# £23 dropper post... how bad can it be?!



## ChrisEyles (20 Jun 2020)

OK so it's not remotely operated and looks a bit clunky, but it's cheaper than a lot of fixed posts... Even if you only get a year out of it at that price it's still not too bad compared with cost:longevity of other droppers! 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Mountain...75mm-Stable-Replacement-Seatpost/153957981661

Maybe of interest for anyone who's dropper-curious but baulks at "dropping" £90+ on a seat post?


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## steveindenmark (21 Jun 2020)

A Chinese dropper post. There is no way I would put that right under my gonads. 😁


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## ChrisEyles (21 Jun 2020)

I've been using an x-fusion Hilo for a couple of years now. Granted it's much less shonky looking and several times the price of the one pictured above, but still around a third of the cost of a reverb and no issues yet or need to service it beyond keeping seals clean and oiled. 

Cheap doesn't always mean bad, and this seems to be especially true of Chinese goods to me atm. 

Having said that I'm not going to rush out and buy one of these... But I probably would have to dip a toe before I got my first dropper (after which it was a case of never look back).


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## southcoast (21 Jun 2020)

There’s a lot to loose if it goes wrong!


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## simon.r (21 Jun 2020)

I think that’s the same as the posts fitted to Ofo hire bikes, which suggests it will be functional and strong.

It looks as if it may have an odd security fitting for the seat clamp - not clear but photo 1 shows what looks like a specific tool for it. The Ofo I had also used a security fitting to hold the saddle to the rails.


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## Drago (21 Jun 2020)

I don't use them at all. They don't provide an answer to a question that I'd ever asked. In my experience as a trainer, a lot of my students use them and thus fail to develop proper body positioning techniques as a result - it helps them creating and downhill at the expense of failing to hone control skills they can use everywhere else. Those that dont use them tend to be inherently better skilled and more capable off road, better able to use body positioning to alter balance and weight distribution and thus directional ability and traction, on the fly.

That's my two penneth from my own observations. As stevie rightly points put, I'd think very carefully before placing a cheap mechanical device near my space hoppers, in much the same way I wouldn't go to a cheap surgeon for a vasectomy. That said, decent quality ones are stupidly over priced for what they are, with some costing as much as a basic but perfectly useable entire bicycle. The profit margins must be stupendous.


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## ChrisEyles (21 Jun 2020)

Totally agree that "proper" dropper posts are ludicrously expensive for what they are. Hopefully if some of these cheap knock-offs start to be viable, the big brands will have to drop their prices. 

I find a dropper gives me a bigger margin of error and makes descending very steep stuff with steppy drop-offs significantly safer - but then I'm also happy to admit that despite my efforts I'm decidedly average in terms of bike handling skills. 

I don't have one on my FS bike and find on steep stuff I'm hanging off the back and there just isn't that much room to move my body at all in response to the terrain. It seems to work fine but feels like the suspension's doing most of the work rather than me.


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## G3CWI (21 Jun 2020)

What's the advantage of that sort of system compared to just having a QR on the seatpost? I have a Brand X dropper on my mtb. It was not that expensive and it works well.


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## fossyant (21 Jun 2020)

X Fusion Hilo SL here. Picked it up for £80 off Wiggle ebay store because there was a slight mark on the outer tube. Retail is £250.

They are great. I ride with my saddle same height as road bike, and with my back issues, it gets the saddle out of the way. Also helps if my back gets stiff on a long ride as I can drop the saddle to get on and off the bike. Mrs F has a reverb on her BMC but that's mainly to help her get on and off, as she's not used to the height of a FS bike - i.e. they sit a fair bit higher off the ground than a standard bike, especially when the suspension isn't loaded.

Brand X are the best cheap droppers


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## Levo-Lon (22 Jun 2020)

Drago said:


> I don't use them at all. They don't provide an answer to a question that I'd ever asked. In my experience as a trainer, a lot of my students use them and thus fail to develop proper body positioning techniques as a result - it helps them creating and downhill at the expense of failing to hone control skills they can use everywhere else. Those that dont use them tend to be inherently better skilled and more capable off road, better able to use body positioning to alter balance and weight distribution and thus directional ability and traction, on the fly.
> 
> That's my two penneth from my own observations. As stevie rightly points put, I'd think very carefully before placing a cheap mechanical device near my space hoppers, in much the same way I wouldn't go to a cheap surgeon for a vasectomy. That said, decent quality ones are stupidly over priced for what they are, with some costing as much as a basic but perfectly useable entire bicycle. The profit margins must be stupendous.





I agree with most of that.

Only thing I found when using a rigid post was the little punt up the back side with a high post set for peddling efficiency that catches you out and helped send you otb.
Steep drops I used to hang off the back but the seat is always in the way when trying to turn using that method, dropper removes that, plus you don't have to stop and lower the seat as we used to for a steep run.

Dropping a seat 50mm makes a world of difference when on a technical trail.
I wouldn't be without a dropper on my AM bikes ,but the XC bike is ok with a rigid.


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## Hacienda71 (22 Jun 2020)

My Giant dropper was under £100. Works really well. Having ridden for years hanging off the back of the saddle with no adjustment on the fly a dropper has transformed my riding. You can move around much more freely with the saddle at a much lower height. A low attack position is not easy with a high fixed saddle and seatpost particularly with todays longer bikes. Not sure if I would want one where you have to take a hand off the bars though to actuate. Generally just before going down a gnarly descent I don't want to fiddle with lever under the saddle just before I go past the point of no return.


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## figbat (22 Jun 2020)

I'm still learning dropper post. I have ridden a hardtail for years with a fixed post, over some pretty tricky terrain including some significant drop-offs. Yes, the saddle was always a bit in the way for getting right back but I always managed it (I once _only just_ got away with it when my slight-too-baggy shorts snagged on the nose of the saddle as I slid back, preventing me from getting my weight back just as I had committed to the drop).

Anyway my new full-sus bike came with a dropper as is the new normal. Sadly I haven't had a chance to use it in the bike parks I bought it for so it has mostly done XC work. The higher BB height means that I really like the ability to drop the seat when I stop, to allow a secure foot down and easier dis/mounting. I also drop the saddle during a fast freewheeling descent so I can get aero. I have dropped the saddle during trickier descents and I can see how it might be useful for moving the bike around beneath you but I have developed a technique (rightly or wrongly) of gripping the saddle between my legs to stabilise the bike over rough terrain - dropping the saddle takes this away from me. I probably need to learn a different way to ride different bikes under different conditions.


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## Drago (22 Jun 2020)

Levo-Lon said:


> I agree with most of that.
> 
> Only thing I found when using a rigid post was the little punt up the back side with a high post set for peddling efficiency that catches you out and helped send you otb.
> Steep drops I used to hang off the back but the seat is always in the way when trying to turn using that method, dropper removes that, plus you don't have to stop and lower the seat as we used to for a steep run.
> ...


Maybe it's because I have long legs - very long legs - but never suffer from unwanted seat contact, or the seat getting in the way. Funilly enough, neither did anyone else until thy were invented. I never need to drop the seat on a technical trail, and neither do the majority of my students.

Figbat raises a very good point about attire. I have seen people spill because they've got the nose of the saddle caught in the hem of the shorts leg.


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## fossyant (22 Jun 2020)

I'd rather have the seat out of the way - MTB's are getting longer and significantly more capable, so you tend to ride them much harder and faster. Personally, I think they are marvelous. I'm not the most skilled rider, but it doesn't half help getting your weight right back and getting the weight off the front so you just glide over big rocks. 

I have noticed the more 'skilled' I've become, the less I use it - certainly don't use it much at say Llandegla trail centre these days, but when you aren't familiar with the terrain or it's real rough rocky natural stuff descent, then that's where they help - plus added Armour.

Add droppers, full suspension, 4 pot brakes, the bikes are incredible these days.


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## ChrisEyles (22 Jun 2020)

Oh sod it, it's not that much more than a second hand fixed alloy post... 

When it arrives from China I'll let you know just how bad it can be! 

Wasn't going to chance it, but if they were specced on ofo's they must be reasonably robust.


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## rualexander (23 Jun 2020)

"Press can adjust the height of the tube at any time to adapt to the different height of the crowd design humanization, more convenient to use!"

Sounds reasonable


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## fossyant (24 Jun 2020)

rualexander said:


> "Press can adjust the height of the tube at any time to adapt to the different height of the crowd design humanization, more convenient to use!"
> 
> Sounds reasonable



Might be de-humanised if that dropper doesn't stop on the 'up' !


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## Levo-Lon (25 Jun 2020)

ChrisEyles said:


> Oh sod it, it's not that much more than a second hand fixed alloy post...
> 
> When it arrives from China I'll let you know just how bad it can be!
> 
> Wasn't going to chance it, but if they were specced on ofo's they must be reasonably robust.




Can I interest you in a paved driveway,patio and some windows..cheap


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## ChrisEyles (25 Jun 2020)

Ooh, I do like cheap things... The chinglish in your item description needs work though


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## ChrisEyles (8 Aug 2020)

Quick update - fitted the post to a bike I'm building up, and took it for a couple of test spins. 

General quality looks very good, but there is one massive (and bizarre!) design flaw - the saddle rail clamp has no tilt adjustment whatsoever.

Fortunately my seat tube angle resulted in a very, very slight upward tilt to the saddle, which is what I'd usually go for in any case. But I don't think I could put up with using this post on a bike with a particularly steep or slack seat tube. 

The post action was initially very stiff indeed, but has loosened up to being merely rather firm after what I'd guess would be a couple of hundred cycles, and now feels pretty good. 

Build quality looks good, everything is nicely finished and there's no play anywhere there shouldn't be. Only time will tell if the bushes/seals are up to scratch.

The crotch grab lever actuation obviously takes more forward planning than a bar mounted lever, but that was fully expected. 

The seat post clamp included with the post is the ugliest I've ever seen, but it can easily be replaced. 

For £23 I'd definitely buy another. But WTF were they thinking with that saddle clamp design?!


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## Bonefish Blues (8 Aug 2020)

Good news.

Must admit, was expecting something along the lines of:

"Am currently in A&E awaiting removal of my seat post, whose top-stop appears to have failed in action ."


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## Black Sheep (26 Aug 2020)

Drago said:


> Maybe it's because I have long legs - very long legs - but never suffer from unwanted seat contact, or the seat getting in the way. Funilly enough, neither did anyone else until thy were invented. I never need to drop the seat on a technical trail, and neither do the majority of my students.
> 
> Figbat raises a very good point about attire. I have seen people spill because they've got the nose of the saddle caught in the hem of the shorts leg.



For quite a long time I had mastered the art of undoing the quick release while riding, using my weight to drop the post before locking the qr, and then doing the same in reverse, pulling the saddle up by hand while rolling along. 

On a hardtail it allows me to hang off the back and belt it down a long steep cobbled track which, now that I've got a tag-along clamp on there I have to ride a lot slower than I used to.


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## WindsorVintage70s (10 Oct 2020)

I just put a dropper on my gravel bike. Super disruptive to the more classical cyclists in my circle. But, anyone from 15-27 thinks it's the best idea I've ever had.


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## ChrisEyles (11 Oct 2020)

If you ride down steep rough stuff, they are the way forward!


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