Dropper posts have made riding bikes easier and safer and are among the best off road bike inventions in the last decade. Today, we will be looking at the basics of a dropper post and the benefits of purchasing one. 

The Basics

There are a couple of different kinds of dropper posts, some being electronic or wireless, and some working through cable actuation. The way the dropper works through cable is simple. A cable connects the dropper post to a lever, usually situated on the handlebar. You can move the dropper post up and down by pressing this lever. Using the lever while riding, your body weight will press the seat down, and while standing, pushing the lever will raise the dropper post into the riding position that it’s pre-set to. 

Are There Benefits?

The dropper post allows you to drop your saddle height down without even getting off your bike! The advantage of this is that when going downhills, particularly on an offroad bike (be it a mountain bike or a gravel bike) you can get your centre of gravity further back and lower, which makes descending and cornering on descents safer. The correct saddle position is imperative while riding, so you don’t have to worry about flying over the handlebars and crashing.