[The Squeaky Wheel]

OK, so you guys have me intrigued.
I was playing around with one at MHC yesterday & it does seem pretty cool. It's the post activated version, not the bar activated type.

So who is using which of the above?
Does the knob on the post activated version interfere at all with your leg during technical moves? It looks a bit cumbersome. I'd think that you'd position it in front of the post since putting it behind could result in an unintentional genitalia snag during a techie move

 

[Renegade]

I have the remote-handlebar controlled one,which IMO, is the way to go because you can raise or lower it on the fly. Crest the top of your climb and you're looking down that steep, loose chute? Badabing!, push the lever and down you and your seat go, and down the chute in a much better position. Hit the bottom of the chute and you start to climb immediately? Badabing, push the lever and you're up again. For me, it's that instantaneous transition without interrupting your ride, stopping, or taking a hand off your bars that make the seatpost excellent. I don't think I would be pleased with the knob on the seatpost version; I don't think I would find it as usefull because I couldn't activate it without taking my hands off the bar, and for me, that would nullify the benefit of the mechanism.

 

[tscheezy]

I have my knob facing forward (get your mind out of the gutter). No worries whatsoever about hitting it unless you were already mid-wreck. It is under the nose of the saddle so you would sooner impale yourself on that.

Lowering is very easy and fast as you just have to tug the knob (I think that would be WAY harder if it were facing to the rear). I do this while riding as I approach the descent or tech section. I just pick a short, smoother bit of trail where I can take my hand off the bar for the 1 second the operation takes. You never have to take your butt off the seat.

Raising is a little bit harder, but not much. You need to pull the knob again, but at the same time you need to unweight the saddle to let it extend. It is a bit weird to be standing on the pedals with only one hand on the bars for that brief moment. I tend to grab the knob, put my wrist up agaist the underside of the saddle, and after pulling the knob I sort of guide the saddle up with the back of my hand so that I have that 4th contact point with the bike.

Using the dropper post with the remote would obviously obviate this drawback, but I didn't want to clutter the bike up with cables and junk while I was trying the concept of the post out. I may get a second post, one with the cable remote, and put the knob post on my Spot and put the remote post on the Pack. If you drop the saddle often, the remote would be good. If you just drop the post once or twice per ride, the knob is good enough.

My post is still kind of wiggly. GD is cool and they said they'd swap out the parts with tighter tolerance bits once they modify their production this spring, or just give me a new post. They seem pretty interested in having satisfied customers. The Turner board is a good population of peeps to keep happy as I think we are a solid venue for shilling their wares.

 

[tscheezy]

Some pics...

 

[BikeLust]

DOWT! UGI has taken hold!

How much 'travel' does the post have? By the looks in the pics, you can drop the seat about 2"?

BL

 

[tscheezy]

3 inches. It is certainly not a "slam it to the rails" height difference, but low enough that the saddle is comfortably out of the way while still being high enough that you can pedal a bit without having your kneecaps explode. You could combine it with a QR for the best of both worlds.

 

[airwreck]

isn't Maverick or somebody coming out with a version also?

 

[tscheezy]

Yes, Mav, due in June. It will have an air spring, but I don't know what the locking mechanism will be or any other specs.

 

[airwreck]

Yes, Mav, due in June. It will have an air spring, but I don't know what the locking mechanism will be or any other specs.

just read the 6 pack thread and you beat me to the edit.
glad I have no money, and I probably never will if I try to keep up with you guys....

 

[esquire]

If

Yes, Mav, due in June. It will have an air spring, but I don't know what the locking mechanism will be or any other specs.

If due in June, expect it to be available just before interbike.....

 

[lidarman]

Yes, Mav, due in June. It will have an air spring, but I don't know what the locking mechanism will be or any other specs.

My understanding is that it's like a pneumatic office chair.

 

[Steve from JH]

I have the remote-handlebar controlled one,which IMO, is the way to go because you can raise or lower it on the fly. Crest the top of your climb and you're looking down that steep, loose chute? Badabing!, push the lever and down you and your seat go, and down the chute in a much better position. Hit the bottom of the chute and you start to climb immediately? Badabing, push the lever and you're up again. For me, it's that instantaneous transition without interrupting your ride, stopping, or taking a hand off your bars that make the seatpost excellent. I don't think I would be pleased with the knob on the seatpost version; I don't think I would find it as usefull because I couldn't activate it without taking my hands off the bar, and for me, that would nullify the benefit of the mechanism.

I'll simply second everything Renegade has said.

As for the slop or play that Tscheezy talks about, they seem to have fixed that. Mine, purchased in January, has no more than one mm. of play.

 

[rmac]

I have the remote version on my Burner and second (third and fourth) all the good comments above. I understand you can get a custom job done for four or two inches. I have an open offer to send mine in for a free bushing upgrade to remove the (slight) slop but I just can't bring myself to part with it for even one ride . I probably raise and lower the seat 12 - 14 times on an 18 mile loop and a couple of those are really fast, banked and rocky descents to immediate climbs - without the remote I would be hosed. Interestingly enough I would likely only raise and lower the seat 4 times on the same loop without the Dropper - who wants to stop all the time??? .

Larry got me mine for $200 - $40 less than anywhere else!

 

[Lambone]

WOW $240...yikes!

How much do they weigh? Significantly more? i don't know if I raise or lower my seat enough to justify it...maybe once or twice per ride.

 

[tscheezy]

Universal has the Descender Post (knob) for $160. Larry would beat that. The Gravity dropper (remote) is 375g with hardware iirc. The Descender is less. I weighed it but forgot the number now (and I'm too lazy to search). 280g pops to mind- 100g more than a Thomson I think.

 

[Surfpriest]

XC use?

Is anyone using the dropper on a Flux or Nitrous? I read in a mag that they are becoming popular with XC riders/racers, but all the posts here seem to be for spots and packs and(on other boards) for longer travel bikes.

I'm building up a Flux and am thinking of getting the knob activated one for some of the trail riding I do. Don't need it on most rides but I lower my seat for some steep switchbacks and a few drops.

 

[drumstix]

I have my knob facing forward, Raising is very easy and fast as you just have to tug the knob,but not much.It is a bit weird to grab the knob with only one hand on the bars for that brief moment My post is still kind of wiggly

Sometimes its hard to read between the lines

Its all because of the darn gutter thingy T!

 

[The Squeaky Wheel]

LOL. Heh, heh. He said knob.

I guess this is what people mean when they say that something has been "taken out of context". Sorry to hear that your post is kind of wiggly

 

[Bikezilla]

Michael Jackson School of Cycling

Lemme get this straight, you want to get your post up, so you take one hand off the bars, reach between your legs and pull on your knob???

Geeze, and I cought shite for having my fly down?

 

[rmac]

Is anyone using the dropper on a Flux or Nitrous? I read in a mag that they are becoming popular with XC riders/racers, but all the posts here seem to be for spots and packs and(on other boards) for longer travel bikes.

See above - XC Burner.