How To Power A Dropper
Widely lauded as the most important technological advancement to hitting mountain biking circles since break engineering, dropper seatposts are quickly becoming one of the about sought after features on a mountain bike.
Regardless of whether y'all're looking to enter the world of dropper posts, or but looking to upgrade, with the comprehensive information on all things dropper posts below, you'll be dropping it like its hot in not fourth dimension.
What is a Dropper Post?
Put just, a dropper seatpost is a superlative adjustable seatpost that allows a rider to apace and easily lower the seat summit when riding along. A dropper seatpost operates via the use of a handlebar, or seatpost located remote lever.
At that place are a number of benefits to using a dropper seatpost, principal among is the power to lower the seatpost down, and out of the style to allow you to lower your center of gravity to dip, carve, pop and shred to your center'due south content when attacking technical sections of trail.
How a Dropper Post Works
Dropper seatposts work in a remarkably similar mode to an office chair, in that yous put your weight on the dropper postal service and push the lever, the seat goes downwards. Lift your weight off the postal service and button the lever, and the seat returns to its original position. Of form, the technical inner workings are more complicated than that, merely that's the full general gist of information technology.
The innards of dropper posts are typically pneumatic, pregnant that pressurized gas or air is responsible for holding the seatpost in either its fixed or infinitely variable position.
Traditionally the start dropper posts were adjusted with a lever at the postal service itself. Whilst this is still used sparingly, these days a dropper mail is about exclusively operated via a remote lever mounted to the handlebars and continued either atop the shaft of the post or at its base via a mechanical cable or hydraulic hose.
Why Dropper Posts are of Benefit
Dropper posts take opened up the possibilities of simply how quickly riders and their mountain cycle can adapt to varying terrain. With the moving picture of a switch, riders at present have the option of comfy and efficient pedaling, or confident descending with ample room for the bicycle to move below them without a saddle in the way.
They are also allowing frame manufacturers to create bikes with steeper seattube angles, perfect to help with getting your weight forward for easier climbing, but then the ability to get the seat out of the manner one time the trail turns around.
Selecting a Dropper Post
Equally dropper posts go along to be developed, more and more key players are entering the market. Whilst this is good from both a technological and durability point of view, the sheer wealth of options on the market can exist overwhelming for a new buyer. Below, nosotros sift through the key aspects of dropper seatposts and what to consider in your search.
Seatpost Length and Travel
The amount of travel a dropper post has refers to the corporeality of upwardly and down movement on offer. Near posts volition come in a choice of lengths, oftentimes linked to the amount of travel, or driblet, on offering.
Typically, droppers are available in travel lengths of 80mm,100mm, 125mm, and 150mm, notwithstanding, both longer and shorter options also exist.
Before ownership, make certain the postal service is long plenty when extended to give your preferred pedaling height. Measure the amount of exposed seatpost you have in a fully extended pedaling position. Just similar a standard post, droppers will have a minimum insertion line.
Every bit the length of travel increases, the overall length of the mail will abound. More commonly than a dropper beingness too brusque, is information technology being likewise long. Be sure that with the postal service fully extended, that the summit volition not be too much. If information technology is, look for a postal service with a shorter travel and shorter design.
Also, consider how much of the post will fit within of your frame without clearance issues. Many droppers posts cannot exist trimmed, so you'll need to find a length that provides perfect pedaling height, but without excessive spare length.
For this reason, information technology's important to take your riding style, frame size and height into account when selecting a dropper post. Every bit an case, small frames will rarely be able to accommodate a 150mm travel dropper, while taller riders may need to seek out a post with extended travel.
Stock-still or Infinite Adjustment
There are two means in which a dropper posts extend through their travel, preselected (aka, fixed travel), and infinitely adjustable.
The vast majority of posts are going to offering space adjustment. That ways you tin terminate the postal service at any point forth its travel. This is largely the preferred option purely every bit information technology allows a rider the ability to fine melody their saddle height depending on the situation.
Alternatively, some dropper seatposts will come with preset, or fixed positions. Depending on the seatpost itself, the number of stock-still positions can vary from a bones up and downwardly, to equally many as ten preselected heights. The main advantage of a fixed dropper seatpost is that they provide consistent and repeatable heights for riders to go accepted to. Another benefit, equally claimed by a few brands, is that the fixed designs are simpler and therefore more than reliable. Notwithstanding, our experience is that both types are comparable in the durability stakes.
Mechanical vs Hydraulic
Most dropper seatposts utilize hydraulic or pneumatic pressure to be raised up and down, but the question of mechanical and hydraulic refers to how the remote lever is attached to control the unit.
A full hydraulic dropper postal service uses a sealed hydraulic remote to control the seatpost. The system itself works much in the same way equally a hydraulic brake cable, whereby a piston (the lever) pushes fluid through a hose which actuates the dropper at the other end. The advantages of hydraulic cabling is that it is impervious to debris, there's no cable to wear out and the hose can be routed through any angle without increased friction. Even so, such a organisation may crave fresh hydraulic fluid on a seasonal basis. Currently, RockShox is the only company to offering a total hydraulic seatpost.
By comparison, merely about every other dropper mail on the market uses a mechanical lever, connected to a gear cable for control. Mechanical levers use a braided stainless steel cable that is threaded through gear housing and attached to the dropper post. The chief advantage of a mechanical lever is that they are simpler and easier setup than their hydraulic siblings.
Handlebar Remote vs Seatpost Lever
A dropper seatpost is actuated via the utilise of either a handlebar located remote or a seatpost lever. The remote, or lever itself will be connected to the dropper mail service either via a mechanical cable, or via a hydraulic hose.
As previously mentioned, seatpost levers were traditionally the more pop when the technology was in its infancy, however, equally dropper seatposts are becoming more than refined, handlebar remotes are by far the more popular option. This is largely due to the fact it's much easier to adjust on the fly without having to remove your easily from the handlebars.
Different brands each have their own dropper post lever designs. Older designs typically identify the lever on top of the handlebar on the left side, allowing space for a left-hand (front) gear shifter. The ascent of 1x gearing has seen space become available for a more ergonomic below handlebar position for the dropper remote.
In this style, the latest remote designs work much like a shift lever, operated past your left thumb. Where some posts don't come up with such a remote, aftermarket options are becoming readily available, with the likes of WolfTooth, OneUp, PRO, RockShox (to work with RockShox posts but) and others offering such an upgrade for relatively lilliputian price.
Internal (Stealth) vs External Cablevision Routing
As with brake and gear cabling, dropper seatpost cabling can be routed both internally and externally of the frame.
Internal cablevision routing, commonly referred to as stealth cablevision routing, is the most mutual method of cable routing on mod mount bikes. Following the same cablevision guides as gear and brake cables, internal cable routing means that a dropper post is connected to the remote lever at the shaft of the post. At that place are a number of benefits to internal cablevision routing including a sleeker artful, reduced risk of contamination from dirt and debris and reduced chance of harm in the event of a crash.
External cable routing is common on more affordable dropper posts and for those plumbing fixtures a dropper mail to an older or entry-level mountain bike frame. The cables are typically routed outside of the top tube or downtube and attach to either the head or shaft of the post itself. The advantages of an externally routed dropper mail service is that they're piece of cake to fit and service. No having to fish around inside the frame looking for cable ends, just attach the cables to your frame, insert the postal service every bit per normal and away yous go.
If looking for an external routed post, we strongly suggest picking one that sees the cable attach to the shaft, instead of the caput. This is simply because the fixed nature of the shaft-mount means your cable length does non need to adjust to the seatpost height, therefore providing a far cleaner aesthetic and less run a risk of damage.
Seatpost Bore
Equally is the example with standard, or stock-still seatposts, dropper seatposts are bachelor in a number of different seatpost diameters. The most common options are 30.9mm, 31.6mm and 34.9mm, withal, skinnier 27.2mm posts are too bachelor in select models.
The overall diameter will exist dictated by the frame you plan to fit the dropper seatpost into. The easiest way to cheque this is to remove your existing post and read the size markings at the bottom of it. If your post is a weird size, so you may need to consider going a size smaller in the dropper mail and finding a suitable shim to make information technology fit.
Larger diameter seatposts are regarded as calculation stiffness and forcefulness, likewise as providing greater space for reinforced internal parts, all leading to improved immovability. For this reason, many of the latest mount bikes accept increased seattube diameters.
Saddle Clamps
Only like choosing a rigid seatpost, saddle clamp design is worth considering in a dropper as well. Most posts use the twin-bolt method, which allows wide compatibility with both metal and carbon railed saddles, and most infinite angle adjustment. Given the choice, this is our preference.
However, a number of posts make use a unmarried-commodities side clench, which does crave boosted parts to swap between metallic and carbon railed saddles.
Budgets and Expected Expenses
Given the technical nature of these posts, information technology should come as little surprise to learn that fifty-fifty a budget dropper seatpost is likely going to cost more than a rigid carbon seatpost. No longer what you lot'd deem a niche product, dropper seatposts are now filtering down into more than affordable price points as more companies enter the fray. As with any affordable cycle component, Keith Bontrager'due south famous quote is worth taking into account "Stiff, light or cheap, pick two".
$200 and Under
Dropper posts at this price are probable going to be much heavier than their pricier rivals, due to simpler internals and the materials used. They will probable exist much more than basic in office, and feature a not-stealth cable routing design. Posts to consider at this price signal include the KS Suspension ETEN, Behemothic Contact dropper mail and the Brand-Ten Ascend.
$200 – $350
Moving beyond $200 and dropper seatposts start to increase in technicality, featuring strengthened internals and internal cabling. These features combine to bring the weight of the post down, whilst increasing immovability. Posts to look out for in this toll range include the Bontrager Drop Line, Race Face Aeffect and the KS Intermission LEV Si.
$350 – $500
Offering arguably the near choice to consumers, the $350 to $500 price subclass is stacked with options that are sure to provide riders with everything they need from a dropper seatpost.
Droppers at this toll bespeak see internals nearing pinnacle specification, with improved seals for smoother actuation, lower lever force and increased immovability. The weight of a dropper at this price signal is too likely to exist 200~ grams lighter than budget options due to the use of more lightweight materials. It'southward this price point, and the ane beneath, that offers the best value for coin.
Options to consider at this toll point include the Fox Transfer Functioning, Creepo Brothers Highline and the Specialized Command Mail.
$500 Plus
Moving to the acme stop of the dropper mail service hierarchy and expect to find professional person level options that are dripping with advanced pneumatic and suspension technology. Shafts are likely to feature special coatings to assist in smoother actuation, the internals are likely to exist amongst the all-time on offer for longer service life intervals and weight drops even more than with the assistance of single piece forged inner posts.
Options to consider at the top-end of the market include the USA-fabricated Thomson Elite Covert dropper seatpost, RockShox Reverb Stealth (hydraulic) and the Fox Transfer Factory seatpost.
Cablevision Routing Tips
Every bit mentioned earlier, some external routed posts place the cable at the head, others at the shaft. The onetime sees the cable move and shift in length equally the post is adjusted, the latter allows the cable to be fixed in length. If using the old, be sure to exit aplenty cable length gratis to let resistance-free extension.
Older frames aren't likely to take provisions for dropper posts, and so zip ties or even shrink wrap (if replacing all cables) tin be your friend for cable direction. For bikes with external cablevision routing, running the dropper post cable forth the rear brake hose with zip ties is a mutual technique for a clean look.
When installing a stealth seatpost (with internal cable routing), be sure to get out sufficient hose or cable length to allow the post to exist removed from the bike without having to undo anything. Information technology may non be obvious why, but information technology'll make sense when it'southward time to service your seatpost (more on that below), or fit your bike into a travel case.
Maintenance and Servicing
Riders ask a lot from their dropper seatposts. Similar to a pause component, a dropper seatpost will have abiding forces existence applied to it, so it's important to keep your post properly maintained so that information technology works as intended.
Every bit dropper seatposts utilise pressurised gas and/or hydraulic fluid in order to office, they'll likely demand to be serviced by a professional once a twelvemonth to ensure shine actuation and ongoing durability. Ensuring that your post is cleaned after every ride and free from debris will get a long way to ensuring the ongoing serviceability of your mail.
Two mutual issues nosotros see are incorrect cablevision tension (or poor bleed), leading to a sluggish travel extension and the seatpost binder bolt being done upwardly also tight, resulting in compressed dropper internals. Additionally, be careful to not lift the cycle from the saddle when the dropper is in its lowest position, some droppers (but non all!) don't like this and will suck air into the system.
Common signs of a dropper in demand of a service include leaking seals, a dropper that sags in height under your weight, excessive play, sluggish extension or weird noises.
Much like the suspension on your mountain cycle, dropper postal service servicing is best left to a professional person in your local bike shop due to their highly technical nature. A service volition typically consist of seals being replaced, hydraulic fluid being bled and replenished, or the gas/air being pressurized inside.
For more experienced home wrenches working on their dropper-equipped steeds, be careful when clamping dropper posts in workstands. Most manufacturers suggest not clamping the sliding surface of the dropper in a workstand, notwithstanding, nosotros've found extending the mail to full superlative, wrapping it in a clean and soft rag, so clamping information technology advisedly works just fine.
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How To Power A Dropper,
Source: https://www.bikeexchange.com/blog/buyers-guide-to-mountain-bike-dropper-seatposts
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