Gravity Dropper

[Sutek]

Before you all flame me with 'search for this you Fark-head' I did try to search because I seem to recall a thread about this and wanted to add it in.

Has anyone seen this interesting little device? I read about it in an overseas rag and then checked the site. Yes, I read other mags other than my own! :wink:

http://www.gravitydropper.com/GravityDropper.html

Admin, if you can find the previous thread, please move this in as a reply.

Cheers

S U T E K

[spuddy]

looks interesting, although i never was much one to stuff about with the seatpost height on-the-fly.

i recall something along the lines of a elroy(?) seatpost, maybe, it did a similar thing except with a parallellogram linkage thingo. that was ages ago thought.

[Daver]

who remember the hite-rite system? I wish they still made them, it worked perfectly

[S.]

Don't they work on the same premise as a computer chair? Just a compressed gas cylinder that can extend when you press the lever...

[Mason]

Thats honestly one of the most assenining idea's i'v ever seen in my entore life.

[kalem]

ahh, i'll put that in the 'kooky' column and be done with it.

[milne]

sounds kool it i had the money and it was cheaper I'd try it out

[Mahoney_007]

$250 bucks hola shit, I'm sure with an old derailier cable and a couple of well placed springs you could probably rig it up yourself.

I'd get use outta something like that as I only own one bike and it does it all, so on those long climbs out on the trails having a seat that could adjust without actually stopping the bike would rock.
I adjusted my seat one day going up a hill, put it basically where it should be for XC type riding (man the Stuff has a huge arse seat stem) and when I got to the top I saw a little rock to jump, I hit it without thinking about my seat and guess where the seat ended up? Thats right directly in my balls.

[Sasquatch]

and look at the first testimonial!!

-"Hey there, Yes I have had a run with the seat pole...... I am truly amazed how easy it all works. At first I thought the difference in height would not be enough but it surely does the job... You are going to make a lot of people happy with this seat pole, makes riding that much more fun especially on a cross country / free-ride bike. Thanks again for sending it over, I am stoked that I have one. Cheers", Wade Bootes, (Pro) Australia

[maxwolfie]

Grave dig!

Anyone here have a Gravity Dropper or similar? I know there's quite a few brands out there, and pricing ranging from $30 - $300+

Here's a cheaper one (http://www.pricepoint.com/detail/16675-275_SETSD7-3-Parts-68-Seatposts/Clamps/Sette-Ryde-ST-850-Suspension-Dropper-Seatpost.htm)

[John U]

I have some. MTB Precision are distributing them in Australia. PM me for full details.

[bryce_music]

this thing looks really cool!
but i cant see any time when it would be usefull.

[Five<3of<3Hearts]

I have used one before and they are rad. Ride up on the seat and descend like sam hill with the post down.

[Norco_VPS]

its the same as the crank brothers joplin seatpost is it not?

[cj.]

seems like a bit of a waste of time to me, cyclists have managed to ride their bikes at a constant seat height for years without changing it mid run. Dont get me wrong, its a great idea but its not going to impact your riding so much that you can decend like sam hill.:rolleyes:

[peanut]

I have a remote gravity dropper on my bike. Absolutely fantastic.

You don't really realize how useful it is until you ride with one for a while then you ride with a standard seatpost. The difference is night and day.

It makes decending heaps more fun and comfortable as it moves the seat out of the way to a more downhill friendly position.
It has also made me a faster/more confident decender, due mainly to not having to worrry about being pogo'ed OTB by my seat when it gets rough and steep.

I bought mine off here 2nd hand, but I would by a new one ($300USD ish) if anything happens to the one i already have.

The gravity dropper works with magnets and a pin arrangement. The shaft moves via a spring in the center of the tube. very simple. internal spares are quick to get shipped and cheap.
The joplin(crank bros-maverik) is a hydraulic unit.

[jacko69]

I've got the Maverick Speedball-R (now made as the CB Joplin R) seat post which is very similar to the Gravity Dropper, but perhaps a tidier looking unit.

For trail/all-mountain riding I think it's fantastic. Being able to drop the seat via a handle-bar mounted lever on the fly for decents, then quickly flick it back for a climb is awesome. The only downsides are price and a bit of extra weight.

Having said that, I did have the standard Speedball for a while (before converting to the remote version) which has the lever under the saddle - it's no where near as useful as the remote version, as you can't just change height on rough terrain when you get to a pinch-climb or steep decent that you didn't expect. The basic version requires you to be stopped, or riding on a track that only requires 1 hand for the bike, and the other hand to reach under the seat for the lever.

[Reubs]

I've set up both of them on bikes. I like the joplin, dont care so much for the gravity dropper, its cable routing is crappy. Decline Magazine actually put a standard v brake bend on one and it looked much neater as it was less likely to get snagged. The joplin is lighter i believe but could be wrong. both guys running them are xc racers as well as riding a fair bit of dh so dont like stupid high seatpost heights. the G.dropper has developed a small amount of wobble, will have to wait and see how the crank bros travels...

[Mammy]

Yup, I've got the Gravity Dropper Turbo and it took forever to install due to the rigid cabling.
Had to thread thru the Nicolai headtube gussets which means you have to disassemble the lever and thread the cable thru a pin-hole. blah blah blah.
Never want to go thru that headache again.

But it's still an awesome investment. If you have massive nuts that get in the way, like myself, the extra clearance really helps in keeping the momentum going without slowing down.

[Lorday]

crank brother has one, it the only on that look normal, and is also able to withstand the harshness of MTBing:eek:, it comes with quite a hefty price tag.:(

[Nathan_]

Regarding the Joplin,

Can someone please post up a pic of what the remote looks like?
- is it cable driven to the seat post?

Is $275 expensive, or anyone know where to get a better price?

Cheers :)

[placebo]

Yeah, it's a full run of cable and housing to the lug on the back of the post, then the cable loops over the top of the post head to the short actuating lever. The bar lever can be used in any direction, as any off axis movement pulls cable, so it's very easy to use. There's a clamp that attaches to your bar, the cable end passes through the lever, which is held in place by the tension of the cable. The price you listed is less than CRC listed for Joplins or Speedballs, so it seems a good price.

Maverick pic:
http://www.maverickbike.com/main/do/products/productID/44

Joplin:
http://www.crankbrothers.com/seatposts_joplinr.php

[Nathan_]

good ol ebay..

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=350073801020&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT&ih=022

im now considering just the manual version, as i can only see the remote getting stuck in some tree :p

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/NEW-Crank-Brothers-Joplin-Seatpost-30-9mm-Height-Adjust_W0QQitemZ250261897125QQihZ015QQcategoryZ106 951QQrdZ1QQssPageNameZWD2VQQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZ p1638Q2em122

Its only roughly $35 cheaper, but will be more practical :)

[HeezaGeeza]

good ol ebay..

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=350073801020&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT&ih=022

im now considering just the manual version, as i can only see the remote getting stuck in some tree :p

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/NEW-Crank-Brothers-Joplin-Seatpost-30-9mm-Height-Adjust_W0QQitemZ250261897125QQihZ015QQcategoryZ106 951QQrdZ1QQssPageNameZWD2VQQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZ p1638Q2em122

Its only roughly $35 cheaper, but will be more practical :)Have to say guys I've tried both Joplins (expensive ordering error) and the Gravity Dropper. The old Speedball had issues so I only hope the Joplin holds up better, but based on experience to date, the Joplin with remote is the way to go as long as it fits your frame.

The remote is great because you can push / pull it from any angle and it's pretty well made, better than GD I think. The problem with the lever one is that it's hard to reach under your saddle and drop the seat when moving along. If you have to stop, well you may as well just use a QR clamp!

As for quality, I broke 2 Gravity Droppers over a few years, as the shaft is very thin. Customer service was always excellent and repaired free out of warranty, but even so it was a pain. The Joplin feels more solid.

Another thing is that the Joplin will raise without you having to sit on it all, whereas with the GD you have to weight it first. Whilst the GD is 4" and the Joplin is 3", the Joplin can be used at any height whereas there are only 2 settings with the GD.

So for me, it's the Crank Brothers all the way.

[Mammy]

I'd also go for the on-the-fly remote. Defeats the purpose if you only settle for a manual version.
I'm actually having nagging problems having to readjust the lock-up tension on my Gravity Dropper. Went for a ride couple of nights ago only to have the seat drop down without notice. My nuts got a shock.

[BUSHPIG]

I read about it in an overseas rag and then checked the site.

I hope you had gloves on:D