Tip - Lowering The Seat When Off-Road

[BOR]

Everyone knows about lowering the seat for technical descents right ? Well I've started dropping the seat when riding twisty sections through the forrest. This really seems to make the bike a lot more enjoyable to ride - more flickable, easier to get your weight down low, or move your weight over the front or rear wheel, go over jumps, roots etc. Just. Better.

Pedalling efficiency isn't too good, obviously, but for those short sections of gnarl, then a lot more fun.

Cost: zero, so worth a try even if you ultimately don't like it.

[Rico]

Yep! Lovely big of singletrack at the end of my XC loop in Woburn Sands (showed Greg and Neil it so they can vouch!) and always stop for 2secs to lower the saddle. Turns an XC bike into a hardtail DH bike. Lovely stuff

[DarrellHR]

Rico said:

Yep! Lovely big of singletrack at the end of my XC loop in Woburn Sands (showed Greg and Neil it so they can vouch!) and always stop for 2secs to lower the saddle. Turns an XC bike into a hardtail DH bike. Lovely stuff

the rollercoaster? lovely bit of trail is that.


and back on topic, lowering the saddle is lovely, but if your getting into xc racing then your gonna find it harder in the races, IMO anyway.

[gbbird]

Rico said:

Yep! Lovely big of singletrack at the end of my XC loop in Woburn Sands (showed Greg and Neil it so they can vouch!) and always stop for 2secs to lower the saddle. Turns an XC bike into a hardtail DH bike. Lovely stuff

yup I can and I will vouch for that Andy. excellent fun - have been sneaking up there most w/ends since. when you going up next?

on the topic of seats, I like mine to be a little low. but then I am quite short so don't need it too high anyway. a lower seat certainly gives you more freedom to move about.

g

[Rico]

DarrellHR said:

Rico said:

Yep! Lovely big of singletrack at the end of my XC loop in Woburn Sands (showed Greg and Neil it so they can vouch!) and always stop for 2secs to lower the saddle. Turns an XC bike into a hardtail DH bike. Lovely stuff

the rollercoaster? lovely bit of trail is that.

Erm, don't know the name! It's the one that you go past the church, singletrack alongside golf course, then turn right into the trail. Comes out at a side entrance to the main road climb out of Bow Brickhill. Hope that makes sense.

Greg - don't know mate Very busy with work during the week and most weekends are chocka. Will see you at Phil's wedding if not before I assume?

[DarrellHR]

Rico said:

DarrellHR said:

Rico said:

Yep! Lovely big of singletrack at the end of my XC loop in Woburn Sands (showed Greg and Neil it so they can vouch!) and always stop for 2secs to lower the saddle. Turns an XC bike into a hardtail DH bike. Lovely stuff

the rollercoaster? lovely bit of trail is that.

Erm, don't know the name! It's the one that you go past the church, singletrack alongside golf course, then turn right into the trail. Comes out at a side entrance to the main road climb out of Bow Brickhill. Hope that makes sense.

yeeep, thats the one, it was called the rollercoaster when it was first madee, thats a lovely trail always the perfect ending for me.

[gbbird]

Rico said:

DarrellHR said:

Rico said:

Yep! Lovely big of singletrack at the end of my XC loop in Woburn Sands (showed Greg and Neil it so they can vouch!) and always stop for 2secs to lower the saddle. Turns an XC bike into a hardtail DH bike. Lovely stuff

the rollercoaster? lovely bit of trail is that.

Erm, don't know the name! It's the one that you go past the church, singletrack alongside golf course, then turn right into the trail. Comes out at a side entrance to the main road climb out of Bow Brickhill. Hope that makes sense.

Greg - don't know mate Very busy with work during the week and most weekends are chocka. Will see you at Phil's wedding if not before I assume?

May even see you at Phill's BBQ next week Weather permitting

[Chris71]

A friend of mine used to live in that sort of area and rates The Rollercoaster very highly. Lucky gits.

Back on topic - I always used to drop the seat right down when doing downhill stretches. These days the terrain I ride (after moving house!) is much flatter so I usually keep it in an 'XC' position.

One of those devices that raises and lowers your seatpost on demand would be perfect for me though. I can't stand climbing with the seat too low.

[anniesdad]

BOR said:

Everyone knows about lowering the seat for technical descents right ? Well I've started dropping the seat when riding twisty sections through the forrest. This really seems to make the bike a lot more enjoyable to ride - more flickable, easier to get your weight down low, or move your weight over the front or rear wheel, go over jumps, roots etc. Just. Better.

Pedalling efficiency isn't too good, obviously, but for those short sections of gnarl, then a lot more fun.

Cost: zero, so worth a try even if you ultimately don't like it.

Absolutely!

My mate finds this works quite well.


Yes - he IS minted!

[dhutch]

I basicaly turn all that on its head, and only raise the seat for the longer climbs!

Only ish is that raising and lowering my seat three times a ride, twice a week, for 14 months means that theres been a bit of material loss on the whole thing!
- I used to be able to raise/lower it with ease while riding, but its that loose now it just falls stright down if left, and can be slighly hard work to get locked down firm.

Do you have a link to that trick sadal tube? Im skint, but it looks like the job!



Daniel

[R.P.M]

the one above is the crank bros joplin (formally maverick speedball) and I think is £130 with a remote option for a further 30-40. I hear great things except some say it's hard to stop the seat rail clamps from slipping.

The other one to check out is the gravity dropper, as used by 'No way' Hans Ray, I have been in close contact with this product and whilst it's cheaper than the crank bros it does seem quite unreliable in it's operation.

Be warned these products are not for weight weenies as they heavy.

HTH

Rpm

(soon to be speedball owner)

[anniesdad]

It's a Crank Brothers Joplin - retails about £165.00. My mate paid £150.00.

My LBS - Evans Cycles are selling them at £164.99.

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?Mod...

[308mate]

I dont know about this. If you want to properly crack-on through a twisty section, youll need to be hammering the pedals. So you'll need the seat up. Plus, I cant get my head round the idea of actually stopping to change the seat height, then stopping to put it back.

I just leave it as is for everything. Having said that, Im old skool XC stylee with bar ends and everything. Plus, having bought my SPD shoes and being all pleased with my re-aquaintance with riding clipless, I tried a bunnyhop (cheating I know). So effective was it that the seat came straight up and gave my undercarriage a proper whack. Lesson learnt.

Old dog and all that.

[dhutch]

308mate said:

I dont know about this. If you want to properly crack-on through a twisty section, youll need to be hammering the pedals. So you'll need the seat up. Plus, I cant get my head round the idea of actually stopping to change the seat height, then stopping to put it back.

To be fair, if you ride somewhere properly twisty, you do need the saddle down.
- Yes if you giving it rice you going to be pedaling too, but with the seat down, otherwise you just wouldnt be able to stay on let alone pedal.


Daniel

[308mate]

dhutch said:

308mate said:

I dont know about this. If you want to properly crack-on through a twisty section, youll need to be hammering the pedals. So you'll need the seat up. Plus, I cant get my head round the idea of actually stopping to change the seat height, then stopping to put it back.

To be fair, if you ride somewhere properly twisty, you do need the saddle down.
- Yes if you giving it rice you going to be pedaling too, but with the seat down, otherwise you just wouldnt be able to stay on let alone pedal.


Daniel

You cant pedal any sense with the seat down. Am I missing something here? Even on single track, seat up, bum dowen and pedal like fook - move the bike if you need to for tight stuff.

I dont gettit.

[dhutch]

308mate said:

dhutch said:

308mate said:

I dont know about this. If you want to properly crack-on through a twisty section, youll need to be hammering the pedals. So you'll need the seat up. Plus, I cant get my head round the idea of actually stopping to change the seat height, then stopping to put it back.

To be fair, if you ride somewhere properly twisty, you do need the saddle down.
- Yes if you giving it rice you going to be pedaling too, but with the seat down, otherwise you just wouldnt be able to stay on let alone pedal.


Daniel

You cant pedal any sense with the seat down. Am I missing something here? Even on single track, seat up, bum dowen and pedal like fook - move the bike if you need to for tight stuff.

I dont gettit.

You can pedal fine with the seat down, stand on the pedals and go for it.

[rhinochopig]

R.P.M said:

the one above is the crank bros joplin (formally maverick speedball) and I think is £130 with a remote option for a further 30-40. I hear great things except some say it's hard to stop the seat rail clamps from slipping.

The other one to check out is the gravity dropper, as used by 'No way' Hans Ray, I have been in close contact with this product and whilst it's cheaper than the crank bros it does seem quite unreliable in it's operation.

Be warned these products are not for weight weenies as they heavy.

HTH

Rpm

(soon to be speedball owner)

I have a gravity dropper and it's been fine. Occasionally sticks, but I just take the post out and clean and grease it. 'Tis heavy though, but then it's on a 6inch travel bike. What put me off maverick was:

a) I have some of their forks which IMHO are garbage. Very, very unreliable - although very light.
b) Air spring seals being battered by stones and crap is not a recipe for longevity.

Have no experience of it though so am more than happy to be proven wrong.