[ogre]

Anybody running a dropper post on their road bike? The pros are doing it. This year's Milan-San Remo. They show the trigger and post at 0:45 but no other mention. I wonder if it's an useful on some of the swtichback descents, or maybe it's more aero since the super-tuck is outlawed. Also, be sure to watch at 1:40 for a few seconds of Allephillpe passing through the team cars and at 2:35 when the peleton squeezes thru a constricting turn.

 

[tlg]

Anybody running a dropper post on their road bike? The pros are doing it.

I don't know anyone who is or would do it. Nor does the average Joe have enough seatpost to do it with.
Pros are riding undersized bikes with 12+ inches of seatpost and 10" drop to their handlebars.
I love to descend fast. But not quite the crazy speeds they do. I can get going fast enough that I don't want to go faster.

There's also the big problem that almost all of the major mfg's have gone to aero seatposts of some sort. So you can't use a standard off the shelfpost. So unless they make a proprietary aero dropper (for a tiny sales market) you'd be SOL.

 

[ridesmasterx]

Don’t have a dropper post and got dropped yesterday. I wonder 🤔

 

[JSR]

The pros are doing it.

Well, to be precise, one pro is doing it.

Here is a short video of how Mahoric used it on the Poggio in his 2022 MSR win. Was it the dropper or his death wish that led to his victory?

 

[bvber]

I was about to sell my Rockshox seat post from my MTB days. Maybe I should give it a second thought...

 

[Xydadx3]

Pros are riding undersized bikes with 12+ inches of seatpost and 10" drop to their handlebars.

Are they riding undersized bikes because their legs were hitting the top tube on their bigger bikes? 🤔

 

[duriel]

They were waiting for the bikes with the dropper top tubes, but the truck was delayed getting to the start. So they went full droppers!
That guy can descent, wicked!!!

 

[One Wheel]

I don't, but I would try it. Looks like it would cost about $2-300 and 2-300 grams, very roughly. I'm not interested in getting a bike that requires a bunch of proprietary parts, so that won't be an obstacle for me, but I don't think there would be an engineering reason that dropper post couldn't be made a shape other than round. There's clearly a market, the question is whether bike companies think the market is big enough to bother with.

 

[tlg]

but I don't think there would be an engineering reason that dropper post couldn't be made a shape other than round.

It'd actually be much easier to do in an Aero or 'D' shaped post.
Making a round piston that goes up and down without rotating is difficult.

 

[One Wheel]

It'd actually be much easier to do in an Aero or 'D' shaped post.
Making a round piston that goes up and down without rotating is difficult.

I haven't torn apart a dropper post to see how it's put together, but I'm guessing it must have a non-round internal section to prevent rotation? Could a non-round external shape mean that the dropper post could be lighter than a round dropper post? Maybe the 2-300 gram penalty could even be reduced, although I doubt it could go as low as a standard carbon seatpost.

 

[duriel]

Well their you go, if you think you can make a better mouse trap, all the proprietry mouses will follow!
I think you could make it, but the piston would be round, sorry. Every see one engine with a square piston? There is a reason.

 

[Lombard]

Dropper top tubes! Too bad our banned friend is no longer around for us to suggest this to him. 🤣

 

[tlg]

Well their you go, if you think you can make a better mouse trap, all the proprietry mouses will follow!
I think you could make it, but the piston would be round, sorry. Every see one engine with a square piston? There is a reason.

Non round pistons are quite common.
Seen them. Used them. Designed them.

 

[bvber]

Non round pistons are quite common.

Yup, rotary engine. Plus, when the pressure and heat aren't the level of internal combustion engine, it can be any shape for something like dropper post.

 

[duriel]

Yea, what are those things, we will see about THIS!!

 

[tlg]

Yea, what are those things, we will see about THIS!!

Those are non-rotating air cylinders.

Which BTW... a dropper seatpost... is a single acting NON ROTATING AIR CYLINDER.
When you sit on it, air compresses. When you release it, air pressure extends it.
It's simple linear motion requires a method to prevent piston rotation.


And it's absolutely nothing like an engine piston which is reciprocating motion, converted to rotary motion, through a connecting rod, secured perpendicular to a crankshaft.

 

[Fredrico]

Dropper seat posts might be cool off road but cumbersome weight on smooth roads. Rider can post over bumps lightening his butt on the saddle easy enough with his legs.

 

[tlg]

Dropper seat posts might be cool off road but cumbersome weight on smooth roads. Rider can post over bumps lightening his butt on the saddle easy enough with his legs.

You're confusing dropper posts for suspension posts. Nothing remotely to do with bumps.
The purpose of dropper posts for road racing is to make you more aerodynamic, lower your CG, and improve cornering.
The safe alternative to the (banned) Supertuck.

 

[duriel]

It may be lighter to go to some ratchet, tooth/flipper system. I going out on a ride, be back in 8 hours.

 

[Fredrico]

Wow, for sure I"m now hopelessly behind the times.

So how does the rider manipulate the thing? How does he lower the saddle to tuck through the corners and descend mountains? Most riders would want seat height to be the same no matter what. There's nothing worse than a slipping seat post. What's the deal?