Gravity dropper style seatposts.

These dropper seatposts are all the rage in the magazines. Apparently as a mountain biker I need one now. To be honest I've been buying into the hype and have been considering the Rockshox one at £280.

But then reality hits home. £280! For a seatpost? One that weighs over 500g? Do I look insane? Oh and they apparently need regular maintenance; as in each ride out.

So I looked back over my past few rides to when I've felt the need to drop my saddle. Not once. So I looked back in time; perhaps once have I lowered my saddle, and that for a stupid gulley ride in Reigate that I shouldn't be doing anyway. Honestly, where in Surrey exactly would I encounter a steep rise, followed by a short drop, followed by a steep rise.... Never. We have short downhills, long flat stretches between, and then hideous climbs.

I'd be glad if somebody could enlighten me as to why I'd want to be fiddling with saddle height all of the time. Perhaps that nasty drop down to the base of the Pyramids on Headley Heath? 40m or so - well worth splashing £280 on a seatpost for. That or a £12 quick release? Or, shock, horror, just leave the bloomin' thing alone and ride the sodding bike. OK sometimes I can see an inch drop being useful for dropping my centre of gravity down a bit, but I'd only get to the bottom a smidgeon faster than normal. And then what of having to haul the extra 300g of useless mass around for the rest of the time? How would that help on the climbs? 300g is a lot.

Strikes me that adjustable seatposts are the Emperor's new clothes of mountain biking. Odd, but I've yet to see one either in the shops or out on the trail.

It's like my forks; I can adjust them between 115mm and 140mm. In theory 115mm for the climbs, 140mm for the downies. Perhaps once a month I'll adjust them pre-ride, only to get back not having touched them again. I've never adjusted a set of forks whilst out and about. Indeed many a time I get back and find them on the minimum setting and realise that the ride was as extreme a one as I ever do, so why do I need the 140mm option? I could fit a set of 800g lighter forks with 120mm set travel and quite possibly have much, much better rides as a result.

But then I'd have nothing to adjust. And that's not right in 2011 MTB World now is it?

Next we'll be having systems to adjust tyre pressures whilst on the move. They'll weigh 600g but will make your ride soooo much better.....

Comments