Does A Dropper Post Destroy Road Cycling?
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- čas přidán 18. 05. 2024
- In the 2022 edition of Milano-Sanremo, Matej Mohorič shocked the cycling world by using a dropper post to descend the Poggio on his way to victory in one of the prestigious races on the pro calendar. So, should we all be descending with dropper seatposts on our road bikes? Conor and Manon went to this epic descent to find out if it's actually any faster!
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0:00 Intro
1:08 The Poggio
3:02 Run 1 - no dropper post
5:49 Run 2 - with dropper post
6:55 Results
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Would you ever consider using a dropper post on your road bike? 🤔 Let us know in the comments below! 💬
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Would you ever consider using a dropper post on your road bike? 🤔
Im waiting on a d-shaped dropper post! I have a Ridley Kanzo Fast that will double as my road bike this summer
@Aaron Miaullis Good idea! Maybe Conor just needs to learn how to get rad a little more 🤙
I just recently had a conversation with my dad about this one I could definitely put a dropper on my Brody and my computer setups I feel like riding in the Wind would be a whole new animal with the dropper post
Yes, got one, won't ride without it again.
Pogi is much small er sits lower without dropper post ...why he dont win ?? Mohoric wins because he was riding downhill on the absolut limit ......he rides like this race will be the last in the season....why dont you ask Pogi, van Aert, Vinegard , etc "how musch risk will you take on the downhill of Milano San Remo ?" Would you risk the whole season 2023 for a victory at Milano San Remo ?? Make some uncomfortable journalism when you want not to be like all other guys from TV Newspaper etc....
As an MTBer who got his first dropper 4 years ago I'd NEVER go back to a none dropper seat post again, they are really are a gamer changer and iv got them on all my bikes
Have you also got them on road bikes? 👀
@@gcn iv got them on an old MTB that I use to get to the office and back and it's great for going down hills and just having the option of adjusting the seat post on the fly, iv been cycling as a hobby since the late 90s so it was a bit of a revelation when I got to use it first!
Definitely got one on my Orange RX9 gravel bike, and at 182cm tall, makes a huge difference to gravel descents. It certainly takes time to get accustomed to where you can push the bike to. I was always getting gapped by shorter riders of similar body mass going downhill. The dropper definitely gives me more confidence and ability to move my mass with cornering and braking.
I've got mine on my MTBs and gravel bike, but not on the road one.
I've got one on my hardtail and its a gamechanger there, really miss it on the road bike some times but not enough to actually take the cash and weight penalty, I just go a bit slower on dome descents and that's ok.
Connor needs a dropper post with far more travel! He was still miles away from his top tube.
His saddle is also probably a centimeter or two too high.
Did you see Mohoric racing in his youth? Don't forget his cycling school. And if you ever saw how fearlessly his current team boss also raced in his youth, a lot would become clear to you. OK, the dropper certainly helped him a bit, but it is a matter of great skill, as well as courage. Fearlessness. He's risking everything. And he's extremely smart. And that's how he won.
What are you saying? Conor hasn't got the descending skills of Mohoric? 😂Maybe we should give him some time to practice and have another go 💨
My MTB riding changed when i discovered the dropper. I work as a bike tour guide in greece in summer seasons, and this year i going to try the dropper with the road bike (i use the same bikes as my tour guets). I feel with good practice and time spent, on the dropper if would make me a much quicker rider, and save energy on transistion (down-flat-uphill)
Have Blake come by and do the test. He has the most experience using a dropper on a drop bar bike, and amazing bike handling skills.
Happy St Patrick's Day to Conor and all the GCN presenters and crew. Why not do a straight no-pedal descent with dropper up and dropper down and compare the difference? This is something I think Ollie would come up with.
Happy St Patricks day to you Steve! Great idea... what do you think would come out on top? 👑
@@gcn I would go with dropper down for more aerodynamics
Ollie really should do this test. He'd be a bit more enthusiastic about getting more aero. 😀
I know this sounds weird, but I have a dropper on my XC bike and I use it way more while descending on gravel or paved roads than I do when riding XC trails.
You're right, that does sound weird!
I find a dropper on a sketchy descent makes a huge difference for me. Not just offroad but also on tarmac. The body position you can achieve using a dropper allows for bigger lean into the turns more control when things get sketchy and also feels more stable. I was surprised that the dropper was slower. But it does take practice to use a dropper effectively.
I bet the camera bikes are under strict orders to get the hell out of the way this year! Mahoric definitely caught a fair amount of draft
Gotta give dropper posts to the motos as well. 😁
If framemakers changed to 31.9 mm posts, they could get a lot more drop than 75 mm and could simulate a supertuck in long, non-technically difficult descents. Lowering the cg is not the point of a dropper post on a road bike. Bicycles lean and keep the cg in line with the normal force. Multitrack vehicles benefit from lower cg when turning. MTB benefit from getting the saddle out of the way.
GCN people, have you ever considered a short video on how cycling impacts hearing through wind noise? Would love a Simon interview with an expert
I've finally switched to dropper post with my new mountain bike and off road it's an absolute game changer. I've done a few tarmac rides to get used to the new bike and even there I was using the dropper surprisingly often - mainly to get myself lower as with the MTB gears I'd spin out at about 45kph, but also for the extra stability and better handling in turns (it was winter and some bits of the road might have been icy). I can imagine someone with MTB background to make the most out of a dropper post even on a road bike on a descend like the Poggio, though I wouldn't say it necessarily saves a lot of time - if you look at the Poggio descend times from last year on Strava, you can see Mohorič was the fastest of the front group, which went full gas up that climb, but actually quite a few riders from back in the peloton descended significantly faster than him as they entered the descend with lower heart rate and descended more controlled.
How much faster were they? Mohoric would have lost significant time with that almost crash imo.
I’m not surprised it was slower. My MTB has a dropper and it helps a lot when you frequently have to get your weight back or move the bike around underneath you. But that just isn’t how you descend on a road bike. Using a dropper you’re moving yourself in and out of the most efficient pedaling position.
5:53 This moment had me laughing out loud!! Manon & Connor form a lovely comic duet!!
I run a dropper on my gravel and mtb bike, and they're so beneficial.
When I was in recovery from a shoulder operation I had to avoid my normal DH/enduro type riding and sticks to roads, as I have lots of TDF climbs near me in the Pyrenees I thought I'd give them a go, on the more technical downhills like Port de Balès and Mendes, I managed top twenty on Strava, on my mountain bike, although obviously slower rolling, disk brakes, dropper post and fatter tyres made all the difference in the bends, slowing down later and taking the bend faster, and of course mountain biker bike handling skills 😁
0:49 looks like someone was happy to see Conor😂
I imagine it might be useful for the average rider when coming to a stop? Much more balance with feet flat on the ground as opposed to wobbling on top toes at traffic lights 😂
Brilliant.👍 What on earth was that start Manon?🤨🤪😂 Beep Beep Beeeeep 😂😂😂 You pair gel so well together in these videos.
I’m thinking about adding a dropper to my Canyon Grizl just for doing rocky steep descents, and I probably will 🎉
I'd still get one. I recently got a new bike with a slightly lower BB drop, which has made a bit of a difference to my confidence when descending. The difference with a dropper would be immense.
Cool, looks so much fun. I've always thought that a down hill road event like with mtb's would be interesting. Great stuff
That could be very entertaining! Should we do a presenter challenge? Who do you think would win? 👀
@@gcn my bet is always on ollie.
I'd definitely try it if there will be something like it for a d-type seatpost.
I'd installed a dropper post before Mohoric won. PNW Coast suspension paired with a PRO trigger.
Interesting. I‘d love to see a „how pure roadies decent vs. how MTBers descent“ with GMBN with slow motion shots, maybe also a bit of analysis of race footage. On the MTB, I could not ride without the dropper any more. Even if it‘s only a few cm on the XC bike. Not having your hips locked out gives you so much more wiggle room.
Cornering is made differently on road bike and MTB. Due to much slacker headtube angle you have to lean the MTB into the corner with the body more or less upright which helps with the grip because side knobs dig into the soft ground and the stability. You can't lean the bike into the turn with the saddle up. On the road bike you tend to leave the bike upright and lean the body into the turn. If you leaned the road bike it would tighten the turn itself and you'd crash. I am not sure dropper helps a lot in this. For sure dropper helps with aero on descends since super tuck is banned.
I'd love to see which is faster here. Take the grim donut. With the very slack head angle. Long. Stable. Throw on tyres with little profile. Make the suspension rather hard id think. I think it would be much closer to a motorcycle in geometry than a roadcycle is and offer better grip. So. It should win downhill on road too.
@@piast99 motorcycles are longer and feel more stable than bicycles at the same speed in corners. A slack head angle means more stability, which bicycles can really use some more for this road descent purpose. I think a MTB would be better here.
@@piast99 Yes, that are the usual ways but when I look at Tom Pidcock on a road bike I can definitely see the MTBer shining through. The dropper saved Mohorič at least one time from being kicked in the butt by the saddle too hard and going over the bars.
I love Conor's camo bar tape. Great style
Oh yeah! We must have missed that 👀... Ba Dum Shhhh 🥁
I would love a dropper on a road bike. I'm only 6ft 3, not a giant like Connor, but the biggest upgrade to my bike and to my riding skills was when I fitted a dropper to my xc mtb. I can't wait to fit one to my road bike.
Seeing all the roadies and motos on the Poggio makes me happy to remember there are places in the world where 2 wheeled vehicles aren’t considered a nuisance.
As a xc mountainbike that sometimes like to race but no man made course like they ride in world cup XCO i don´t really need dropperpost most of the time
My XC MTB race bike came with a lightweight dropper post but I feel more confident descending with the post in normal riding height on sharp turns. Only in super steep sections it would help but if you know the technique of putting your butt behind the saddle on the steeps then no need for a dropper unless you are a downhill racer. The one I have requires to remove the saddle to up-keep the pressure so becomes annoying to remove the saddle regulary. Would not put a dropper post on my road bike. Super tuck UCI ban does not apply to me 🤣
We all know that the dropper seatpost is faster in MTB. But the first 20 rides with my new dropper on my XC hardtail, I was slower. The gnarlier the descends - the slower! I didn't feel the saddle between my legs, I was missing the leverage, the control of the bike lean through my thighs. I couldn't pedal standing without the saddle there, I felt I was missing a wheel.
Until I got used to
I thought the dropper would only be deployed on the straight sections to gain super tuck and then back up for corner control. I think it’s impossible to test its full potential without closed roads, well done for giving it your best Connor
Wrong, a dropped post gives you more control in corners too.
@@71CMM ah I did not know that thanks for the steer 👍🏻
Eddy Merckx use to lower his saddle for key descents.
I'm just confused why Conner is descending on the hoods and giving up control rather than being in the drops.
4:55 Intellectually I knew Conor is very tall, but watching him towering next to Manon made my jaw drop. Every shot must take some work to frame so that the difference isn't jarring. In any case, he is likely in the right track when he suggests that his height may play a role on how beneficial the dropper post could be -- it seems intuitive that a 7cm drop would make a bigger difference on a smaller rider.
I do want to point out that it is largely strategy, similar to tire thickness or depth of the rim. There are benefit and also bad things, such as an aero penalty. And if it ain’t controlled by the FIA, sure, take a shot.
Edit : MB, I watch too much f1, I mean UCI
Haha I didn't even notice you said FIA the first time I read your comment. I guess we are hopeless.
i was wondering is the F1 adptoed the dropper post 🤣
It's great with a dropper post on my enduro bike.
I don't want to ride without it.
But on my roadbike I really don't see the need for it, I also want to keep my roadbike as light as possible.
But to each their own, I guess.
Gotta love the highest pitch beep in ever.
What kind of an answer is saying you won’t get better at descending with the dropper after practicing? When does someone not get better at something after practicing it?
Which company will release the first aero dropper post?
I love it when I see a headline like this and it ISN'T on GCN Tech.
Wouldn’t a better test be a standard seat post vs. a dropper? Droppers add a fair bit of weight compared to an aluminum or carbon post.
It takes time to get used to ride with a dropper. But ones you're there, you'll never go back 😁 I have it on my MTB's, I have it on my gravel bike and if Shimano made a left Ultegra lever with dropper capability (like the GRX) I would have it on my road bike 🚴💨
Cool video. Connor almost got clipped a few times as well as passing a motorcycle. Also I'm wondering how many droppers we'll see this Milano Sanremo?
Winning is about using reading the rulebook, find any kind of loophole and use the best technology available. As long as the dropper is legal and the rider accepts to pay the weight penalty is up to him and the team.
It would be interesting to see this comparison done on a closed road, so you can hit the apex’s and let it rip.
I've got it a MTB, and recently, after many years, I got my first dropper. It's very different, and I need to understand and get used to it! I still can't use it! I feel unbalanced. I'm sure I'll get there.
just gunna point out the motorbikes being in the way made much more of a difference than the dropper post, several moments mohoric effectively got a full on lead-out off of the camera bike leaving the corners. There was a notable difference this year.
Had to stop after 4:00. Too many flashbacks to all those gut-wrenchingly stupid things I did on a bicycle (and some would say I still do). I know I'm going to have some weird dreams tonight. Even charming Manon couldn't get me to stick.
Droppers aren't magic. You just have to train with them. I've seen the same with mountain biking and riders dismissing them out of hand. They put you in a different position and that needs time and effort.
I think the rider skill plays a role in how effective new technology is. Conor isn't really the guy to rapidly adapt to anything, really need someone like hank :)
This, 100%
Don't forget that Mohoric pretty much invented his own super tuck and everyone was laughing at him, saying that it's slower. Until Froome copied most of it and most people started believing it was Froome who invented it. Dropper is not there just for the sake of dropping the seat, it's there to make certain type of descending possible.
Also, I'd be interested what was the average power that Conor had during this descent. Because Mohoric apparently had around 300W and I would assume that if it's not the same, it will be hard to get benefit out of it.
This is great ! What's the Music??
I really hope this to come. I have a large inseam hence i lack in speed going down steep hills. With a dropped seatpost i am much faster. Unfortunately most modern disc brake bikes have a d-shaped seatpost. You can't use a dropper post with it.
Pantani definitely would have liked one.
One of the best upgrades on a MTB though if your bike doesn't have it. 75mm isn't enough for connor
Will never ride without a dropper, ever. I have one installed on all of my bikes, including my carbon Checkpoint (I use as my road bike as well with a wheel swap). You can get into supertuck without the need to sit on the top tube 🤘
I feel like it’s going to be hard to make any of these claims with open roads
I’m so glad the dropper is coming to road cycling. Safety is worth the extra weight.
Great point! Have/will you be fitting one to your bike? 👀
safety? this won't keep you from crashing lmao, just know your and the bike's limits
@@gcn I did last year. 👍
cool video
You don't need to keep your bum on the saddle (which is why it's still allowed to ride out of the saddle in a race). It's that you're not allowed to support your bum with any other part of the bike, e.g. the top tube. If you can hover over the top tube and convince the commissaires you didn't support your bum with the top tube, you would be within the UCI regs.
It would be interesting if Tom Pidcock (I know, he's out this weekend with a concussion) or Puck Pieterse won their respective MSRs and did their trademark flying superman/superwoman victory salute with their abdomen supported by the saddle before crossing the finish line. We'd then get to see if UCI follows its rules and disqualifies/punishes them or not. I don't recall UCI DQ'ing them for this in the past, so I expect the answer to be no or at most they'll get a fine and/or points deduction but keep their win.
Repeat attempt with either someone (substantially?) shorter or more confident with the saddle height change?
Manon or Hank? Si or one of the GMBN crew (am thinking Rich... well maybe fully Rich)
More important question… is Conor’s bar tape wrapped differently on each side of the bar? 😮
Has anyone else noticed the state of those roads? Is that the actual route for tomorrow? My goodness...
Conor, why do you descend on the hoods? Wouldn't the drops give you more control and speed?
Matej is the one who knows how to do it💪
Can he do it again tomorrow? 💨
@@gcn yes he can🇸🇮🤞
This test should be repeated by someone who is used to riding with a dropper. You also need to do multiple runs in each mode, and maybe on 2 or 3 different hills, with varying amounts of steepness and turns. Personally, I’ve ridden with droppers for years now on MTB, gravel, and road rides, and I hope to never ride without one again. It’s a major increase in control and, therefor, fun.
You should get Neil to test it aswell... I am sure he's faster with a dropper!
I personally would not want to give away the dropper post.
I would have assumed Ollie would have demonstrated the ‘dropper’ post.
He would have been ‘Fly’in’.
Do you have some spare bike frame? My frame is too heavy.
Mohoric had a few months of practice with the dropper post prior to the race, so Conor's sentiment is unsurprising.
Shall we send Conor down some local hills to practice his dropper technique? We think he could fly 🚀
@@gcn yes please! That'd be a banging video!
I personally don't see any use in a dropper for road descents but they are mandatory for mountain biking!
Looking at the POV Conor is pretty good at descending.
Similar difference between a very tall person (Connor) and a very short person (Emma). Lower center of gravity. Better defending.
how about getting hank and ollie try it out?
The dropper seatpost turns Conor's bike into Manon's bike XD
Wondering what the peak speeds were ... 🤔
A massive change like that - you won't quickly learn how to take full advantage of it.
It always amaze me that none of the professional cyclists counter lean on the turns.
They are not MotoGP riders with huge section tires and tons of grip so they can lean with their knees on the ground.
Seeing a cyclist put their knee out makes me always smile
There is a good video from FortNine about counter-leaning.
And how much improves stability in slow corners especially in all the situation where you don’t have enough speed or grip to speed to lean.
Look on how dirt bikes turns for example.
I’ve started to counter lean when I come down the mountains here in north Italy and it’s so much safer, if you feel your are losing it just put a foot down.
Didn't he also run larger brake rotors so he could brake later?
It's not ONLY the dropper post, its the skillzzzzz also
OK. First disc brakes, clutches in rear derailleurs, now dropper posts. What would be next thing them roadies borrow from MTB? Baggy clothes? Flat bars?
Considering Orbea is a partner of the channel, it was odd choice to have gone with a gravel bike instead of an Orbea Orca OMR 😅
If you do any amount of offroad descending, just get one
Are they the way to on gravel bikes? 👀
@@gcn Oh yes definitely
@@rnghwdbcs yep, can't ride my gravel bike without anymore. Just feels wrong.
You kinda need to get used to it. On my MTB its second nature. Whenever i enter a descent or a sketchy turn i drop the seat to allow me to get lower and move my body around without a seatpost being in the way.
comparing pears to apples
Would you like to see Conor putting some practice in with the dropper and seeing how fast he can get 🤔
@@zon3ful I wouldn't say so. In the end it's physics. And a lower center of gravity will help the stability in turns. Even on a road bike.
Just have the skill
It's all about skill
I once asked a motorcycling friend how to descend faster. He said get bigger feet. In other words, lower your center of gravity.
Dropper seat post….legal.
Glucose monitoring….illegal.
🤷🏼♂️
That's the cruel world we live in! Do you see Glucose monitoring becoming legal?
I’d like to see it made legal, I think it’s a tool that isn’t any more or less financially accessible than say a set of carbon wheels. As UCI has stated it’s giving teams with larger budgets an advantage.
Is a dropper post useful only to increase the speed of someone with mad skills or does it improve the performance of someone who's weak on descents?
Its kind of situational, but doesn't seem to shine in most road biking. Better control for slow technical riding and probably some minimal aero gains in fast straight descents. Might help to have lower center of gravity in side by side sprint battle. For a beginner one might appreciate the extra control for speed bumps. An intermediate to advanced might like it for the occasional bunny hop up a curb. I think it adds safety so hard to not be a fan! Interesting topic
It will have MORE effect on weak descenders.
Just riding Lanterne Rouges coat tails?
I don't really give a rat's a$$ about dropper posts, but I do I consider Conor and Manon to be the best GCN team, so this was fun. :)
Cornelius Would Be Proud.
I think a dropper post is an evolution like Formula 1 with DRS
Mohorič likely only used his dropper post in the tightest bends so the times are misleading
Ok, so this will definitely have to be done again, nothing against Conner, but using the tallest cyclist is not the best idea for a cornering challenge.
Also need to have someone get used to the seat post, and have 2 presenters do the challenge, each with 2 runs with and 2 runs without the seat post.
The question is "how good is your health insurance"
Must train with the dropper to maximize effectiveness.
You’re not making full use and getting your centre of gravity far over enough in the turn. Droppers allow you to get further over a bit like motorcycle riders do to move their weight.
You really should consider doing more runs to get better results. Why not repeat it a few times, maybe let Manon try as well? At times it feels a bit low effort.