i'm an older rider with multiple injuries that require me to change seat height to improve balance and comfort . it's my favorite bicycle addition in the last thirty years .
I've just recently had an external seat dropper post fitted on my 2022 Trek Marlin 8.I had this done because I have just been diagnosed with osteoarthritis in both of my hips.The osteoarthritis causes me problems with mounting my bike.This piece of kit is a godsend, and makes me very happy to be able to ride again 😊
I'm just a casual rider with occasional long rides and city rides. I have a dropper post installed and I'd say it gives much more benefit than the dropper post of my office chair!
As an XC racer I don't use dropper posts. I put a dropper on my xc bike for a season but used it so infrequently that I removed it and haven't missed it since. I don't seem to loose any time on the downhills against my competition that does use the dropper so I'd rather have a lighter bike using a super light carbon post.
My gravelbike came with dropper, so I got it without wanting it. It was my first dropper. I didnt know how to use it, but I like to drop a few centimeters on long declines, and sometimes i Think variaton of saddle height gives a slightly different load on my legs, which probably is good.
On a mountain bike of any kind a dropper post will be beneficial. For MTB I absolutely agree. For pro road racers on steep descents, I never thought of that until watching this video, for safety, maybe. Beside MTB I also ride gravel. There were many debates about this. Dropper post on a gravel bike I think is nonsense. How often you ride trails (or any kind of hard terrain) on a gravel bike??? Practically never, that is not what a gravel bike is for. With a dropper post on a gravel bike you will simply be missing what a good carbon post possibly with some shock absorber/damper can offer which is a lot more important on a gravel bike.
Good point on the flex, though some gravel droppers have suspension built in like Rockshox Reverb XPLR and PNW's Coast, which would help the comfort stakes!
My issue with dropper posts is no setback. Combined with the steep seat angles of modern mountain bikes, a straight seatpost does not allow me to have my preferred pedaling position.
Droppers with setback are necessary with seat angles over 75°. To much weigth on your hands; saddle gets too high(the more forward the saddle the higher is has to be, combine this with shorter cranks(next big thing) +shorter seat tubes and one needs seatposts of 60cm and more.if u measure over 195cm. I even use a dropper on my road bike : so much faster and safer going downhill. A lot of people can not touch the ground with their feet while sitting on the saddle. Dangerous when emergency stop.
Q: Dropper on road bike? A: Yes - for descending down alpine switchbacks! Getting your weight back and low is superb for late breaking and cornering. Also, maybe useful in everyday riding - if you need to brake hard.
I will just bin the dropper and install a Darimo or Ax lightness light carbon post. Never needed droppers nor electronic shifting. Mechanical xx1/xtr for me all day, everyday.
What about fixed gear bikes, should they have a dropper too? I just dont understand the dropper post, so it gets your saddle out of the way so you can move your body around?
No, that's a lie. There's only 8 million mountain/off-road bikers. We sell 17 million bikes a year. And the majority of those 8 million would be people who don't ride hard off-road. And there's 51 million bikers total,nwith 17 million bikes sold. At best, a couple hundred thousand are needed. I ride to get around my small NC coastal town. I jump curbs, plow through ditches, some deeper than I am tall. Never needed my seat to change height while riding. And neither does 95% of bike riders. It's 8 million ways stupid, to assume the other 43 million bike riders needs something that benefits themselves, doing a niche activity. No, I don't need it. The VAST majority of people don't need it. And we really don't need to waste money, or resources putting junk we don't need on our bikes. If it benefits you, then by all means, get one. But don't stupidly tell everyone else that they need one. We don't. And for off-road bikers, a simple Google shows.... "On an average annual basis, the SFIA found that casual rider participation is up 2.4% over the past five years, and core participation is down 0.9%. Looking at the 1-year and 3-year trends, the difference is even more dramatic, with core ridership declining more steeply." (Core riders are people who ride at least 13 times a year) VERY few Casual riders have much use for this, and the number of core riders is dropping pretty fast. No, not every bike needs this. Not even 10% of the bikes sold need this.
