Anyone had a dropper post and then got rid of it?

[golden path]

New Stumpy has a dropper post on it - TBH I've never needed this feature in the past and was skeptical but old mate at the LBS sung its praises and suggested I stick with it.

Well, I've had a play with it a few times and TBH I don't see it being much use to me and I'm considering taking it off and losing the lever off the bar, the cable and the excess baggage of the post itself.

Anyone else got a dropper they don't drop?

 

[Jeffgre_6163]

When my Reverb failed for the 2nd time on my Norco Sight within 6 months I thought "Screw this, I'm going to harden up and go fixed"
So I bought a Thompson Elite post and saved a whole 300 grams or something.
I think I lasted about 3 rides before the Reverb was repaired and reinstalled.

Along with disc brakes I think the dropper is one of the single biggest improvements in MTB tech - EVER
It sucks balls riding without one.
I mean would anyone willingly ever go back to using "V" brakes?

But it depends on the trails you ride, If you have a Stumpy I assume you are riding more than just a flat, casual, green graded beginner loop and that your trails have some moderate changes in elevation.
If so I cant imagine why on earth you don't think a dropper is worth having [Unless you stay seated for every single part of your ride]

 

[slider_phil]

Stick with it, it's not needed exclusively on the downs. If you were riding a pure XC bike I'd say sure, rip it off. But the stumpy deserves to have the saddle dropped so you can get rowdy on the descents!

 

[golden path]

My trails can be anything from loops of up-down dirt roads if that's what I want to do, to snotty and rocky singletrack with shortish but steep ups and downs and moderate drop-offs through dry creeks and so on.

None of which I have really struggled with on any of my bikes that didn't have droppers.

I'm not sure the V brakes vs discs is really a good analogy, TBH.

 

[Boom King]

Burn the Witch I say......

How could you even think such thoughts?

 

[Nautonier]

Watching people descending without the seat lowered, the first thing you always notice is the poor bike technique - especially body position. Perhaps a stumpy isn't the right bike for you. :behindsofa:

 

[yuley95]

Stick with it a little longer. I remember I had to find the right balance between always dropping Andy raising it every 10 seconds and being content to leave it at one level for a while.

The general rule is that you need to reverse your thinking a bit and leave it dropped some of the way as default and only raise it all the way up for sustained climbs.

When you get used to it, I think you will find it really helps with cornering and with letting the bike move around under you as you tackle small logs, rock gardens etc.

If you still aren't impressed in a month or so, you will have no shortage of people willing to take it off your hands.

Good luck!

 

[slimjim1]

LOL no...


Shit I'm thinking about putting one on my roadie pub bike.

But seriously It's a stumpy so don't worry about the weight. The latest versions of the command post are brilliant and very reliable. And the SRL lever is probably the nicest dropper lever out. Stick with it I'd say.

 

[golden path]

The general rule is that you need to reverse your thinking a bit and leave it dropped some of the way as default and only raise it all the way up for sustained climbs.

In all honesty, pedaling with my seat not set at the optimal height would shit me to tears - and I assume be inefficient with regards to power output.

 

[clockworked]

you should definitely do what what you intended to do before asking for advice. Other people are dicks.

 

[ozzybmx]

Yes, 2008-2009, persevered with the Crank Bros Joplin and KS-i900. I reckon the CB failed about 4 times, then the KS was back at Torpedo7 and replaced probably 4-5 times, they then refunded my $$$ after about 1 year and I slipped slowly back into solid seatposts.

They said back then, they would never catch on, only a fad they said.

 

[mik_git]

I tried one for about 6 months. I'd never had an issue with the seat being in the way (I guess maybe I don't ride anything hard enough maybe). But figured I give one a try, a mate had a spare after he got a new bike, so I used it... tried to, found it more annoying than usefull. There was one ride I did, where I was way over my head so I used it flat out there, but still struggled, enjoyed zero seconds of that ride. Took it off, haven't missed it one bit.

It's not that I don't get the dropping of the post, back in ye oldie days when we raced xc and dh on the same bike, you'd for sure drop the post a bit for dh races... but I knew then there was a point, maybe only an inch, that any lower just felt wrong. It really weirds me out having the seat low, it's as least as disconcerting as the flats/spd thing, I really don't like it.
If I were to get one again for normal use, I'l like maybe an older fox doss or a klev one that only drops a small amount, non of this infinate 150mm stuff...

and before you say it, im sure I'm dong it wrong etc etc but for the riding I do, I just don't need one. If I can't ride something, it lack of skill, not the post.

 

[Paulie_AU]

Without a dropper (I have only just gotten my first recently) I never rode full roadie seat height but did ride a XC seat height and could handle just about everything apart from the occasional nut slap on drops etc. With a dropper I set it at full pedalling height for slogs and then modulate to suit conditions.... a lot of time only a little drop back to XC but on full decent stuff I slam it.

My wife tried a bike with one and hated it but I suspect that is due to being on a new bike with a lot going on. She is very happy not having one on her new bike. Yesterday I rode a decent section we were riding at full height to see what she is getting herself into... and I reckon she would be better off with a little dropper.

 

[Psimpson7]

I have a Reverb on my Spartan. It is of absolutely no benefit to me. I believe it makes no difference to my speed up or down and I think I have probably used it about 6 times after the first month of trying to use it all the time.

I would not care at all if it was removed.

 

[Knuckles]

Without a doubt droppers, along with disc brakes, are the two biggest (actual) evolutions in mountain biking. The fact that they're specifically designed to address mountain biking specific issues , rather than an adaption of some roadie crap, designed specifically to take our cash, only makes them more important to the discipline. Hell both are being adapted for and pushed into the road cycling world, so they're actually legit now.

Nobody is forcing you to use it, swap it out if you want, what's a static post worth these days, $4.68? Can't personally see why you wouldn't leave it be, even if you leave it at full height for 95% of your riding, your gnads will thank you for that other 5%.

#knuckleswasadrunkenchunt

 

[Mywifesirrational]

Without a doubt droppers, along with disc brakes, are the two biggest (actual) evolutions in mountain biking. t

I can agree with this!

I use my dropper continuously, every random rock or ledge I can jump or manual over, every tight corner, the seats down and the fun is maximised.

If only I could get one in 175 or 200mm

 

[pharmaboy]

If you still aren't impressed in a month or so, you will have no shortage of people willing to take it off your hands.

Good luck!

I don't - probably a command post....

 

[Nautonier]

I think we're talking about very different kinds of riders here. The dropper haters are obviously XC riders who don't really focus on any steep, technical descents with features like drops, difficult rock gardens, massive holes/ledges and jumps. If you live in Melbourne and you reckon you can ride 'anything' with your seat at full height, I'll happily give you my left testicle if you can get down the Channel 10 track out at the Dandenongs without heading over the bars at least once and most likely getting a ride home in an ambulance.

I just don't see how riding with a much higher centre of gravity can be a good thing unless you're only ever riding on the flat, hills or very tame trails.

 

[shiny]

You have to learn to ride differently. When I first got a dropper I was not really using it, but could not ride without one now. You can keep your weight centred over the bike, get super low and lean into corners, throw it around without a saddle up ya bum. Give it some time, adjust your riding style and you should love it otherwise if it doesn't work out can sell it!

 

[slimjim1]

I don't - probably a command post....

Great post. Far more reliable and simple to work on than a reverb. Runs a standard derailleur cable. New ones have about 10 positions in the middle so pretty much infinite adjust. The lever is still the best one I've used.

You just have to paint/sharpie over the S logo