Description:The 850 featured an easy to use control lever, tucked away under your seat, that will allow it's user to raise or lower their seat all in a matter of seconds. Adjustments can be made on the fly for those technical sections of the trail where having a lower seat height adds the benefit of more maneuverability for clearing obstacles. Constructed out of forged 6061-T6 aluminum, the 850 seat post is designed to give seasons of trouble free use.
Submitted by
BikerMan123
a Cross Country Rider
from Fullerton, CA Date Reviewed: September 18, 2008
Favorite Trail:
Fullerton Loop
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$30.00
Purchased At:
Price Point
Strengths:
1. Function: Ability to raise and lower seat while riding.
2. Value: Very low cost (Sale: $29.98).
3. Construction: Seems sturdy.
Weaknesses:
1. The seat bracket is very tall for many low height XC seats (like all of mine). The unit comes with a low cost style seat rail clamp that is very tall under the seat, and the large bolt protrudes even more. Many seats (maybe all) flex in the middle while riding, and the bottoms of my seats all had limited flex ability with this seatpost installed. I made my own additional spacer to lower the bolt so it does not protrude, but the bracket height is still too tall. This bracket seems better suited only for very tall seats or those with no middle sections.
2. The angle of the operation handle is not adjustable, and is not angled very much for steeper angle seatpost tubes on certain bikes (like mine). Thus, I had trouble getting the front of my seat low enough for my preference because of the handle clearance. Not sure what to do here, maybe cut off some of the handle end, or perhaps remove and replace the handle.
3. At 185lbs, thus far I have had some issues getting the seat down, but may be largely due to the aforementioned problem with my inability to angle my seat nose downward enough. I'll keep practicing when I install an old seat of mine soon (since my weight weenie approved, low height seat just will not work).
4. Heavy...not weight weenie approved.
5. Product came with no literature (no box, no operation suggestions, etc.)...just the seatpost in a plastic bag. So, not sure about any adjustments or maintenence.
6. Sette website does not offer a phone number for person-to-person customer service, only an email.
7. Only available in 27.7 size, which I presume to be the most "common" size (I had to get a 27.7-to-31.6 shim for my bike...more added $$$).
Similar Products Used:
None
Bike Setup:
KHS XC904R (med)
Bottom Line:
Still undecided if I will be happy with the compromises. If I need to buy a new seat, then the overall install cost goes up. Any new seat will need to conform to the design issues I mentioned above (bracket and handle clearances). If trying to keep costs down, then most cheaper seats are heavy (weight an issue in the new seatpost and many/most "cheap" seats). However, at $29.98 (what we might pay on average for a tire), it seems a safe bet to try it out.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Kevin
a Weekend Warrior
from San Jose, Ca Date Reviewed: August 31, 2008
Favorite Trail:
Cape Horn Trail
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$30.00
Purchased At:
Pricepoint
Strengths:
Instant adjustment, super inexpensive
Weaknesses:
Have to take a hand off the bar to adjust
Similar Products Used:
NA
Bike Setup:
Novara Hardtail, pretty much stock
Bottom Line:
I was worried I wouldn't be able to adjust the post when I first received it - like other reviewers, I struggled to get it to drop down using my body weight (I'm about ~157 lbs) when playing with the post in my driveway.
Once on the trail, I had no problem getting it to drop. While peddling, I shifted forward on the seat slightly & moved my upper body to match the angle of the seatpost (while hanging onto the lever, of course). The seat dropped instantly.
Dropping the seatpost on the descents made an incredible difference (I was actually catching up to my buddies on full suspension rides). On my first trailride, I probably dropped the post at least a dozen times... Instantly being able to move the post up after the descent was SOOOO nice.
I'd recommendd this for anyone that wants the freedom to drop their post without spending upwards $200+.
Overall, awesome seatpost at a fantastic price!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
YZINGERR
a Weekend Warrior
from Fremont, CA USA Date Reviewed: August 23, 2008
Favorite Trail:
Chabot loop
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$30.00
Purchased At:
pricepoint, where el
Strengths:
-"4 inches of drop", really only comes to 3 when all said and done.
-Its a dropper seatpost!
-Cool idea if it worked properly
Weaknesses:
-Will not drop when riding, like someone said before me, i have to dismount in order to drop the seat.
-Very stiff spring (when depressing) and a heavy unit
Similar Products Used:
none
Bottom Line:
This seemed like a good idea, works ok but cannot be dropped while riding though pricepoint claims "adjustment can be made on the fly".. i guess on the fly when you are stopped for a powerbar break..
$30.00 is hard to beat, im no weight weenie and dont really care that this is 10x heavier than an alloy seatpost.
After hopping off the bike to drop the seat, it is easier than trying to re-align the seat nose with the frame as it drops straight down.
Read the other reviews and then decide whether or not to buy it, im happy i did as i got what i expected.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
TBD Rider
a Weekend Warrior
from Duvall, WA, USA Date Reviewed: July 18, 2008
The cost is less than what I was originally planning for a standard seat post alone. The height adjustment "on the fly" is an added bonus. None of the problems above have been experienced. The post does exhibit some "cussioning" effect (like an office chair) when you rise up off it, and will settle slightly when you re-seat yourself. The ability to lower and raise the saddle make the minimal investment and higher weight tolerable. I would purchase it again and am waiting for a larger 30.9mm for the "BIG" Bike
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
weasel_4
a Weekend Warrior
from PC, UT, Biatch Date Reviewed: June 14, 2008
Favorite Trail:
Gold Bar Rim
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$35.00
Purchased At:
Price Point
Strengths:
Price
Weaknesses:
Weight, less than easy operation
Similar Products Used:
GD seatposts
Bike Setup:
Marin WolfRidge with RP2, Fox 32 Float, XT Set Up
Bottom Line:
The producers of high quality collapsible seatposts need not worry about Sette Ryde invading the market with their super low-priced ST-850. First, the weight. Sette's unit has nearly three times the mass than a non-collapsible post and is significantly heavier than a Gravity Dropper. Let's not kid ourselves: weight matters, especially when it justifies a convenience.
And the convenience for this reviewer is only half there. Yes, the seat does pop-up succinctly and confidently with the easy pull of a lever; however, lowering it is a completely different matter. I weigh 170 lbs and I have to dismount and give it a CPR-like thrust to depress the seat. There seems to be some adjustments on the post like a threaded sleeve at the top of the base and a bolt underneath- neither of which seem to do anything- and Sette Ryde does not include *any* instructions nor troubleshooting tips with the ST-850.
So why didn't I give this product a failing grade? It is still heck of a lot more convenient than a traditional seatpost with a QR clamp. Popping the seat up when encountering a little hill during a descent, the on-the-fly seat height adjustment is a tremendous momentum saver. You just have to get off (in my case) and lower it (still slightly easier and quicker than a conventional seatpost) when you descend to a technical part and fear of going over the handlebars inspires a lower seat height.
I have seen other reviews (video & written) on this product and my impressions are that this product can work smoothly up and down. However, I am not alone, although my troubles may be more acute, when it comes to the less than ideal operation of lowering the seat as mentioned in review above.
I give this product 3 for Value and 3 Overall because the only reason you'd buy this is to save money and it does do what it is designed to do, just not that well.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Tovi Shavit
a Weekend Warrior
from Israel Date Reviewed: June 11, 2008
Favorite Trail:
Racham, Alon, Shokef
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$35.00
Purchased At:
PricePoint
Strengths:
It's price - you get a dropper seat post for 35$ instead of 240$ ... As it is my first Dropper, ut seems cheap enough to make mistakes
Weaknesses:
Main problem is that after 10 minutes it lost the air pressure and stopped working ! I do not know if this is a common problem or not. Anyhow, I can't use the product.
The issue of the handle under the seat is O.K once you compare the price with te alternatives. Sette should also have the 30.9 size and others so no shim is required.
If the probkem I faced is rare, than I would say this is a very cost-effective product (for me, since I live in Israel,it was a waste of money - 35$, not 250 ...)
Bike Setup:
SantaCruze Nimad X9 (AM)
Bottom Line:
Assuming that the problem I faced is a rare one - this product is a very cost effective product.
Overall rating is poor (currentky) as it doesn't work ...
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Daniel Plante
a Cross Country Rider
from Quebec City, qc, Canada Date Reviewed: June 4, 2008
Favorite Trail:
Kingdom Trails, VT, USA
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$35.00
Purchased At:
PricePoint.com
Strengths:
For a All-Mountain rider, it's a big advantage to be able to lower / get higher the lenght of the seatpost... higher = better pedaling effiency, lower = put your gravity center in a better position when going downhill, doing drops, etc... without havint to get down the bike and playing with your QR ! And for only 35$, it's worth for the money to make a try ! It's getting higher verry esaly in seconds, the get lower... that depends...
Weaknesses:
Weight! kind of heavy... that will frighten XC riders for sure, buy not that big weaknesse for a all-mountain rider.
Saddle inclinasion: might interfer with the mecanism. You have lo leave enough space between the lever of the seatport and the nose of the saddle. I guess that if you have a lot of angle for your seatpost, that will be a big problem... for me, it's just tight... asmost a problem, bu still OK (except if I'd like to lower the inclinasion of my saddle nose).
Rider's weight (I'm only 150 lbs). Sometimes I almost have to jump and land my but on the saddle while holding the lever so it can lower.
Similar Products Used:
None for the moment, buy I would like to compare with the Gravity Dropper (GD) and the speedball from Maverick, that are much more expensives (more that 250$ each).
Bike Setup:
All Mountain (AM)setup with 5.75" of travel: - Giant VT Frame, medium - Manitou 4-Way shock - Manitou Minute 3:00 130mm fork with IT - Trans AM leather Italia Selle - Full Shimano XT - Intense System 4 2.25 tires - Hayes 9 & 8" rotors - carbon riser hanblebar - Shimano PD-M647 pedals - Diadora shoes
Bottom Line:
The mecanism seems easy to work and tough. It think it would work perfectly to lower if the seat angle of my bike would be about 90 degrees... but when you put the seatpost in angle, like 72, it's getting more complicated. That might also be because of my weight is on the back of the saddle cause when I place it more in front of it, it's much more easy to lower the saddle.
I like that product, I love the price of it, but it's just that I have to be honest and describe the weaknesses and explane them so people can do their mind by themselves. I still have my old Titec lightweight Seatpost, buy I prefer for sure to stay with my new Sette Ryde ST-850 Suspension Dropper Seatpost.
For 35$, if you are a AM, FR or DH rider, go for a try and buy it !
$
Overall Rating:
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