- Here I've got 2 bikes that both could be described
as cross country marathon bikes.
One has dropper seat post, the other doesn't it has a
normal seat post.
I'm going to test them back to back to see if you really
do need a dropper seat post in cross country.
(techno music)
So whilst both bikes are slightly different, I'm going to
compare the two anyway.
This is my Canyon Lux CF it's 100 mil
travel front and rear,
carbon fibre frame,
its got the fixed seat post,
29 inch wheels.
This is my Scott Spark 700,
27.5 inch wheels,
slightly more travel it's 120 mil,
and I have the advantage of the dropper seat post.
So on this bike I'm going to be able to go up and down,
just to see how much of a difference it really makes.
Against the clock but also on feel,
I'm going to ride the same short course
cross country both times.
So we have seen some dropper seat posts on the
Cross Country World Cup but not many
Julian Absalon has one,
and more recently Blake Corson, Jenny Rissveds
and she had one on a bike.
The main advantages are just being able to drop that saddle
out of the way so that in technical sections or steep
downhills you can really move around on the bike a little
bit more.
The biggest disadvantage has always been weight.
So the carbon seat post on my Lux
weighs 191 grammes.
Where as the highlight dropper post weighs 560.
You can get a lighter weight cross country seat post but
they have much less movement
travel in them.
My highline has 125 mil on that bike but you can get
them up to 160.
The XC lightweight post only come in about 65 millilitres.
So you are giving up about two or three hundred grammes
for a dropper seat post over the carbon seat post.
The other consideration is where to fit your dropper remote.
Personally I find that under the bar of the left hand side
is the best place for it.
It makes it really usable so I can get the best advantages
of having it on there.
Having said that,
that works really well with 1 by system
like this bike and we've seen people like Nino Schurter
win the Cape Epic on a 1 by 12 gear system.
On the Lux I've got a 2 by,
so it wouldn't be quite so easy to fit.
I'd probably have to have the remote lever
up on the right hand side.
So it wouldn't be quite as usable on that bike probably.
So first I'm going to take the Canyon for a spin.
This is the bike that I do actually ride quite a lot.
Tends to be more epic rides
aren't the most gnarly technical
terrain but I absolutely love it.
I've not really felt any disadvantage
not having a dropper post on this bike as of yet.
However today's track is shorter,
it's more technical,
So I'll take it for a spin,
put a time in,
and then I'll try the Scott.
Here we go.
(techno music)
So that was the Scott bike with the dropper seat post,
obviously feels the same on the climbs,
seat's in the right position.
On the downhills,
yes definitely on the steep stuff it feels good
to be able to get behind the saddle but
two of the biggest things for me is braking and cornering
so I just feel like I just got so much faster
with my seat up either way I can get behind the bike
and really anchor up and therefore I feel much more
confident about charging down
downhill straights a bit quicker.
Also the cornering I feel like I can
move around on the bike,
be much more aggressive.
But that's how it feels.
But what about the times?
Well the fixed seat post came in at 6 minutes 22.
And the drop seat post 6 minutes 5.
So it was faster,
I'm definitely taking those results with a pinch of salt
because the bikes are different.
However,
to me the feeling is translating into the times.
For the dropper seat post I definitely feel quicker,
feels like I'm much less likely to crash as well.
Just being able to get around on the bike
that little bit more.
Will we see them in cross country racing more,
well I think it definitely depends on the courses.
The longer and the more technical the descents are,
the more likely we'll see it.
And I think as soon as someone like Nino Schurter starts
running one then I think everyone will.
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And click down there for a video where Nino Schurter
races Mark Beaumont.
Cross country versus downhill on a cross country track.
Head over there for how to use a dropper seat post.
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