Should I drop the seat post

[Deleted member 2899]

Should I drop the seat post before starting a downhill single track? What about a single track that's pretty much on the level but has lots of twists and turns? I'm thinking of hitting the Forest of Dean soon and would like to make the most of it. Nothing too hard core though. I've done mountain biking in the past including some of the trails at Cwm Carn and Afon Forest but I don't recall dropping the seat post on those occasions. To be fair I was probably more of a cross country rider back then (I probably still am ) but I'm not averse to a bit more excitement. Riding flat, non technical trails can get a bit boring. I would like a little more speed but I don't want to hold the hot shots up.

Alan

 

[xcentric]

you drop it to get your centre of gravity in the right place and to protect your, er, assets in case you go forwards suddenly. You can simply sit off the back of the saddle and down if you wish - it's just easier with the post down. Easy enough to do going along with a quick release if you practice a bit, even easier with a dropper post.....

 

[steve_sordy]

Whether to drop the saddle or not is a mix of experience and nervousness.

If you know the trail is tricky or has some big drops, then by all means drop the saddle.

If you feel nervous about the trail ahead, drop your seat post a bit - you don't have to drop it all the way

Dropping the seat post gives your body more freedom to move about and it allows you to ride knowing that unless you are unlucky, the saddle that may be whipping back and forth between your legs won't snag your shorts or hit your wedding tackle!

There are features on trails that I'm riding today where I don't drop the saddle, but a few years ago I used to do so.

By the way the whole idea of the dropper post with a remote is that you can ride a trail with the saddle all the way up and then drop it for just the one feature that needs it to be dropped. You do not have to make a one off decision for a whole trail!

 

[R120]

Not definitive but a good idea of where and when here

 

[Wiltshire Warrior]

Not dropping was the main contributing factor of all my over the bars dismounts so I now have droppers on all but my pre 1996 bikes. For me it's a safety feature now. Brought my first one in morzine in 2009, it was too steep and dangerous to use the Thomson elite in its pedalling position. They are heavy but it's worth it.

 

[Deleted member 2899]

Looks like a handy feature to have.but I'm not convinced, at this point in time, that my rather sedate riding will warrant that sort of expense. Perhaps when I get a little more experienced.

 

[R120]

For any type of MTB riding, the dropper post is the best invention in mountain biking since suspension. Its not just the ability to drop the saddle and get it out of the way on decedents, but also the ability to set it at different seating positions when climbing.

 

[adambcvg]

At the moment due to the mud, unless it's a mainly a hard pack trail like Verderers, it'd be better to have more control and drop it. It's not an easy decision on flat ground though.

Absolutely agree with the other comments, buying a cheap Brand X dropper completely transformed my bike for the local trails. Been fault free for two years and was £100.

 

[Jaygam]

I use mine on the fly, mid to low on the trails, it only takes a second in advance and still sit and pedal hard or rest on the smoother parts to combat fatigue if I'm giving it my all.

 

[Deleted member 2899]

At the moment due to the mud, unless it's a mainly a hard pack trail like Verderers, it'd be better to have more control and drop it. It's not an easy decision on flat ground though.

Absolutely agree with the other comments, buying a cheap Brand X dropper completely transformed my bike for the local trails. Been fault free for two years and was £100.

£100 is not so bad. The ones I was looking at were more like £250. I intend sticking with the all weather trails, there seem to be plenty around these days. All that mud was one of the reasons I lost interest. Went out the other day and ended up wading through some and vowed never again.

 

[Jaygam]

At the moment due to the mud, unless it's a mainly a hard pack trail like Verderers, it'd be better to have more control and drop it. It's not an easy decision on flat ground though.

Absolutely agree with the other comments, buying a cheap Brand X dropper completely transformed my bike for the local trails. Been fault free for two years and was £100.

Good point there with the mud sir

 

[adambcvg]

£100 is not so bad. The ones I was looking at were more like £250. I intend sticking with the all weather trails, there seem to be plenty around these days. All that mud was one of the reasons I lost interest. Went out the other day and ended up wading through some and vowed never again.

Was on offer and I think it's a 120mm - do be careful on the sizing.

The mud is ok if you have the tyres but can get very wearing. It's the wet roots that tend to get me!

 

[Deleted member 2899]

Was on offer and I think it's a 120mm - do be careful on the sizing.

The mud is ok if you have the tyres but can get very wearing. It's the wet roots that tend to get me!

I don't mind a small amount of mud, it's hard to avoid in the UK, but I spent an hour the other day up to my ankles pushing the bike up the hill. I only carried on because I thought I was nearly there. I wasn't. First ride on the bike, all that mud and two punctures.

 

[flash]

I'm a hack rider at best and I wouldn't ride without a dropper post now. It was the first thing I fitted to me 2nd eBike when it arrived without one. Near enough to essential for me.

Gordon

 

[Jaygam]

I don't mind a small amount of mud, it's hard to avoid in the UK, but I spent an hour the other day up to my ankles pushing the bike up the hill. I only carried on because I thought I was nearly there. I wasn't. First ride on the bike, all that mud and two punctures.

nobody likes the mud thats the consistency of cake mixture. The New Forest can get like that in places.

 

[2unfit2ride]

I don't mind a small amount of mud, it's hard to avoid in the UK, but I spent an hour the other day up to my ankles pushing the bike up the hill. I only carried on because I thought I was nearly there. I wasn't. First ride on the bike, all that mud and two punctures.

Feeling your pain, the clay around here has been a nightmare the last couple of months

 

[HikerDave]

Should I drop the seat post before starting a downhill single track? What about a single track that's pretty much on the level but has lots of twists and turns? I'm thinking of hitting the Forest of Dean soon and would like to make the most of it. Nothing too hard core though. I've done mountain biking in the past including some of the trails at Cwm Carn and Afon Forest but I don't recall dropping the seat post on those occasions. To be fair I was probably more of a cross country rider back then (I probably still am ) but I'm not averse to a bit more excitement. Riding flat, non technical trails can get a bit boring. I would like a little more speed but I don't want to hold the hot shots up.

Alan

I miss the dropper post on my human-powered bike. I’ll step off the eBike and drop the saddle as far as it will go on any downhill more than about ten percent grade, or if I know I’m going to roll over any boulders or rock step where I drop my shoulders and shove the front of the bike down to keep my body mass from developing the rotation that causes the dreaded over the bars. After the drop the handlebars come back up; that only works if the saddle is dropped and out of the way.

It’s also harder to lift the front end for a level drop or jump with the seat up; but on my eBike I still haven’t got the timing right or the front end is too darn heavy, I land nose down which is dangerous so I prefer to roll.

Going fast on a twisty trail I’ve never had to drop the post; weight transfer on level ground for me is always towards the front of the bike so the saddle doesn’t get in the way.

On an eBike you can probably get away without a dropper just by keeping the saddle an inch or two lower all the time but I get sore knees if the saddle is too low for too long.

 

[Deleted member 2899]

I was considering buying a dropper post but decided against it. I've only had my bike a week and already had 3 punctures so I'm investing in some tubeless tyres and a quick release for the seat instead. Thanks for the advice guys.