I'm 6'0. I've been riding a specialized Hardrock in large. When I'm going through switchbacks, my knees nearly interfere with steering and I couldn't get the saddle back far enough. Found a used 2017 Trek X Caliber in XL and rode it on the trail once.

When I compared the geometry of the X Caliber in XL to other modern geo bikes like Mondraker Prime and Santa Cruz Chameleon in Large, the reach and length were very comparable (I replaced 100mm stem with 30mm). The only real difference was standover height. It feels much better to ride. I'm extended across the bike instead of all my weight on the seat, and when practicing going down stairs on my deck, it's much easier.

The problem I ran into is that on the Hardrock I can easily get behind the seat. So going over a dropoff, I pop back, then move forward as the rear wheel leaves the edge. I tried this on the x cal and couldn't really get behind the seat, then got hung up moving forward. Ended up landing the bike with my groin area smashing into the back of the seat.


So my question is, for anyone using an newer bike with LLS geometry, do you feel you need a dropper post? If you don't have one, how do you go over drop-offs? Do you have trouble getting behind your saddle?

Here's a link to the geo specs for the Trek:
https://www.trekbikes.com/gb/en_GB/b...ber-9/p/16943/