How To Use A Dropper Post On The Trail
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 6 ก.ค. 2024
- One of the biggest changes to Mountain Bikes in the past 10 years has been the creation of Dropper Seat posts. In this video we talk about how to get the most out of them on the trail! Links below ...
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0:00 - 0:38 Intro & Overview Of Dropper Posts
0:38 - 1:47 Why Using A Dropper Can Help You On The Trail
1:47 - 2:18 Trail Mode
2:18 - 3:40 Pedal Strike Mode
3:40 - 4:03 Quick Overview Of Modes
4:03 - 4:35 If You Have Never Ridden With A Dropper
4:35 - 5:24 Wrapping It Up
5:24 - 5:44 POV - กีฬา
Before I recently got a dropper post, I used to hop off the bike to adjust the seat down for bigger downhills, then have to hop off again at the bottom to move the seat up. Takes time, but the seat in the right position definitely feels safer. With my new dropper now, I've found that I use it waaay more than I thought I would. Love the "trail" position suggestion! Also, I'm about 50 MTB rides into this new sport as a 50+ female. Your videos have helped me progress pretty rapidly. Thanks a ton!
Regardless of the topic, your perspective, presentation, and the content editing is very enjoyable. I watch your videos with mrs all the time. Very helpful for her. Thanks!
Thats so Awesome! Thank you Peter :)
I agree
“Trail position” advice is a revelation! I’m new to MTB and have been using the dropper a lot, but it never occurred to me to leave it part way down and pedal seated. I tried it on a trail yesterday that has a bunch of uphill, downhill, flow, rocks and roots and using the tips from this video was money! Thanks for another outstanding video!
Glad it was helpful Richard!
Hi. As someone setting out learning and with a dropper post this video was great to show that you don't have to have it set just 100% up or 100% down. You can have it in between - what a revelation. Cheers Kyle.
Glad it was helpful!!! Hope you enjoy it even more now!
Hope you guys enjoy the video! Let us know if you have any other things that you want us to showcase or touch on in future videos! You might even get a shoutout :).
Kyle & April - Ride MTB could you do jumping? Don’t get me wrong I’m great at jumping, but 1/10 times on some of the big stuff I tend to freeze up and do the “dead sailor” as Blake Samson would call it, I just need to know how to keep moving, I guess sometimes it’s a confidence thing
Have you guys done just a basic bike setup yet with Shock setup?
Would love to see what you do for "basic" maintenance - what you do before every ride, what you do weekly/monthly, and what you do seasonally. Bikes are getting more expensive, and an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
Maybe do a video on comparing oval chain rings with round. Do they really make a difference?
Thanks for your practical videos. Really like them. Can we see a bunny hop on a hard tail. I have a hard tail and it’s really hard to get a proper bunny hop.
Adding a dropper was easily the best upgrade on my bike. I could never go back to a regular seat post. Keep up the great work guys, really enjoying the content!
Thats awesome! and thank you :)
I have whatched a lot of dropper post videos but none of them was as good as this one. Most don’t talk about the different hights. They just tell you to ether have it all the way up or down.
Great vid man👍
Glad you enjoyed! Thanks for watching and for the nice comment!
This is the dropper post video I have been looking for! A simple explanation with clear usage! Finally. Nearly all the others are something like, "I'm so cool I have a dropper post." or simply "Yeah, gotta have a dropper post." I knew the great advantages, just nice to see it presented at its basic level without the bike snobbery.
Glad you found it helpful Tim!
Game changer. And a huge thank you. As per this youtube, I ordered a pnm pine solo for my wife’s 2004 26” Santa Cruz Juliana (she’s 62 by the way) and the transformation in her confidence and willingness to try new terrain is nothing short of remarkable. We now live and ride in Santa Fe and tho we prefer flowy single track there’s plenty of rocky bits you need to navigate. Now she just lowers her seat as needed and plunges on ahead. No more getting off the bike at every little technical bit, just has made it so much more fun for her. You two are making very useful, accessible video’s together, so encouragingand informative, even for experienced riders who (in our case) have been riding mountain bikes since the hardtail days of the mid nineties. Love it!
That is great to hear, thanks for sharing! 😊
Thank you so mutch for showing my comment. Love you guys, you helped me so mutch this year as I got myself a mtb.
I looked at this video this morning before hitting the trails. Today’s trail is a bit gnarly with roots and stones. First time I’ve just lowered my dropper just a couple inches (or about 4 centimetres since in Sweden) and used the “trail mode”. HUGE difference!
Thanks,
Thats so cool to hear! Thanks Ove!
super valuable, i strangely had this notion that dropper posts should be used either all the way up or down. thank you for this insight Kyle!
Glad it was helpful! Thanks Paolo!!
One been riding 30 years and got my first dropper post 3 weeks ago. I found this video very very helpful. Thank you!
Thats awesome! Glad you liked the video :)
I just got a dropper installed on my bike so this was a perfect video for me. Can't wait to hit the trail this weekend and try it out, thanks for the tips!
I never knew what a difference a dropper could make until I tried one. It’s like a dishwasher. You are fine without it but once you have it it’s hard to let it go.
Also first
Yeah such a crazy difference! I haven't had a mtb without one since 2012 haha :)
Jonah Baxter I’ve seen someone comment that before on another vid, so true though isn’t it 👍
@@samb2334 So true!
Jonah Baxter haha, that’s a great analogy! I recently experienced both 🤣👍
Yeh, the difference between the bikers that are against droppers and those that are pro droppers are between $150-250 and half an hour in the workshop...
So helpful finally a video that makes sense. New to this and so many people keep telling me I MUST ride either fully extended or fully down. It just makes sense to me to ride with what’s comfortable.
Kyle, I’ve been riding and racing for years but I still always pick something up new from your videos. Thx and keep’em coming!
I appreciate that! Thanks Dave!
Got one a few weeks ago. Game changer! Much more control over fast/rough terrain, as well as cornering.
I installed my first dropper (PNW Cascade) last year and I absolutely love it. I'm never going back to a fixed seat post. Thanks for the video!
Right on! Thanks for watching Jason!
Completely agree, dropper post is a game-changer! I put one on my trail bike a few years ago and loved it so much that I got a dropper for my XC bike and my gravel bike :) And I discovered that getting restarted on a hill is much easier with the post dropped all the way down, then extended after I start pedaling which allows me to get seated and pedaling much more easily than if the post were fully extended.
Totally agree!
I’m 50 and still ride fairly aggressive. I run a 125mil dropper which puts me basically in your “pedal strike” mode when fully down, it works for me as I don’t ride full on downhill. As far as game changer, believe it or not for me the game changer is modern bar width. I’ve been riding MTB since the early 90’s and back then they were just beefed up road bikes and the bars were ridiculously narrow. It’s just amazing how much modern bar width changed the handling.
Thats awesome! Yeah totally agree about bar width too. Its cool to see how far bike have come!
Kyle, you are such a great teacher! I never have to check out other videos for a better explanation on something you've covered, because you nail it everytime 😎
One stop shop 🤣🚵♂️
Thank you so much!
I so needed this!! My new bike has just arrived with my first ever dropper post. This was great! Thank you!!
Glad it was helpful!
Great job/video! Very good info, thanks!!
Thanks so much for adding this to your list! the additional information in the description is very helpful. I'm finding myself stuck between the limited options for new bikes right now and simply upgrading my old one.
You're so welcome! Glad you enjoyed it Walter! If you need anything for your bike you can use code KYLEMTB at bit.ly/34hvvNm for 15% off anything :)
Hey Kyle, i just wanted to say i really like your videos. They are very informative and your presentation with April is very good and easy to understand. Keep on the good work!
I appreciate that! thank you so much for the nice comment. We work really hard on the videos and its cool that you guys notice :)
Your videos are so informational and helpful.
Glad you think so!
Thank you for clearing this up. Very informative and sooooo helpful. Sometimes I forget about it and yeah, either fall or crash. This will help a lot!!!
No problem! Thanks for watching Sue :)
Never knew I needed a dropper post until I got my 1st one a few months ago...makes going down gnarly steep mountains so much better.
Yeah they are such a huge help!!
Been using dropper for a couple of years, even so, learnt a fair bit and happy that I was unconsciously doing some of the stuff you talk about - good one Kyle!
Thats awesome! Thanks for watching it!
I started riding with my husband in June on my 19yo Hybrid No Suspension Trail/Road bike. I’m now in love with mtb’ing and upgraded to a 2021 Marin Hawk Hill 2- which comes with a dropper post so this video was really helpful!! I love watching ya’lls videos- it has given me confidence to go out and try new things!! We’re planning a trip to Bentonville, AK for our Anniversary in April! I look forward to putting my new found skills to the test. 🤪😀😍
That is awesome! Thank you so much for watching and for the comment Lisa :) Happy early anniversary!
Man I am old. I was an early adopter of Nathan's Gravity Dropper. Even broke my first and still have my second. Amazing how much better they are now. They changed my riding immediately.
Awesome! Droppers are so amazing to have!!!
Great and informative video. Thank you.
Just received my dropper post! Can't wait to install it.
I went with a 125mm Fox dropper post and Fox remote and cable kit. I paid a good amount but I trust the Fox brand and didn't want to experiment with an unknown brand even if it meant saving quite a bit of money. Do it right the first time even if it costs a little more, good components last years and years and years.
I'm sure I'm gonna love this, it will be hard in the beginning like when I started using clipped pedals, now I can't ride without clipping in.
Great videos as always, thanks.
I'm just getting back into cycling and a novice mtn biker. I'm putting a dropper post on my lightly used 2007 Santa Cruz Blur after riding with some friends last weekend. Behind tech with 26" wheels et. al., but had a really great time! Also getting new tires and headset for less aggressive forward lean. Have a lot to learn. Thanks for the info.
Most comprehensive tutorial of a dropper post... nice job again Kyle!
I appreciate that! Thank you!!!
Thank you for doing this. I am slowly beginning to appreciate the use of dropper posts especially going down steep downhill with rock edges.My trail mode is being fully up and I am quite comfortable. maybe I need to measure and adjust my seat .
I am parent coach in a local NICA league and these videos are certainly helping me hone my skills to be a better technical rider.
Appreciate your service to the community and keep up the good work.
You're so welcome!
Long time road cyclist here, researching my first MTB. Great video!!
Thanks so much, this came at a perfect time as i just ordered a pnw ridge dropper this morning for my new hardtail! Love your videos and thanks for the info!
Thats so rad! Hope you love it!! Let us know if you have any questions or anything too!
Up until watching this I tended to ride with my dropper in the fully up or fully down position. Tried “trail mode” on my ride this morning and what a difference! Thanks for another great video.
Great to hear! Thats awesome! Thanks for watching Kyle!
You’re the best Kyle! I’m learning a lot from all your videos. Thank you.
Happy to help!
Finally a new upload😀😀
Yeah haha trying our best to do 1 every Friday! Working with sponsors right now to see if April can do this full time next year and then we would shoot for 2x videos per week :) Fingers Crossed!
Great video as usual, I am learning so much from you. thank you. Im sure you enjoy teaching as much as we enjoy learning, TH-cam is a better place with you in it.
I appreciate that! Thanks Andrew :)
I got a new bike this summer with a dropper post (never had one before). It was a game changer. Made trail riding so much more enjoyable.
Yeah its so nice! Makes the trail seem like a whole new thing haha
let's be honest peeps, how many if us use it to get on or off?
Haha "quietly raises hand"
You videos help me a lot to improve my ride Thank you
Happy to help!
Another great video that a beginner like me can use to quicken the learning curve on this new feature. Love it!
Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for watching Ronald!
Great review. Haven,t ridden for many years but have a couple of custom bikes. This really explained dropper posts well, many thanks
Glad it was helpful!
Excellent video, great info. Thanks!
Glad it was helpful!
An upgrade I'll definitely make when I can afford it. I've been in situations so often when I stop just to raise or lower my quick release seat post. Good video, thanks for sharing.
Awesome! I hope you love it when you do get one! If you use code KYLEMTB at bit.ly/34hvvNm it will save you 15% off!
If you're like me, be patient with your first dropper post! After riding since the early 80s on a fixed seat post, I *finally* upgraded to a dropper about six/seven weeks ago. The first two weeks of riding I was like a baby giraffe, not quite sure what to do! It gets easier, and now it's second nature to either drop or raise the seat just in time for what the trail is throwing at me. Thanks Kyle & April, you are the best mtb coaches period! If you ever bring a riding clinic to Canada, I'm in.
Thats awesome!! Thanks Marc! we will for sure keep you posted on Canada!
@@AprilRideMTB I would also love to know if you make it to Canada some time. I'm just to the north of you in Alberta. Lots of fun riding in southern Alberta!
Very informative video. Thank you.
I just purchased a new mountain bike, with a dropper post! I am so glad I did 👍🏻
Great to hear!
Thank you Kyle for nice tips!
No worries!
Agreed, love my dropper post. You mentioned a “Top Five Upgrades”. That would be a cool video. Moving to 29 inch tires and flat peddles were game changers for me.
Yeah thats a great idea! Thanks Craig!
Normally I would’ve skipped a video like this because I’ve ridden on various droppers for about 4 years now. But because it was uploaded by Team Ride MTB, of course I had to watch. And I’m so damn glad I did because I picked up some valuable learnings, like the thought process behind trail mode and pedal strike mode. I was stuck in my binary method of all the way up or down. Super stoked to apply this during my next ride. And also considering switching out my 150mm for a 170mm post. Keep up the awesome work you two!
Thats awesome!!! Yeah check out the PNW Gen 3 post the 170mm can be adjusted to top out anywhere from 170 - 130! So cool how they are able to do that now :) bit.ly/2GCacxS
Very useful tips! Great video :)
Thanks Eric!!
Another A+ video. I am on my first season with a dropper and just rode a new trail that had more undulations than my usual route that is a long climb to a long downhill. I found myself in what you call "trail mode" and wasn't sure if I was doing it right 👍. Thank you!
Thanks Jonathan!
Great video guys again
Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for watching!!
Got mine today game changer
I'm a roadie that's starting to dabble in the mtb world. I had no idea what a dropper post is OR how it worked until now! Thanks for a short succinct video!!!
Great tips as always, Kyle. Thanks!
Thanks for watching Alison!
I've had my dropper post for over a year now and had not really used it, until-------I decided one day to play with it a bit. Put the seat in the striker mode and was making some crazy turns that just were not even possible before with the seat fully extended and doing it with ease. I've now watched this video about a half dozen times and see a much brighter future. Thanks Kyle. Great vid. ....gotta take the tool out of the tool box before it will do you any good!
Glad it was helpful!
Thanks for sharing. I knew there would be benefits, but until you try them in different scenarios you don't fully appreciate what a fantastic tool they are.
Love mine on my New YT Decoy Elite and am going to add to my other bikes as well.
No problem! And yeah they are such an awesome tool! I havent been without one since like 2012 haha
Thanks for the trail mode setup I never even thought about using it like that! Gonna try tomorrow!
Awesome! Glad to hear! Hope it helps out!!
Great channel - thanks for all the tips! I also find that a dropper helps with speed on non-technical or mildly technical descents. Lowering body weight helps with sticking to the trail and cornering...at least it sure feels that way. Thanks again for the videos!
Bro, you saved my bacon because I just bought a Trek Fuel that has it an I had no clue how or when to use it. Thank you.
Glad I could help!!!
I just got a dropper last week. It’s an absolute game changer!
That is awesome! Yeah they are so fun!
I was waiting for this video. Thanks.
Hope you enjoyed it!
@@AprilRideMTB I did. 😁
The best part about dropper posts is just messing with it while not even on the bike. I could do it for hours.
Yea same
Haha so true! Thanks for watching :)
Same I love to do it😂
Me too
Somebody needs to make a dropper ‘trick shot’ video!
Ich mag deinen Channel sehr! Du bringst Anfängern bei wie MTB fahren geht! Danke dir und deiner Frau dafür!
Ich danke dir sehr :)
@@AprilRideMTB
Wow. Thanks for this. What an education....
Glad you enjoyed it!
Another awesome video!
Thank you!
Great tips... especially the one about keeping the seat lower, on flat areas..with rocks...the "Pedal Strike Mode: I went over the handlebars one time..this now makes sense..My husband and were watching one of your other videos and wondered why you and April had your seats so slow on flat roads and easy uphills...as we ride with the seat high..now we know!!! We do have dropper seat posts :-) Thanks!!
Great video Kyle, I love my dropper post!
Thanks Steve!!
Amazing video guys! Amazing to see your how quickly you’ve grown as well!
Thanks so much! Its been a lot of fun this year and a lot of work haha, hoping to keep it going for a while and see where it takes us!
Kyle & April - Ride MTB excited to see the future!
I ALMOST didn’t watch this video which would be a first for me. So glad I watched. Can’t believe I learned a ton on this too!!!
Haha thanks man :)
Funny I just replaced my old RF turbine with One Up and raising the range from 125mm to 150mm today. And just when I'm about to sleep you uploaded this, that mid position, pedal strike are awesome tips. Will definitely use that on the trail 👍
Thats awesome! Hope you have a blast with the new post :)
Do it! It is almost the same awesome feeling as when you put your dropper all the way down on a decent the first time.
@@Limestream73 almost the same apart from the one up can go even lower due to low profile design and also thinner collar yet when fully extended adds a little more height which is exactly what I need. 👍😉
Thank you for your knowledge and all in the awesome videos
No problem! Just trying to share what I have learned over the years and speed up our viewers learning curve! Thanks so much for watching :)
Great video as always. Dropper post has been my favorite upgrade on my bike by far. I don’t think I could go without one anymore. I have always gone full up or all the way down. This vid has me doing more in between positions. Great tip!
BTW. I had recently bought new PNW bars because I wanted to go wider. I bought PNW because I live in WA and wanted to keep it local, but just found out they were your bars. Great bars man, I really love them and the look super awesome too!!
Glad it was helpful and glad you like the bars 😊
Honestly, didn't think i needed to watch this vid.... But, it was super informative and I learned a lot!!
Glad it was helpful! Thanks Samantha :)
Thank you for uploading this explanation & advantages of using the dropper post. I must say, before you mentioned it previously (as being such a good thing), I hadn't even heard of dropper posts!
Looking forward to the next vid & keep enjoying riding in the Autumn (that's what we call it in the UK!).
You're very welcome! Thanks for watching :)
Nice info. Thanks
Glad it was helpful!
Thanks for the link to the sizing info. Very helpful. I've watched a few videos on sizing and came away confused. I love my dropper and I just ordered one for my wife.
Glad it was helpful!!!
Great topic. Loved the video. Just bought one right before this vid dropped. What timing.
Glad it was helpful!
This was great, as I ride an older FS bike I completely overhauled and modernized but the last step to go is swapping my Thomson Elite for a dropper so this helped for sure. Sick technical riding on those boulders btw!
Glad it was helpful!!!
Perfect video, I've been trying to figure out when to place in in what position. THANKS!
Glad it helped!
yep... Even I had this same question
importance of dropper seat post..
great effort, good video..............
Glad you liked it! Thanks for watching!
OMG pedal strike mode...I hadn't thought of that but yep, I've done it! I love my dropper seat post!
Glad it was helpful!
Nice good info thank you.
Glad it was helpful! Thanks for watching!
never heard about these..very cool
Great video and content
Glad you enjoyed it!!!
Great video!
Thank you Hernan!
Hi guys just subscribed and absolutely love your channel keep it up! You guys should have way more! 😂 Have a rad day 🤙
Thanks for the sub!
again...well explained! keep posting tutorial vids it helps noob like me a lot👍🤣
Thanks, will do!
Great video! I have always said that a dropper will improve your game going down hill, more than a rear suspension.
Most definitely! The added freedom of movement is so helpful!
Just did my first ride with a dropper. I was going from full up to down and not using anything in between. It seems kind of obvious that you'd use the middle of the range not just the extremes, but having you spell it out for me was necessary. Thanks!
Glad you learned something, I think I was doing the same thing until Kyle filmed this haha -April
Can't see myself ever riding without one, I've got trails that switch from a short downhill to a short climb all through the whole trail that had me wishing for a dropper. Also great for getting off a frame that is maybe a little too big for me :D
Well said!
Absolutely, it will bring new life to an older bike too.
Almost feels like it opens up a whole new world haha!