Thomson Elite Dropper Seatpost

[monkeybanana86]

Just saw this shopping for seatpost clamps (available April 2013)
http://bikethomson.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/dropperpost.jpg

[Louis]

Not being an MTB guy (which is what I suspect this is for) I'm not sure what I'm looking at. Is it something that allows you to change the height of your saddle on the fly?

(Either that or a newfangled toilet tank flush valve...)

[vqdriver]

Yep.

I'd be very curious to see how this Thomson does. Seems like mixed reviews for most of the droppers out there.

[DRietz]

Louis, that is precisely the purpose.

Favored among the all mountain crowd, hydraulic seatposts allow one to jam the post down for technical descents and then have them pop right back up for whatever awaits you at the bottom.

The Thomson Elite Dropper has been in the works for some years now, and having fondled it myself, I can say that they've done a great job. If that was my riding style, I'd be all over it, but the weight weenie cross country geek in me won't let that happen.

[merlinmurph]

Or, you can find an old Hite-Rite like I had in the late 80's ;-)

[keevon]

It's odd to see a Thomson seatpost without the CNC striations. Why can't they finish all their posts like that?

Also, I'm waiting for the bent/setback dropper post ;)

[MattTuck]

Not being an MTB guy (which is what I suspect this is for) I'm not sure what I'm looking at. Is it something that allows you to change the height of your saddle on the fly?

(Either that or a newfangled toilet tank flush valve...)

This sounds like a horrible idea... right up there with adjusting your handlebars on the fly. Was 3 turns of an allen bolt really that much of a hardship?

I guess if you're a pro racer and every second counts, you could justify it...

[pdmtong]

Or, you can find an old Hite-Rite like I had in the late 80's ;-)

yea, i had one too. it was 1988 and it acutally worked pretty good.

hard to imagine toe clips and lw hiking boots (steel shank arch), u-brake, 6 speed. that fisher cost me $700 - a huge sum back then

[rice rocket]

It's odd to see a Thomson seatpost without the CNC striations. Why can't they finish all their posts like that?

Also, I'm waiting for the bent/setback dropper post ;)

There's still some on the head. :)

One of the biggest complaints is the line is attached to the top of the post, so when you drop it, it moves and rubs your frame on the way down. Inverting the damper would've solved that, I'm not sure what their reasoning is for not though.

[ofcounsel]

This sounds like a horrible idea... right up there with adjusting your handlebars on the fly. Was 3 turns of an allen bolt really that much of a hardship?

I guess if you're a pro racer and every second counts, you could justify it...

Actually, it's a great idea. I don't use it on my XC mountain bike, but my all-mountain bike has a Specialized Command Post.

You can see it here:

http://i150.photobucket.com/albums/s81/ofcounsel/photo8-2.jpg

The control lever is on my bar, on the left hand side:
http://i150.photobucket.com/albums/s81/ofcounsel/photo7-3.jpg

For steep technical decents, you really want to have the seat lowered for better control. If you are in flowy, up-down kind of desents... it's a pain get on and off the bike. Sometimes, you can't get on and off, so if you're in "drop" mode, then you hit an uphill, you're stuck trying to climb with the saddle too low... Or the decent will sneak up on you and you didn't have the chance to otherwise get off to drop the post. That's when a dropper post is worth its weight in gold.

Overall, the set up ends up weighing about 3/4 pound more than a traditional seatpost, but for certain kinds of riding, it's invaluable. Probably the best thing since full suspension or disc brakes for All Mountain MTB riding.

[pdmtong]

This sounds like a horrible idea... right up there with adjusting your handlebars on the fly. Was 3 turns of an allen bolt really that much of a hardship?

I guess if you're a pro racer and every second counts, you could justify it...

It is less a matter of every second counts as it is having the instantaneous ability to adapt to the terrain at hand. if all you did was cllimb UP to the top, pause and refresh, and then point down, yea a allen wrench would be fine. but most techncial trails where such a post is useful are flowing,,,,with multple sections and constant up/down. the posts are now actuated by levers on the bar, and so when you comeup to a steep downhill, flick the lever sit down, you center of gravity moves rearward...life is great....now at the bottom, or on the flat or about to climb, push the lever, unwieght the saddle, and now your leg extension is again optimal. no loss of momentum as you go back uphill - very smooth transition.

notice most bikes shipping with these are 5-6" travel....you dont need one on a 4"XC bike....but some of that 5"-6" stuff....makes for a much more controlled descent

[rice rocket]

I want one for my XC bike.

[pdmtong]

Actually, it's a great idea. I don't use it on my XC mountain bike, but my all mountain bike has a Specialized Command Post.

Overall, the set up ends up weighing about 3/4 pound more than a traditional seatpost, but for certain kinds of riding, it's invaluable. Probably the best thing since full suspension or disc brakes for All Mountain MTB riding.

thats the cleanest all mtn mtb I have ever seen. :)

I'd have to agree, behind suspension and discs, this is one component with a direct impact on ride enjoyment

[ofcounsel]

thats the cleanest all mtn mtb I have ever seen. :)

I'd have to agree, behind suspension and discs, this is one component with a direct impact on ride enjoyment

Thanks! It's a relatively fresh build, and I clean it up after each ride. But if were to look closely, you'ed see the bang ups and scars on the wheels. The gaudy graphics do a good job at hiding the marks though.

[jchasse]

Only problem with the Thomson is that many newer bikes are built for internal dropper post cable routing, which the Thomson doesn't allow. The actuator cable has to be attached at the bottom of the post for internal routing, but the Thomson cable is attached externally, at the seatpost head.

That's why I'm going with the KS LEV Integra post on my new build.

Attaching at the head also means when you actually drop the seat, you've got a loop of slack cable hanging there, which can actually drag on the rear wheel on some bikes.