Mountain Biking - How is it that some people can...

...ride with their seat really really low? Wouldnt that just kill your quads going uphill? Mine has to be even with the top of my stem.

Stand up. You can't do xc with the seat that low but if you do urban or dh or anything technical having the seat low helps :)

sometimes its nice to have a lower center of gravity, but you really need the seat up for XC.

it is nice though to have a lower center of gravity at times though

Anyone ever used the Hite-Rite? Actually, do they still even make them? I remember many people swearing by them during the early to mid 1990s.

whats that?

The Hite-Rite was basically a spring attached to a collar that clamped onto the seatpost. The other end was fitted to the binder bolt. The idea was that you could preset the top-out height of the post for a saddle-high position and then when you needed to drop the saddle prior to a technical section, you simply opened the quick release, used your weight to depress the saddle height and closed the quick-release. Then when you wanted the saddle back up to its original position, all you had to do was open the quick release and the seatpost would be sprung back up. I never used one but I knew plenty of people who did and liked it.

they still make um?

Originally posted by JasBike
they still make um?

Good question. My guess is they don't anymore since I haven't seen any ads for them or seen them stocked in any bikeshops recently. They used to sell for around $15 - $20.

The other nice thing about the Hite-Rite was that it kept your saddle pointed straight as you raised and lowered it so you didn't have to spend time (if you're like me and anal about that sort of thing) trying to realign your saddle.

for 15 or 20$ I don't imagine they were strong enough to justify. The whole point to lowering the seat was for technical sections, dh or drops. It just doesn't sound strong enough :D

I have one in a box somewhere. I can't use it as the seatpost clamp isn't attached to the frame and when you release it to put the seat back up it pulls the clamp off the frame.

Mael: It wasn't suspension, the spring was just to push the seat back up to normal (XC) riding height.

I had one of these things on a 1989 Rockhopper. I worked pretty good because you could lower the seat on the fly as you approached a chute, and then pop it back up on the fly later. I took this old bike in for repairs a while back, and the lbs didn't even know what it was or how it worked. They guy looked at me like I was a nut.

Are the current suspension seatposts worth the $$$?

I don't think so. I had a telescoping type on my last XC hardtail and hated it.

However, some people love them. Go figure! To each his own.

L8R

Originally posted by Maelstrom
for 15 or 20$ I don't imagine they were strong enough to justify. The whole point to lowering the seat was for technical sections, dh or drops. It just doesn't sound strong enough :D

It's not load bearing normally. It's just a positioning device. The QR binder is used to do the final clamping. I found an old article (1996) about it... states thyat it's no longer being made.

http://www.bikepro.com/arch_products/seatposts/ahiter.html

Originally posted by troie
Are the current suspension seatposts worth the $$$?

I test-rode a bike with one about 10 years ago and didn't like it very much. Not only did it feel weird but the post had a bit of play in it and it was new so it would wiggle from side-to-side. I'll stick to a rigid post and real full suspension or if I'm looking for some butt-bounce, get myself a Brooks sprung saddle instead.

Originally posted by skdsl
I have one in a box somewhere. I can't use it as the seatpost clamp isn't attached to the frame and when you release it to put the seat back up it pulls the clamp off the frame.

Mael: It wasn't suspension, the spring was just to push the seat back up to normal (XC) riding height.

Yep I know. I still don't think it sounds strong enough :)

Originally posted by khuon
It's not load bearing normally. It's just a positioning device. The QR binder is used to do the final clamping. I found an old article (1996) about it... states thyat it's no longer being made.

http://www.bikepro.com/arch_products/seatposts/ahiter.html

I realize it isn't suppost to be but usually when I drop my seat it is because I am doing a drop or something else that requires room. I tend to land my stomach on my seat often or at the very least my butt (especially if I mess up). But it doesn't sound like it would qualify for a good post for that type of usage.

Originally posted by Maelstrom
I realize it isn't suppost to be but usually when I drop my seat it is because I am doing a drop or something else that requires room. I tend to land my stomach on my seat often or at the very least my butt (especially if I mess up). But it doesn't sound like it would qualify for a good post for that type of usage.

I think you misunderstand. The thing doesn't hold anything up at all... it simply is a return spring. The binder still does the job of holding your post in place. If your seatpost and binder combination with a Hite-Rite won't support your weight then it's not the fault of the Hite-rite but the fault of the binder clamp.

Ok I misunderstand. I still do. I can't visualize what you are talking about. I am envisioning some kind of return to position telescopic seatpost. I assume I am wrong :D

http://www.wrower.pl/rozne/katowice99/sprezyna.jpg

That thing is freakin uglee!

i want one