper for my road bike. Woo hoo! 🥳
> =sParty


Now you can take it off some sweet jumps. 💧💦

Why are there no good bike related emojis? 😭


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## shadowsports (May 10, 2009)

Never had one till last year. Now, I can't imgine life without one.


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## luriaguy (Apr 20, 2015)

I don’t use dropper post, but I do think it’s useful item to riders afraid of technical trails, finding easier way behind the seat while it’s lowered. Or any rider that can spend the money.


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## natas1321 (Nov 4, 2017)

Have one but use it only occasionally, would be fine w/o one. 

Sent from my moto g(7) supra using Tapatalk


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## jeremy3220 (Jul 5, 2017)

luriaguy said:


> I don’t use dropper post, but I do think it’s useful item to riders afraid of technical trails, finding easier way behind the seat while it’s lowered. Or any rider that can spend the money.


The beauty of a dropper is not having to ride behind the seat to begin with but instead using a more natural position.


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## BushwackerinPA (Aug 10, 2006)

luriaguy said:


> I don’t use dropper post, but I do think it’s useful item to riders afraid of technical trails, finding easier way behind the seat while it’s lowered. Or any rider that can spend the money.



yeah behind the seat is literally the wrong way to ride modern bike. Learning to ride behind the seat forms bad habit that should be unlearned when the seat is finally not there because your butt typically should be in the area that the seat is while absorbing terrain and ttrying to get forward on the bike.


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## jeremy3220 (Jul 5, 2017)

BushwackerinPA said:


> yeah behind the seat is literally the wrong way to ride modern bike. Learning to ride behind the seat forms bad habit that should be unlearned when the seat is finally not there because your butt typically should be in the area that the seat is while absorbing terrain and ttrying to get forward on the bike.


People probably think I'm joking with my comments about early mountain biking having a high post centric mindset but seat down really is the more natural position. Even BMX saddle position has gotten to where it completely disregards sitting on the saddle and it's as low as it possibly can be. In MTB it's like old school riders have a chip on their shoulder about having to work around the limitations of a high post. As if you can't work around having a saddle way up in your business then you're missing out on a fundamental aspect of bike handling... Even though that's not a thing in sports where bike handling is the primary focus (BMX, motocross, trials, etc).


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## BushwackerinPA (Aug 10, 2006)

jeremy3220 said:


> People probably think I'm joking with my comments about early mountain biking having a high post centric mindset but seat down really is the more natural position. Even BMX saddle position has gotten to where it completely disregards sitting on the saddle and it's as low as it possibly can be. In MTB it's like riders have a chip on their shoulder. Might as well brag about not needing pneumatic rubber tires because you got by fine with wooden wheels back in the day.


I run 200mm of drop and I am short with a short inseam, and truly wish I could get more drop because there are time where I find the seat still in my way partically on turns where there is large roll going into it. IE if I could absorb more I could maintain traction more on the backside of the hump. 

Two times in the past year I had friends of friends show up to a ride with a dropperless bike, and both time they were like "why do you go up the hill just to come back down" "it to steep here" "there are to many small hills(rollers) here"


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## Gardner (Oct 11, 2007)

I probably hit that drop switch at least 100 times a ride. Love it.


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## Sparticus (Dec 28, 1999)

Dropper optimization requires learning a new way to ride compared to the old high post centric way of riding.
No more behind the saddle cuz there is no saddle.
No more steering with the thighs for the same reason.
Just complete freedom of movement, practically limitless range of motion, ease of moving the bike, superior bike & body separation.
The saddle-less way is a faster way of riding, a safer way of riding and for everyone I've ever met who's made the leap, a more fun way of riding.
Like, more fun times infinity.
But there's no need to learn this new way of riding -- the way of the dropper -- if the rider doesn't want to maximize speed, safety, get wheels off the ground, have more control descending steep/gnarly chutes, experience more fun, etc.
Most of us dropper converts might liken our style of riding to being able to see color whereas the high post centric rider can only see black & white -- we want to share the amazingness with them. We want them to see it, too.
But if someone insists on living in a black & white world, that's their right. Their choice. Black & white is "good enough."
Meanwhile I'm going out to have a colorful blast on my bike. I call it low elevation flying. That's what it is.
Yeah, a blast. See ya later,
=sParty


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## timobkg (May 24, 2009)

I'm looking to get back into mountain biking after a long break, and being able to drop the seat is a feature I've always wanted before dropper posts were even a thing.

But do they make any that can retrofit to my early 2000s bikes?


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## shadowsports (May 10, 2009)

@Sparticus.. exactly. Having a dropper for me is for comfort and control, not because I'm hanging my @ss over the back wheel on a technical decent.


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## blkdout (Oct 3, 2021)

timobkg said:


> But do they make any that can retrofit to my early 2000s bikes?


Not sure of tube diameters but they do make ones with external cables.


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## timobkg (May 24, 2009)

blkdout said:


> Not sure of tube diameters but they do make ones with external cables.


One bike is 27.2, the other is 30.9 mm. I guess I just need to search for externally routed dropper posts and see if there's one in a matching size.


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## 93EXCivic (Mar 12, 2018)

I have one on my mountain bike. I am collecting parts and waiting on two frames from Marino. One is getting a dropper post and the other is going to have an external routed dropper so I can quickly swap between dropper and Thudbuster (bikepacking/mixed terrian bike). Don't have on on the gravel bike but may get a TranzX jump seat at some point.


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## noapathy (Jun 24, 2008)

jeremy3220 said:


> People probably think I'm joking with my comments about early mountain biking having a high post centric mindset but seat down really is the more natural position. Even BMX saddle position has gotten to where it completely disregards sitting on the saddle and it's as low as it possibly can be. In MTB it's like old school riders have a chip on their shoulder about having to work around the limitations of a high post. As if you can't work around having a saddle way up in your business then you're missing out on a fundamental aspect of bike handling... Even though that's not a thing in sports where bike handling is the primary focus (BMX, motocross, trials, etc).


True. There's one (small) advantage having learned how to maneuver a bike with a high post...when the dropper's not working/stops working. That's less common these days (reverbs any better?), but still a good thing to know how to do just in case.


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## rockcrusher (Aug 28, 2003)

Hurricane Jeff said:


> Just to keep the history of the dropper post straight, it wasn't Paul Turner who invented, designed, prototyped, shown or brought dropper posts to market.


I think the speedball was the first dropper that reached mainstream acceptance of the dropper. There were others, back in the 90's even. There was a multi position linkage post from an israeli company that allowed the saddle to go backwards, middle, forward for climbing, then way forward for clearance but really the speedball was the one that put it on the average riders radar. The fact that it came from Maverick was helpful as at the time they were really a forward thinking company. I am not sure if it was under Paul Turners control at that time so maybe it wasn't him but Maverick bikes.


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## slapheadmofo (Jun 9, 2006)

Sparticus said:


> "high post centric rider"


From the team that brought you "Acoustic Bike"...


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## kapusta (Jan 17, 2004)

rockcrusher said:


> I think the speedball was the first dropper that reached mainstream acceptance of the dropper. There were others, back in the 90's even. There was a multi position linkage post from an israeli company that allowed the saddle to go backwards, middle, forward for climbing, then way forward for clearance but really the speedball was the one that put it on the average riders radar. The fact that it came from Maverick was helpful as at the time they were really a forward thinking company. I am not sure if it was under Paul Turners control at that time so maybe it wasn't him but Maverick bikes.


It was Gravity Dropper, not Maverick. By a couple years.

Gravity Dropper was the one that showed it could be done, and people like Mark Weir running one got at least a few people to take it seriously.

Maverick was just the first of many to follow up on the reliable GD with a really sh!tty one that helped make “dropper post” synonymous with “unreliable”


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## BushwackerinPA (Aug 10, 2006)

93EXCivic said:


> I have one on my mountain bike. I am collecting parts and waiting on two frames from Marino. One is getting a dropper post and the other is going to have an external routed dropper so I can quickly swap between dropper and Thudbuster (bikepacking/mixed terrian bike). Don't have on on the gravel bike but may get a TranzX jump seat at some point.


You can get a PNW post that is both suspension and a dropper. I have on my MTB I converted to a drop bar gravel bike/class 4, stupid on single track bike.









COAST SUSPENSION DROPPER POST


Suspension + Drop. The Coast Post combines the benefits of a dropper with the joint saving squish of suspension. This witchcraft all happens via a dual chamber hydraulic cartridge featuring 40mm of tunable air suspension, designed to help riders on all types of bikes - from packed up trekkers...




www.pnwcomponents.com





The drop IMO is not even close to enough for MTBing, but for back round bombing it just let me run a full pedalling height seat post and still decend down 15-20 percent grade with loose rock and water bar with out putting the weight on my hands.


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## rockcrusher (Aug 28, 2003)

kapusta said:


> It was Gravity Dropper, not Maverick. By a couple years.
> 
> Gravity Dropper was the one that showed it could be done, and people like Mark Weir running one got at least a few people to take it seriously.
> 
> Maverick was just the first of many to follow up on the reliable GD with a really sh!tty one that helped make “dropper post” synonymous with “unreliable”


Oh that is right. I always relegate gravity droppers as more niche as they were mechanical droppers and the Maverick was the hydro one, which certainly led to the unreliable dropper post methodology we have seen after that was why a lot of people eschewed the idea of droppers, similar to how people still see hydro brakes as unreliable. 

I also really saw the cycling media take to the Speedball dropper vs. the gravity dropper. They always complained about saddle float with the gravity dropper, and worried about dirt intrusion and the mechanism, but the speedball was all unicorns and rainbows. Though MTBR certainly showed that the speedball, and then all the following droppers immediately proceeding it that used hydro, were limited in their ability to not leak, not creep down, and not be cheap, at least for the next bunch of years after the speedball. 

I have use the PNW one, it has some saddle play, I do almost no maintenance and it works like a charm every time.


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## Sparticus (Dec 28, 1999)

BushwackerinPA said:


> You can get a PNW post that is both suspension and a dropper. I have on my MTB I converted to a drop bar gravel bike/class 4, stupid on single track bike.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


The one I just ordered for my road bike (gravel frame with port for stealth dropper) is the PNW Cascade 27.2 with 125mm drop. I imagine that'll be enough for road use.
=sParty


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## Hurricane Jeff (Jan 1, 2006)

rockcrusher said:


> I think the speedball was the first dropper that reached mainstream acceptance of the dropper. There were others, back in the 90's even. There was a multi position linkage post from an israeli company that allowed the saddle to go backwards, middle, forward for climbing, then way forward for clearance but really the speedball was the one that put it on the average riders radar. The fact that it came from Maverick was helpful as at the time they were really a forward thinking company. I am not sure if it was under Paul Turners control at that time so maybe it wasn't him but Maverick bikes.


Power Post is what I believe you are talking about. That was never considered a dropper post, at least in the more modern sense. Also, Maverick or Paul Turner were not the first, or behind Gravity Dropper, which gets the notoriety of being the first, but that's still not correct. I've dived into this conversation before and I won't go into the discussion further, but Hurricane Components should be recognized as being the first to bring one to market in 2000-2001, in a very limited run.


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## BrianU (Feb 4, 2004)

timobkg said:


> One bike is 27.2, the other is 30.9 mm. I guess I just need to search for externally routed dropper posts and see if there's one in a matching size.


Here you go.









Affordable Trail dropper posts


The Rainier line of dropper posts are affordable and reliable, perfect for low maintenance mountain biking.




www.pnwcomponents.com





They have them for both sizes you listed. I have a Pine 27.2 on my Kona Unit and have had no problems with it.


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## chazpat (Sep 23, 2006)

93EXCivic said:


> I have one on my mountain bike. I am collecting parts and waiting on two frames from Marino. One is getting a dropper post and the other is going to have an external routed dropper so I can quickly swap between dropper and Thudbuster (bikepacking/mixed terrian bike). Don't have on on the gravel bike but may get a TranzX jump seat at some point.


Oh cool, I might get that for my CX, I know eTen or someone used to make one like that but I don't think they still exist.


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## rockcrusher (Aug 28, 2003)

Hurricane Jeff said:


> Power Post is what I believe you are talking about. That was never considered a dropper post, at least in the more modern sense. Also, Maverick or Paul Turner were behind the Gravity Dropper, which gets the notoriety of being the first, but that's still not correct. I've dived into this conversation before and I won't go into the discussion further, but Hurricane Components should be recognized as being the first to bring one to market in 2000-2001, in a very limited run.


Power post thanks! Oh I forgot about Hurricane post. I guess as an average Joe, the most media coverage I saw and the bikes shops I frequented that Speedball was the one making the difference. Not to say that the other posts didn't exist and weren't valid, just the shops were carrying the speedball in store whereas the other posts were ordered by the shop. I guess that is my barometer for popularity. Again this is based on back when the boutique mountain bike shop existed and you went there to see the newest stuff that you could buy and that you read about in Mountain Bike Action or Dirt Rag or Bike or whatever. 

I was always afraid of gravity dropper because of the mechanical design, though in hindsight I can certainly see how valid that idea is now, but for some reason thought that a single sealed shaft riding on air was a good solution. Drinkin the Koolaid I guess.


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## WHALENARD (Feb 21, 2010)

The next leap will be integrated seatposts like Eightpins tried to do about three or four years ago. Infact, I'd wager droppers becoming so cheap and reliable actually set back the evolution of them to integrated. 

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


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## response3 (Mar 4, 2007)

BushwackerinPA said:


> Two times in the past year I had friends of friends show up to a ride with a dropperless bike, and both time they were like "why do you go up the hill just to come back down" "it to steep here" "there are to many small hills(rollers) here"


Find new friends. You don’t need that kind of negativity in your life .


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## DeeCount (Oct 3, 2020)

I really wish I had access to trails that required a dropper post. There's a couple of trails I go to that have sections that would benefit from a dropper, but not a necessity, it'd just be a little more fun. I still want one but it's not a priority. And knowing my snobbery it's gonna have to be an AXS 😜 so I'll need to save up for a while 👍


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## Randot (Apr 11, 2009)

I hate dropper posts. Dumbest thing ever. I recently bought a bike with one and never use it. Well, it decided to totally collapse on me today. I was planning on replacing it anyway because all it does is add weight. I'll replace the dumb heavy thing with a light weight QR and problem solved. Probably a fad like the ridiculously wide handlebars people use.


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## *OneSpeed* (Oct 18, 2013)

Well consider me "trendy".


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## dysfunction (Aug 15, 2009)

It's "new", so it's bad. Got it.


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## Nat (Dec 30, 2003)

They're not even really that new, LOL


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## Ripbird (Jun 25, 2020)

Starting this thread is kinda like starting a seatbelt thread? Does anyone not wear a seatbelt in 2022?


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## Nat (Dec 30, 2003)

Ripbird said:


> Starting this thread is kinda like starting a seatbelt thread? Does anyone not wear a seatbelt in 2022?


And helmets! What about helmets!


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## Ripbird (Jun 25, 2020)

Nat said:


> And helmets! What about helmets!


I stand corrected. This is more like starting a helmet thread. All 3 can kill you!


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## Drew H. (Oct 6, 2017)

I've never had or used a dropper post so I can't really say that I'm missing anything....then again, never had or used a full-squish either....I'm still on an Al HT 27.5 with a 100mm fork and 70* HTA and a 3X drive train


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## bmwpowere36m3 (May 14, 2007)

It took me a little while to get the hang of the dropper and see its benefit... now, I couldn't see myself going back and riding without one.


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## Sparticus (Dec 28, 1999)

One thing is certain.
Guys who don't see the need for a dropper ride mountain bikes completely differently than guys who appreciate droppers.
Understatement.
Not saying anybody's approach to mountain biking is wrong. 
Wait... maybe. The implication is certainly there, isn't it.
Can't help it -- I still dream of flying, too.
=sParty


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