![\"ccs-62657-0-61553400-1496299536.jpg\"](\"https:\/\/wp-media.bikehub.co.za\/production\/uploads\/2023\/02\/ccs-62657-0-61553400-1496299536.jpg\")
<\/a>Yolanda Neff has embraced the dropper seatpost this season.<\/span><\/p>\nAnd therein the irony of that most indispensable mountain bike component upgrade: the dropper seatpost. Considered indispensable for trail riding and the pathway to true singletrack enlightenment, it\u2019s never featured much in UCI mountain bike racing, at all. Downhill bikes don\u2019t have them, and neither have XCO bikes. Well, until now.<\/p>\n
When there is a need, racing improves the breed<\/h2>\n
It\u2019s a curious detail, that the popularity of droppers during the 2010s has evolved with no foundation in UCI mountain bike racing \u2013 unlike almost all other component trends visited upon consumers in the quest to be faster. Video edits of riders in baggies and the rebel EWS series have been the marketing momentum for dropper posts, instead of \u2018officially\u2019 sanctioned UCI racing.<\/p>\n
<\/a>Even more experienced campaigners like Florian Vogel are looking to droppers posts to improve their performances.<\/span>\n<\/div>\nThe dropper might be an enabler of greater safety, fluidity and speed when descending technical terrain, but the absence of it in the pit area at UCI World Cup and Championship racing has been entirely understandable. DH courses require no climbing, hence competitors\u2019 seatposts are fixed in a slammed-down position by default and for XCO riders, who\u2019ll lace riding shoes with fishing line to save weight, the idea of running seatposts with twice the collective gram count is unconscionable.<\/p>\n
Ironically, the kingmaking descending discipline \u2013 DH \u2013 could never further the dropper post project, and the discipline which makes things lighter \u2013 XCO \u2013 wants very little to do with evolving the product. Conundrum? Just a bit.<\/p>\n
The trend of more technically demanding UCI XCO courses have slowly seen gram obsessed XCO racers sacrifice some weight for the safety margin of a dropper. Although that most gifted technical rider and indisputable on-bike phenomenon, Nino Schurter, doesn\u2019t have the dropper lever on his handlebar yet, a few competitors now do. And that\u2019s particularly good news for all mortal mountain bikers.<\/p>\n
Dropper posts on trail and Enduro bikes have enabled riders to narrow the discrepancy between skill and inherent bike capability. In principle, XCO racers would benefit greatly from the freedom of movement and superior balance when negotiating technical terrain, unimpeded by the barrier of a pedal-efficiency raised seat in the way. The crucial difference, is that XCO racers also demand the lightest possible everything, and whilst the trail and Enduro markets have tolerated what\u2019s available, more interested in how many millimetres of drop is on offer than weight, having demand for both could deliver a very tidy median solution to market.<\/p>\n
Canadian brand 9Point8 are the current dropper-post design and manufacturing specialists, and the longest one they make is a 200mm stroke Fall-Line, whilst the lightest is a 75mm \u2018R-line\u2019 version of their Fall-Line, at 335g in \u2018cut\u2019 trim. Add a cable and remote you\u2019re all-in for 385g. Amazingly, that\u2019s an all-alloy construction dropper; and there remains a margin for even greater mass reduction with carbon bits.<\/p>\n