GROUPTEST DROPPER SEATPOSTS
Dropper seatposts feel like they’ve been around forever, but it’s only in the past decade or so that they’ve become widespread and mountain bikers haven’t had to stop, get off and twiddle an Allen key or quick-release lever to descend fast without the saddle getting in their way and seriously cramping their style.
The latest posts are even more useful than the primitive ‘up or down’ early models, now incorporating multiple or even ‘infinite’ drop positions and a light-action remote lever on the handlebar so you can maintain the optimum saddle position for all the different types of terrain you’re passing over. Add to that a huge range of travel lengths and much-improved ergonomics and reliability, and it’s now pretty horrible going back to a bike without a dropper.
The only real reason to do so is to save weight on a cross-country bike or cash on a budget build, and, with the introduction of short-travel carbon fibre posts, even the most gram-obsessed Olympic XC champs are now opting to suck up a bit of extra weight in return for the ride-changing quality and race advantage of extra saddle clearance.
Being such a popular upgrade, tons of brands have entered the seatpost market with different designs and solutions, after a slice of our consumer cash. The nine droppers here represent the latest designs
