How To Use A Dropper Post On The Trail

One of the biggest changes to Mountain Bikes in the past 10 years has been the creation of Dropper Seat posts. In this video we talk about how to get the most out of them on the trail! Links below ...

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0:00 - 0:38 Intro & Overview Of Dropper Posts
0:38 - 1:47 Why Using A Dropper Can Help You On The Trail
1:47 - 2:18 Trail Mode
2:18 - 3:40 Pedal Strike Mode
3:40 - 4:03 Quick Overview Of Modes
4:03 - 4:35 If You Have Never Ridden With A Dropper
4:35 - 5:24 Wrapping It Up
5:24 - 5:44 POV

[pedallybits]

Before I recently got a dropper post, I used to hop off the bike to adjust the seat down for bigger downhills, then have to hop off again at the bottom to move the seat up. Takes time, but the seat in the right position definitely feels safer. With my new dropper now, I've found that I use it waaay more than I thought I would. Love the "trail" position suggestion! Also, I'm about 50 MTB rides into this new sport as a 50+ female. Your videos have helped me progress pretty rapidly. Thanks a ton!

[richardwhiting]

“Trail position” advice is a revelation! I’m new to MTB and have been using the dropper a lot, but it never occurred to me to leave it part way down and pedal seated. I tried it on a trail yesterday that has a bunch of uphill, downhill, flow, rocks and roots and using the tips from this video was money! Thanks for another outstanding video!

[peter-zsml]

Regardless of the topic, your perspective, presentation, and the content editing is very enjoyable. I watch your videos with mrs all the time. Very helpful for her. Thanks!

[fademtb]

Hi. As someone setting out learning and with a dropper post this video was great to show that you don't have to have it set just 100% up or 100% down. You can have it in between - what a revelation. Cheers Kyle.

[RealJawnes]

I never knew what a difference a dropper could make until I tried one. It’s like a dishwasher. You are fine without it but once you have it it’s hard to let it go.


Also first

[sunglee]

I'm just getting back into cycling and a novice mtn biker. I'm putting a dropper post on my lightly used 2007 Santa Cruz Blur after riding with some friends last weekend. Behind tech with 26" wheels et. al., but had a really great time! Also getting new tires and headset for less aggressive forward lean. Have a lot to learn. Thanks for the info.

[AprilRideMTB]

Hope you guys enjoy the video! Let us know if you have any other things that you want us to showcase or touch on in future videos! You might even get a shoutout :).

[timralston]

This is the dropper post video I have been looking for! A simple explanation with clear usage! Finally. Nearly all the others are something like, "I'm so cool I have a dropper post." or simply "Yeah, gotta have a dropper post." I knew the great advantages, just nice to see it presented at its basic level without the bike snobbery.

[manslevinsson]

I have whatched a lot of dropper post videos but none of them was as good as this one. Most don’t talk about the different hights. They just tell you to ether have it all the way up or down.

Great vid man👍

[milllworks]

Game changer. And a huge thank you. As per this youtube, I ordered a pnm pine solo for my wife’s 2004 26” Santa Cruz Juliana (she’s 62 by the way) and the transformation in her confidence and willingness to try new terrain is nothing short of remarkable. We now live and ride in Santa Fe and tho we prefer flowy single track there’s plenty of rocky bits you need to navigate. Now she just lowers her seat as needed and plunges on ahead. No more getting off the bike at every little technical bit, just has made it so much more fun for her. You two are making very useful, accessible video’s together, so encouragingand informative, even for experienced riders who (in our case) have been riding mountain bikes since the hardtail days of the mid nineties. Love it!

[cdbmtb]

Adding a dropper was easily the best upgrade on my bike. I could never go back to a regular seat post. Keep up the great work guys, really enjoying the content!

[Limestream]

I looked at this video this morning before hitting the trails. Today’s trail is a bit gnarly with roots and stones. First time I’ve just lowered my dropper just a couple inches (or about 4 centimetres since in Sweden) and used the “trail mode”. HUGE difference!

Thanks,

[coloradomark]

I've had my dropper post for over a year now and had not really used it, decided one day to play with it a bit. Put the seat in the striker mode and was making some crazy turns that just were not even possible before with the seat fully extended and doing it with ease. I've now watched this video about a half dozen times and see a much brighter future. Thanks Kyle. Great vid. ....gotta take the tool out of the tool box before it will do you any good!

[mattkavanaugh]

Completely agree, dropper post is a game-changer! I put one on my trail bike a few years ago and loved it so much that I got a dropper for my XC bike and my gravel bike :) And I discovered that getting restarted on a hill is much easier with the post dropped all the way down, then extended after I start pedaling which allows me to get seated and pedaling much more easily than if the post were fully extended.

[wwwv]

I’m 50 and still ride fairly aggressive. I run a 125mil dropper which puts me basically in your “pedal strike” mode when fully down, it works for me as I don’t ride full on downhill. As far as game changer, believe it or not for me the game changer is modern bar width. I’ve been riding MTB since the early 90’s and back then they were just beefed up road bikes and the bars were ridiculously narrow. It’s just amazing how much modern bar width changed the handling.

[msteiny]

If you're like me, be patient with your first dropper post! After riding since the early 80s on a fixed seat post, I *finally* upgraded to a dropper about six/seven weeks ago. The first two weeks of riding I was like a baby giraffe, not quite sure what to do! It gets easier, and now it's second nature to either drop or raise the seat just in time for what the trail is throwing at me. Thanks Kyle & April, you are the best mtb coaches period! If you ever bring a riding clinic to Canada, I'm in.

[DroppingIn]

One been riding 30 years and got my first dropper post 3 weeks ago. I found this video very very helpful. Thank you!

[anochi]

The best part about dropper posts is just messing with it while not even on the bike. I could do it for hours.

[joemurcia]

Just received my dropper post! Can't wait to install it.
I went with a 125mm Fox dropper post and Fox remote and cable kit. I paid a good amount but I trust the Fox brand and didn't want to experiment with an unknown brand even if it meant saving quite a bit of money. Do it right the first time even if it costs a little more, good components last years and years and years.
I'm sure I'm gonna love this, it will be hard in the beginning like when I started using clipped pedals, now I can't ride without clipping in.

[motrockb]

Got one a few weeks ago. Game changer! Much more control over fast/rough terrain, as well as cornering.