Same. I think it's as important as a good fork shock when you learn how to use it. I still see guys like Tinker, Jeff Ward and Johnny O'hara racing XC CAT1 with no dropper and I just don't get it.
I think the main thing is that you can get through on the sketchy sections much safer with the dropper post. On the world cup races the use of a dropper depends on the track. While it's not really necessary in Albstadt it's great in Mount Saint Anne (unless you have the bike handling skills of Nino Schurter). Since I am not racing on elite level and the weight is less of an issue I have droppers on all of my bikes.
Quality video. Much respect! Where I ride the terrain is very hilly and climbs of less than 1000 ft. Descents are getting more technical each year. At 51 my skills and fitness are on the decline. Having raced BMX and then XC mtb until age 40 my skills are better than most. That being said, I'm training XC once again. So I'm inclined towards comfort, safety and havin a kick ass time. Dropper here I come.
I raced XC back in the early 2000’s on a Jamis Dakar XC Comp with a 130 stem and 440 seatpost sticking wayyyyy out of the frame for aggressive climbing. Now on a 2011 Epic Comp 29 with a 125 dropper and still racing XC. Dropper post makes a world of difference on the techy downhills while still offering an extremely aggressive XC geo for the climbs. Can’t count the number of OTB’s I had on that old Jamis to to being so far over the front with not much option to put weight over the rear wheel.
What I think is that the most important fact that comes out of this test is that you don't loose almost anything on the uphill with the dropper post compared to the non dropper post.
Great test and totally agree. I race CAT2 XC is SoCal top 3 typically which is super competitive market on a PIVOT LES with a dropper. I have not idea how many of the guys ride with no Dropper, its a no brainer for me. And now the data shows exactly what I have been feeling and thinking.
Hopefully more XC riders adopt your philosophy. Then the manufacturers may start offering more 27.2mm diameter posts. Right now there are basically 2 good quality models on the market with external routing like the Thomson you used (and they are pricey).
good job guys. nice to see it's not a definitive in favor or against. There is always this nice feeling if getting through something tough with a high seat post :) but dropper would be great also. :)
the extra pound from the post is not really a big deal - but on technical courses, wow, having a dropper will save tons of time (and be much safer). Especially with a hardtail.
In most cases the difference between a dropper seatpost and carbon seatpost is more than 200 gram. Cheap entry level dropper post weights are around 820 gram vs 220 gram for a light weight non dropper carbon seat post: 600 gram difference can be an other example. Is 600 gram a lot. Well compared to a high end Scott rc 600 mtb frame that on it's own weight is 969 gram. Yes. Don't forget to take into account the difference in price is also around $ 200 more for the high end A brands. Wich is a lot more if you have a entry level allready relatively heavy alloy hardtail framed mtb of $ 750 On xc beginner trails without serious long downhills personally I don't really miss the dropper post marginal extra's. But maybe it can be a nice upgrade for the more advanced riders rides with a larger budget .
Really interesting Joe and a good video. I wonder if looking at the variability index (np/average power) from your ride data would give an indication of your suspected capability to push harder at certain times with the dropper post.
200 grams is a very large single-part weight reduction. You get a light bike by adding up many individual reductions like this (and smaller) until you lose kilos. The same attitude gets your body lighter. You could also (erroneously) argue that losing 200g in bodyweight over a weekend is pointless. But keep it up for months and you get to race weight.
In most cases the difference between a dropper seatpost and carbon seatpost is more than 200 gram. Cheap dropper post weights are around 820 gram vs 220 gram for a light weight non dropper carbon seat post: 600 gram difference can be an other example. Is 600 gram a lot. Well compared to the high end Scott rc 600 carbon mtb frame that on it's own weight is 969 gram. Yes. Not to mention the difference in price is also around $ 200 more for the high end A brands. Wich is a lot more if you have a entry level allready relatively heavy alloy hardtail framed mtb of $ 750 On xc beginner trails without serious long downhills personally I don't really need that extra. But it can be a nice upgrade for the more advanced riders rides with a larger budget.
This is why, in the 80's, I didn't install a Hite-Rite, and now why I won't install a dropper post. For me, downhills are for getting to the next climb.
last week julian absolon stated he will never ever ride without a dropper post ever again.. even in important races.. it is just that much more fun.. i foresee alot of pro's moving this way.. and trying to save weight elsewere.. if thats even needed
My personal opinion (from a high school xc racer) is that there is no noticable weight difference when casually pedaling in a race, but when you are out of the saddle and twisting the bike back and forth, it is noticable having the weight of the dropper sloshing from side to side, but that does not slow you down. What does is having to excessively brake for small features such as roots in the middle of fast turns because you are worrying about where you seat is and the fact that it is in the way. The dropper WILL make you a faster rider, if you use it right. FOX TRANSFER LADIES AND GENTLEMEN!
none of these tests are conclusive when you have a rider who isn't used to using a dropper. The longer you use a dropper the more you use it. an experienced dropper post user will be much faster on descents.
I have riden a rock garden many times on my enduro bike which has a dropper . I send it on my xc bike which doesn't have a dropper (yes I do realise that one is full suspension and one is hardtail but that is not the point) and I got bucked on the xc bike and felt uncomfortable and couldnt push as hard as I would have liked to. Im now looking into getting a dropper as I believe I will go even faster on decent and have more fun (and most importantly get some good photos at races too 😉)
Unless the track is very steep on descents or full of obstacles like rock gardens weight is what matters, less weight equals less watts used during climbs I will stick with my carbon seat post.
WC XC racers arent going to use a heavy dropper post like the Thomson dropper seat post, they are obviously going to go for something that weighs a lot closer to a fixed seatpost.
With my mindset, even when approaching long difficult descents, I can't be bothered to stop and put the seat lower, unless I'm actually planning to make a stop at the top and then another at the bottom (which happens maybe once a year - really). So a dropper post is something I'd probably use. That said, it's definitely not something I'd buy. Not for the current prices. All in all, it's kinda like tires on long XC rides. You'll be going through all kinds of terrain imaginable and you can't pick one perfect tire that does it all flawlessly. So you'll just cover what works best for you and set your expectations accordingly.
As a beginner my legs cant produce the power that a completion rider can produce. Forget the stats...... sometimes is all about how you feel when riding the trails. As a beginner I think my dropper post improves my performance noticeably. As my cadence level is so small I need all the tricks in the box to keep me in the sweat zone
Dropper posts make sense if you are racing & need to optimize seat height 'on the fly' without wasting any time. As I no longer race & time is not so important, I will stick with the good old QR seat post clamps. Much cheaper, Much lighter, A lot less to go wrong. (still using a Hite-Rite for quick optimal seat height setting on one of my bikes) :-) If you really need every second, use a dropper post. If you don't need to shave seconds, you probably don't really need one. :-)
You would have to be going down a seriously steep and twisty decent to need a dropper post to stop you going over the bars. Those kinds of descents don't really exist outside of DH racing. Even if the weight saving only gets you 1 second on a climb, that's 10 seconds in a 10 lap xc race!
Only benefit from not running a dropper would be if you’re competing against people or a clock. unless you race a lot and you’re at the sharp end of the races you do enter, Narrowly missing podiums by seconds rather than minutes..... you’re gonna benefit from a dropper post. unless you’re battling for podiums regularly, you’re probably only at the races for fun and there’s no argument that you’ll enjoy a descent more WITH a dropper. too many casual xc riders think they’re nino.
droppost is definitely a good idea and increase the comfort of riding but im not ready to pay half price of bicycle for this only... once there are 50 euro good working dropposts, i go for it ;)
I have a BMC TE02 - cracking bike! - and am thinking of sticking a dropper on there. Are you tied to an externally-routed one like the Thomson in this test, or could internal routing work? I have a spare 'port' in the downtube from running 1x...
If you have a port where I assume you ran internal for your FD then you can buy an internal version of most posts (e.g. a Thomson Covert Elite). The limiting factor is going to be your seatpost diameter as I believe that bike is a 27.2mm and that may leave you with only a choice of KS Integra posts.
It depends on where you put weight when you have momentum. When tossing the bike from side to side there will be a noticeable difference if it's in the seatpost.
It went together easily in less than an hour. ruclips.net/user/postUgkxHL1v1R3NE5x4KiYfyt8dnQmyNYz7qi5L Make sure the front fork is forward or the pedals will hit the front tire. Tires are both a little soft so it needs air before I ride it. The rear wheel didn't come with a clamp regular bolts hold it on. The front had the clamp. No scratches out of box. Rims are a little off with a slight wobble. They could have spent more time with the spoke tool fixing the run out. So far out of the box I'm happy with it. I did replace the pedals with a nice aftermarket set. After riding it a bit my A$$ is a bit sore so I ordered another seat. Overall I'm nearly 60 and didn't ride a bike in 30 years. I like my new 29" Schwinn. It will be used for casual rides with my friend.
I'm not too familiar with dropper posts, and the weight-shavings in general, but where the fixed post and the dropper of the same "caliber"? Is this top of the line vs top of the line, or was the dropper a trail-post you just happened to have laying around? If so, there might be some more gains in getting a post made for xc racing?
I am not an expert but just think about it. 400 gramms is nothing, for an average grown up male with his bike and clothing its not even 0.5% of his weigh. Of cause its not that easy but my enduro bike weighs 17 kg and i weigh 60 kg. Its quite a heavy bike but just think a few years back. A 17 kg mtb with 160mm of travel front and rear probably didnt even exist 10 years ago. What i wanna say is that even for racing weight is not that important. You can upgrade for slx to saint, have the same features and performance but 100- 200g less and that for nearly 1000$. Or look at bakes. They make fuck break leavers from carbon just to save 15 gramms per lever. Just watch out that you dont eat 15 gramms more in the morning.
The Thompson Elite is a high-quality, premium post and the externally-controlled one used here is one of the lightest available. Lighter, (I think?) than the 100mm KS Lev Julien Absalon has been using. The Thomson is about 450-500g, the KS Lev is similar to the most common Rockshox Reverb post at around 500-550g, but depending on models and remote control options, those weights can vary a fair bit.
looks like there goes a lot of energy lost in the fork when you are standing pedalling. that will be more negative for riding then the few extra gramms of the dropper
On 1 minute and 33 seconds descent it's not possible that the dropper post was only 1,55 seconds faster. You are just not used to riding with your seatpost down so you didn't get to use the dropper post to it's full potencial. This test can only give accurate result if it's done by a person who can use a dropper post to it's full potencial and a person who is used to riding with a high seatpost.
You only have to look at World Cup racing to see that droppers probably aren't bringing a massive advantage on descents. Absalon hasn't suddenly found 10 seconds on everyone still running fixed. Still, we think they're worth the weight penalty and Joe reckons there's more in it than he was able to show in this test. He's very used to riding bigger bikes with droppers, just not XC.
Fredrik Hansson that’s not true at all. You can corner much more effectively and in the technicals sections you have way more control. You get all this with a practically unnoticeable weight penalty. The more you ride with a dropper the more advantage you get.
I'm on my 2nd dropper post (KS cruxi) that has lasted less than 50 miles before failing. I do know people who have never had a problem over the course of many miles use though (rockshox seem fairly solid) Many consider dropper posts a technology that is still in development, till they are improved I'm going back to rigid.
Depends on the course and rider. If it means that you can push harder and feel safer than it's not an overkill. I suggest that everybody gives it a go - it can make most people better riders.
Overkill was a word that everyone used about mountain bike suspension not only 25 years ago. I can see the potential in a dropper and would like to see them more on all kinds of bikes(excluding department store bikes of course).
again, this i dealing with xc, not enduro, downhill, mountain or trail. A good xc rider wont want the extra weight the trade isn't equal. as for suspension, I never heard anyone say it was overkill(I started riding before the first front suspension was ever released.)
If you think like that, you should get rid of the front mech and the fucking remotes bcause those things are fail those are often get stuck. DroperPost on the other hand works even after a hard crash...
Couple of hundred gram +/- won't do much of a difference, if you drink some fluid and have snack you've just gained all that back. Or maybe you drank some earlier and then went to pee...we don't know.
My carbon seat post beats all the dropper available on the market, it has flex very light and I don't have to push my ass down to lower the seat to make me feel more in control to turn that corner, I would bet a lot of money the next thing will be a telescopic handle bar stem to have a better view when riding and people will join the wagon trust me on this...
seriously though, XC don't need dropper post. in XC, descents are used for recovery. why would you want to use up energy, when you may have a bitchin climb ahead of you?
Xc is still just plain faster on most trails-many people are willing to sacrifice some weight for a bike that's more comfortable on rougher trails. An xc bike will beat a trailbike any day-downhill excluded
As an old-school XC rider, I was quite anti-dropper. Then I rode one. I'd never want to ride without one again. It's that simple.
100 percent agree.
Same here
Same. I think it's as important as a good fork shock when you learn how to use it. I still see guys like Tinker, Jeff Ward and Johnny O'hara racing XC CAT1 with no dropper and I just don't get it.
I think the main thing is that you can get through on the sketchy sections much safer with the dropper post. On the world cup races the use of a dropper depends on the track. While it's not really necessary in Albstadt it's great in Mount Saint Anne (unless you have the bike handling skills of Nino Schurter). Since I am not racing on elite level and the weight is less of an issue I have droppers on all of my bikes.
Quality video. Much respect! Where I ride the terrain is very hilly and climbs of less than 1000 ft. Descents are getting more technical each year. At 51 my skills and fitness are on the decline.
Having raced BMX and then XC mtb until age 40 my skills are better than most. That being said, I'm training XC once again. So I'm inclined towards comfort, safety and havin a kick ass time. Dropper here I come.
I raced XC back in the early 2000’s on a Jamis Dakar XC Comp with a 130 stem and 440 seatpost sticking wayyyyy out of the frame for aggressive climbing. Now on a 2011 Epic Comp 29 with a 125 dropper and still racing XC. Dropper post makes a world of difference on the techy downhills while still offering an extremely aggressive XC geo for the climbs. Can’t count the number of OTB’s I had on that old Jamis to to being so far over the front with not much option to put weight over the rear wheel.
What I think is that the most important fact that comes out of this test is that you don't loose almost anything on the uphill with the dropper post compared to the non dropper post.
Except the weight meaning you pedal harder, not a major difference
Yes, btu by the result of the test the differences are really marginal.
Great test and totally agree. I race CAT2 XC is SoCal top 3 typically which is super competitive market on a PIVOT LES with a dropper. I have not idea how many of the guys ride with no Dropper, its a no brainer for me. And now the data shows exactly what I have been feeling and thinking.
Hopefully more XC riders adopt your philosophy. Then the manufacturers may start offering more 27.2mm diameter posts. Right now there are basically 2 good quality models on the market with external routing like the Thomson you used (and they are pricey).
True, or frame manufacturers will make more of their xc bikes with 31.6 compatible seat tubes.
Look P.N.W.
good job guys. nice to see it's not a definitive in favor or against. There is always this nice feeling if getting through something tough with a high seat post :) but dropper would be great also. :)
the extra pound from the post is not really a big deal - but on technical courses, wow, having a dropper will save tons of time (and be much safer). Especially with a hardtail.
In most cases the difference between a dropper seatpost and carbon seatpost is more than 200 gram.
Cheap entry level dropper post weights are around 820 gram vs 220 gram for a light weight non dropper carbon seat post: 600 gram difference can be an other example.
Is 600 gram a lot. Well compared to a high end Scott rc 600 mtb frame that on it's own weight is 969 gram. Yes.
Don't forget to take into account the difference in price is also around $ 200 more for the high end A brands. Wich is a lot more if you have a entry level allready relatively heavy alloy hardtail framed mtb of $ 750
On xc beginner trails without serious long downhills personally I don't really miss the dropper post marginal extra's.
But maybe it can be a nice upgrade for the more advanced riders rides with a larger budget .
Really interesting Joe and a good video. I wonder if looking at the variability index (np/average power) from your ride data would give an indication of your suspected capability to push harder at certain times with the dropper post.
200 grams is nothing. If u want to save weight and use a dropper get a hair cut or use the bathroom before a ride.
200 grams is a very large single-part weight reduction. You get a light bike by adding up many individual reductions like this (and smaller) until you lose kilos. The same attitude gets your body lighter. You could also (erroneously) argue that losing 200g in bodyweight over a weekend is pointless. But keep it up for months and you get to race weight.
Daegan Patterson i was going to day the same thing. Take a healthy dump before you ride to compensate
In most cases the difference between a dropper seatpost and carbon seatpost is more than 200 gram.
Cheap dropper post weights are around 820 gram vs 220 gram for a light weight non dropper carbon seat post: 600 gram difference can be an other example.
Is 600 gram a lot. Well compared to the high end Scott rc 600 carbon mtb frame that on it's own weight is 969 gram. Yes.
Not to mention the difference in price is also around $ 200 more for the high end A brands. Wich is a lot more if you have a entry level allready relatively heavy alloy hardtail framed mtb of $ 750
On xc beginner trails without serious long downhills personally I don't really need that extra.
But it can be a nice upgrade for the more advanced riders rides with a larger budget.
This is why, in the 80's, I didn't install a Hite-Rite, and now why I won't install a dropper post. For me, downhills are for getting to the next climb.
last week julian absolon stated he will never ever ride without a dropper post ever again.. even in important races.. it is just that much more fun.. i foresee alot of pro's moving this way.. and trying to save weight elsewere.. if thats even needed
My personal opinion (from a high school xc racer) is that there is no noticable weight difference when casually pedaling in a race, but when you are out of the saddle and twisting the bike back and forth, it is noticable having the weight of the dropper sloshing from side to side, but that does not slow you down. What does is having to excessively brake for small features such as roots in the middle of fast turns because you are worrying about where you seat is and the fact that it is in the way. The dropper WILL make you a faster rider, if you use it right.
FOX TRANSFER LADIES AND GENTLEMEN!
none of these tests are conclusive when you have a rider who isn't used to using a dropper. The longer you use a dropper the more you use it. an experienced dropper post user will be much faster on descents.
i agree with this comment. I think most only use it for "gnarly" sections but a dropper will significantly gain more momentum in turns and pumps.
I have riden a rock garden many times on my enduro bike which has a dropper . I send it on my xc bike which doesn't have a dropper (yes I do realise that one is full suspension and one is hardtail but that is not the point) and I got bucked on the xc bike and felt uncomfortable and couldnt push as hard as I would have liked to. Im now looking into getting a dropper as I believe I will go even faster on decent and have more fun (and most importantly get some good photos at races too 😉)
Unless the track is very steep on descents or full of obstacles like rock gardens weight is what matters, less weight equals less watts used during climbs I will stick with my carbon seat post.
I think with more practice with the dropper he will see more benefits. I was against it then one came as standard on my new bike and I love it.
WC XC racers arent going to use a heavy dropper post like the Thomson dropper seat post, they are obviously going to go for something that weighs a lot closer to a fixed seatpost.
With my mindset, even when approaching long difficult descents, I can't be bothered to stop and put the seat lower, unless I'm actually planning to make a stop at the top and then another at the bottom (which happens maybe once a year - really).
So a dropper post is something I'd probably use. That said, it's definitely not something I'd buy. Not for the current prices.
All in all, it's kinda like tires on long XC rides. You'll be going through all kinds of terrain imaginable and you can't pick one perfect tire that does it all flawlessly. So you'll just cover what works best for you and set your expectations accordingly.
As a beginner my legs cant produce the power that a completion rider can produce. Forget the stats...... sometimes is all about how you feel when riding the trails. As a beginner I think my dropper post improves my performance noticeably. As my cadence level is so small I need all the tricks in the box to keep me in the sweat zone
Dropper posts make sense if you are racing & need to optimize seat height 'on the fly' without wasting any time. As I no longer race & time is not so important, I will stick with the good old QR seat post clamps. Much cheaper, Much lighter, A lot less to go wrong. (still using a Hite-Rite for quick optimal seat height setting on one of my bikes) :-) If you really need every second, use a dropper post. If you don't need to shave seconds, you probably don't really need one. :-)
Its what gives you more confidence then your speed will generally improve
You would have to be going down a seriously steep and twisty decent to need a dropper post to stop you going over the bars. Those kinds of descents don't really exist outside of DH racing. Even if the weight saving only gets you 1 second on a climb, that's 10 seconds in a 10 lap xc race!
Its just up to personal preference. Some like it, some don't.
The answer is Nino Schurter.
i think you should do more laps until you tired. and then, lets see the effect
Only benefit from not running a dropper would be if you’re competing against people or a clock. unless you race a lot and you’re at the sharp end of the races you do enter, Narrowly missing podiums by seconds rather than minutes..... you’re gonna benefit from a dropper post. unless you’re battling for podiums regularly, you’re probably only at the races for fun and there’s no argument that you’ll enjoy a descent more WITH a dropper. too many casual xc riders think they’re nino.
Maybe I’ve been unlucky ,but I’ve had three, and they all failed just out of warranty !! So not having bottomless pockets I’ve given up on them :-(
What was the name of the dropper post that failed you so i can avoid those manufacturers.Cheers
the dropper posts ive seen on shop floor bikes have a bit of movement on the saddle, side to side. is that not a bit of a pain in the arse ;-)
droppost is definitely a good idea and increase the comfort of riding but im not ready to pay half price of bicycle for this only... once there are 50 euro good working dropposts, i go for it ;)
I have a BMC TE02 - cracking bike! - and am thinking of sticking a dropper on there. Are you tied to an externally-routed one like the Thomson in this test, or could internal routing work? I have a spare 'port' in the downtube from running 1x...
If you have a port where I assume you ran internal for your FD then you can buy an internal version of most posts (e.g. a Thomson Covert Elite). The limiting factor is going to be your seatpost diameter as I believe that bike is a 27.2mm and that may leave you with only a choice of KS Integra posts.
Yeah, the spare port is unused for a FD. The KS Integras look pretty good so assuming it will route ok, I'm happy to go that route. :)
Men if those watts are under racepace you are a real monster
My perfectionist soul cant watch these 2 different disc brakes
200 grams, BIG difference.
382 grams*
Sarcasm? 😂
+rossg964 he said that it would make a big difference in climbing haha
+Damon Lee I know, ridiculous...
It depends on where you put weight when you have momentum. When tossing the bike from side to side there will be a noticeable difference if it's in the seatpost.
It went together easily in less than an hour. ruclips.net/user/postUgkxHL1v1R3NE5x4KiYfyt8dnQmyNYz7qi5L Make sure the front fork is forward or the pedals will hit the front tire. Tires are both a little soft so it needs air before I ride it. The rear wheel didn't come with a clamp regular bolts hold it on. The front had the clamp. No scratches out of box. Rims are a little off with a slight wobble. They could have spent more time with the spoke tool fixing the run out. So far out of the box I'm happy with it. I did replace the pedals with a nice aftermarket set. After riding it a bit my A$$ is a bit sore so I ordered another seat. Overall I'm nearly 60 and didn't ride a bike in 30 years. I like my new 29" Schwinn. It will be used for casual rides with my friend.
I'm not too familiar with dropper posts, and the weight-shavings in general, but where the fixed post and the dropper of the same "caliber"? Is this top of the line vs top of the line, or was the dropper a trail-post you just happened to have laying around? If so, there might be some more gains in getting a post made for xc racing?
I am not an expert but just think about it. 400 gramms is nothing, for an average grown up male with his bike and clothing its not even 0.5% of his weigh. Of cause its not that easy but my enduro bike weighs 17 kg and i weigh 60 kg. Its quite a heavy bike but just think a few years back. A 17 kg mtb with 160mm of travel front and rear probably didnt even exist 10 years ago. What i wanna say is that even for racing weight is not that important. You can upgrade for slx to saint, have the same features and performance but 100- 200g less and that for nearly 1000$. Or look at bakes. They make fuck break leavers from carbon just to save 15 gramms per lever. Just watch out that you dont eat 15 gramms more in the morning.
The Thompson Elite is a high-quality, premium post and the externally-controlled one used here is one of the lightest available. Lighter, (I think?) than the 100mm KS Lev Julien Absalon has been using.
The Thomson is about 450-500g, the KS Lev is similar to the most common Rockshox Reverb post at around 500-550g, but depending on models and remote control options, those weights can vary a fair bit.
looks like there goes a lot of energy lost in the fork when you are standing pedalling. that will be more negative for riding then the few extra gramms of the dropper
That's why a solid lockout is crucial. Thanks to the new sid shock 😲
Joe is the coolest xc rider ever!!!
I dont race, so a quick release is good. Can change the height in 10 seconds.
And how does it come back up without stopping?
On 1 minute and 33 seconds descent it's not possible that the dropper post was only 1,55 seconds faster.
You are just not used to riding with your seatpost down so you didn't get to use the dropper post to it's full potencial.
This test can only give accurate result if it's done by a person who can use a dropper post to it's full potencial and a person who is used to riding with a high seatpost.
You only have to look at World Cup racing to see that droppers probably aren't bringing a massive advantage on descents. Absalon hasn't suddenly found 10 seconds on everyone still running fixed. Still, we think they're worth the weight penalty and Joe reckons there's more in it than he was able to show in this test. He's very used to riding bigger bikes with droppers, just not XC.
But Absalon's dropper post has very little drop.
By the way is there any reson why?
The small drop means it's lighter than a regular dropper. And even a small drop makes quite a difference.
trying to drop a dropper post costs me more time than just not having it.
You guys know what a gimbal is? Thought not....
What's the title of the songs in this video?? anyone knows?
I don't like the test because it can be subjective even when using a power meter. Some other test should be made for this comparison tho.
Dropper post does not make any difference on XC riding except that you can get a more comfortable position and less pain on longer runs..
Fredrik Hansson that’s not true at all. You can corner much more effectively and in the technicals sections you have way more control. You get all this with a practically unnoticeable weight penalty. The more you ride with a dropper the more advantage you get.
After reading the comments. Im never gonna use a xc bike. Problem solved
how do he have a orange fox fork
droppers for everyone!
this damn table is so hard to read. what the heck he 1:55 seconds faster. cant your jsut write 1.55 seconds, 1:55 looks like one mins and 55 seconds
what shoe did Joe use in this vid?
They're Mavic Crossmax SL Ultimate shoes, cheers.
looks cool, thanks
Gimbal needed!
I wanted to watch a video about dropper posts in XC racing - what I got was a screen full of crotch.
the mechanical problems i have heard of those posts stop me to buy one.
That's wrong!
People break derailleurs, wheels, brakes, chains everyday... Why do you use them then?
I'm on my 2nd dropper post (KS cruxi) that has lasted less than 50 miles before failing. I do know people who have never had a problem over the course of many miles use though (rockshox seem fairly solid) Many consider dropper posts a technology that is still in development, till they are improved I'm going back to rigid.
+TheSentry777 Go Enduro with a rigid seat post and see how it's working.. the RS Reverb is doing the job very well.
Dropper posts used to be unreliable but these days I haven't heard of anyone having major problems
Droper=more complexity and added weight, for xc it's overkill. All mountain and enduro type bikes it serves a purpose.
Depends on the course and rider. If it means that you can push harder and feel safer than it's not an overkill. I suggest that everybody gives it a go - it can make most people better riders.
el dedo kinda feel the same way. If it's a marathon a few seconds shaved off the descends isn't worth the added minutes on the climbs.
Overkill was a word that everyone used about mountain bike suspension not only 25 years ago. I can see the potential in a dropper and would like to see them more on all kinds of bikes(excluding department store bikes of course).
again, this i dealing with xc, not enduro, downhill, mountain or trail. A good xc rider wont want the extra weight the trade isn't equal. as for suspension, I never heard anyone say it was overkill(I started riding before the first front suspension was ever released.)
If you think like that, you should get rid of the front mech and the fucking remotes bcause those things are fail those are often get stuck. DroperPost on the other hand works even after a hard crash...
Couple of hundred gram +/- won't do much of a difference, if you drink some fluid and have snack you've just gained all that back. Or maybe you drank some earlier and then went to pee...we don't know.
Hi
you guys are weight weenies, but you're cool!
My carbon seat post beats all the dropper available on the market, it has flex very light and I don't have to push my ass down to lower the seat to make me feel more in control to turn that corner, I would bet a lot of money the next thing will be a telescopic handle bar stem to have a better view when riding and people will join the wagon trust me on this...
falconxvid nah, dropper post is still useful to people like me who dont have confidence in high saddle on technical decents
seriously though, XC don't need dropper post. in XC, descents are used for recovery. why would you want to use up energy, when you may have a bitchin climb ahead of you?
Ok for pro rider but not necessary for spare time
Schurter dont use it + most of pro xc riders dont use it.
The most stupid comparison.. Huge difference
First
Nothing but a marketing gimmick.
Nope. Never will use on an XC race bike. No need.
Bike radar puts together the most useless videos.
take a trail bike, xc is useless nowadays
nope
yeah ! god damn kids and their xc bikes , get off my lawn !
Xc is still just plain faster on most trails-many people are willing to sacrifice some weight for a bike that's more comfortable on rougher trails. An xc bike will beat a trailbike any day-downhill excluded
If you don't believe me, we can race whenever you want Lol
+Joe smith Bring it on!