Why ALL Bikes Should Have Dropper Posts
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- čas přidán 26. 05. 2024
- Is the dropper post the biggest innovation in mountain bike history? Our MTB presenter Tom Law certainly thinks so.
He also thinks every bike should have a dropper post. Yes, that includes road bikes.
Never one to shy away from a controversial point of view, in this video Tom talks you through why he is adamant that even road, gravel and hybrid city bikes should come with a dropper post out of the box.
He lays down the law on why budget hardtails should ditch cheap suspension forks, why hardtail riders need them to help prevent punctures and why road racing would be safer if the best dropper posts became ubiquitous.
Has Tom finally lost the dropper post plot? Do you think road bikes should have dropper posts? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
#DropperPost #Controversial #Opinion
Chapters
00:00 Intro
00:27 History Of The Dropper Post
01:28 A Dropper On Every MTB
02:52 A Dropper Post Over Updated Geometry
03:28 Get Off And Drop The Saddle
04:37 Doesn’t It Add Weight?
06:03 Dropper Posts Should Be On Road Bikes Too
08:22 Hybrid Bikes
09:16 Outro
Image Credits:
MARCO BERTORELLO / Contributor
THOMAS SAMSON / Contributor
POOL FRANK FAUGERE / Contributor
ANNE-CHRISTINE POUJOULAT / Contributor
Tim de Waele / Getty Images
Rene Domke / Scott Bikes
Lentochka / Getty Images
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Dropper posts, yes or no? Do you agree with Tom?
I like to ride whitout one not needed
@@Paganiproductions84facts bro, maybe an old man needs one lol
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 😊
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.
Looks totally like Hank from GCN 😂
'Mum can we get hank from GCN'
'we already have Hank at home'
Hank at home:
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.
XC racers do seem to be a hold out, comes down to preference I suppose!
Nice to have the option though
The best invention for mountain bikes since front suspension ❤❤
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!
Just ridden the 3 peaks cyclocross today. Surprised I didn’t see any droppers. I reckon it would be a massive advantage. Maybe one for next time!
I think dropper are not allowed on 3 peak cx
I like the pnw coast suspension dropper. Great for hardtails!
I put a dropper post on every bike I own for the last few years. Great on my cargo bike and on my e-bike.
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.
There are some droppers with setback available, but you're right if you prefer a more traditional further back seated position
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?
Yeah that’s exactly it.
Or gets you lower and more aero if you descending.
Fixie is probably a case of it being a bad idea.
Exactly, gets your seatpost out of the way so you can move around the bike easier
I have a dropper on my bike. Only use it at the traffic lights. It’s not very useful to me.
But you do use it, so it has it's uses!
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!
I don’t have one on my hardtail mtb, one thing on the list
Great upgrade for a hardtail!
Im not putting a dropped on my bmx or my hard tail. I like keeping it simple.
If i had a downhill or enduro maybe.
Is that Hank from GCN, behaving like GCN is already sold?🤭🤭🤭
I thought Hank had switched channels for a moment!
Who's Hank? 😉
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.
I never had a dropper post. Do they bounce?
Some do! Intentionally or not!
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.
Thoughts on dropper posts? 📝👇
I have never used one or felt a need for one. yet all of my rides are 90's hardtails. lol
I think they are great not just on MTB but some gravel bikes and city bikes as well. Basically on any bike short of lightweight road bike.
Dropper on my Revolt and I want it off. Waste of time and just adds weight.
There is a weight penalty for sure!
No need on my road bike where I live.
There's definitely some areas where they make less sense if it's flat!
Nonsense. It is a gimmik nobody needs.
FIRST
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