Dropper post

Dropper post

A seatpost that drops at the push of a lever on the bar and rises again on its own. The saddle goes out of the way for the descent and comes back for the climb, without stopping.

Also known as: dropper, dropper seatpost, telescopic seatpost

Key facts

Typical travel
100–240 mm
Standard
30.9, 31.6 and 34.9 mm diameters

Why it matters

A saddle at pedalling height sits exactly where your hips need to go on a steep descent. With it lowered you can move back, low and around the bike — the attack position becomes possible on any trail.

How it works

Inside is a sealed air or hydraulic cartridge. Pressing the remote opens a valve: sit down and the post drops, stand up and it rises. Most posts are worked by a cable, some hydraulically, some wirelessly.

Choosing the length

  • Pick the longest drop that fits: more drop means more room to move.
  • It is limited by your leg length, the frame's seat-tube length and how deep the post can go in.
  • Match the diameter to the frame: 30.9, 31.6 and 34.9 mm are the common sizes.

Related articles

  • RockShox — An American suspension brand founded in 1989 by Paul Turner. Its first fork, the RS-1, brought front suspension to mountain biking; since 2002 the brand has been part of SRAM.
  • FOX — An American suspension maker founded in 1974 by Bob Fox. Its forks and shocks — recognisable by the gold Kashima Coat — are fitted to mountain bikes of every discipline.
  • Trail riding — The most common way to ride a mountain bike: loops that climb under your own power and descend the good stuff, on one bike that does a bit of everything.
  • Enduro — Racing the descents and riding the climbs: timed downhill stages linked by untimed transfers you pedal up yourself. Also the name of the long-travel bikes built for it.
  • Attack position — The standing stance every descent starts from: pedals level, knees and elbows bent, weight centred over the bike and eyes up. From here you can react to anything the trail throws at you.
  • Frame geometry — The angles and lengths that decide how a bike rides: stable or nimble, easy to climb or eager to descend. Every model publishes them in a geometry chart.