Dropper posts.
 

Anybody using one to make mounts and dismounts easier?

Back when I rode MTBs they worked fine and as soon as scouching the bike away from me to get my leg over the seat I will use one despite not wanting
to put a lever somewhere on my bars.

You can get them with the lever right on the post positioned under the nose of the saddle, no cable or bar mounted lever. Probably not the ideal setup for serious MTB-ing but perfect for my intended use. I'm going to try one on the hybrid I'm building

Looking forward to the post.

Not specifically for that purpose, but I do find the dropper quite convenient on my mtb when stopping and dismounting. So I expect you will find it useful.

Murray, I have the manual, under-seat actuated type - Tranz X Jump Seat. I added it to my gravel bike and It works as described. it is a weight gain for sure. But I have short legs 30in. for my 5'9" height, but long arms so needed a 55cm frame. That is for context. My goal was to have a lower seat for the tricky steep decent on trails I ended up on. Even though I only use about 1 inch of drop, it is worth it to me. Also, I use the bike as a road bike too so I just swap out to a carbon post and different seat. Additionally, I use both a cabled and wireless AXS dropper on mt bikes, and I am a huge fan of them! It should help you for dismounting, as long as you gain enough drop. the stack height is a bit more than other droppers. Depends on your frame size. But seems you will really only be using it for dismounting, so not that much of an issue.

If I'm on uneven ground or a steep grade I lower the saddle at least a couple inches to help me get on and get started. My mtb is pretty tall. I also lower the saddle on descents, even paved ones.
The lever I have is very small and doesn't bother me at all. The lighter posts are only 200 grams heavier than a standard mtb seatpost.

Was doing a fast technical descent on my road bike (lots of curves - 14-16%) and sure wished I had one to lower my center of gravity.

I do have one on my mountain bike, and love it - but for the purpose stated above - but would certainly work for dismounts. I would say, go for it.

A good article on it: https://granfondo-cycling.com/droppe...on-road-bikes/

Two.

One of them is a normal XC dropper, but it does help with getting on and off.

The other one, a PNW suspension dropper (which is really good BTW) I almost exclusively use for getting off and on my DIY drop-bar E-mountain bike.

Matej Mohorič used a dropper post on the descent of the Poggio to win Milan San Remo a couple of years ago. A great win.

OP, in May, I met an older woman who had switched from a 700c touring bike to a Bike Friday with 20" wheels because the loaded 700c bike was becoming too challenging to mount and dismount.

When I ride long Alpine descents on my road bike I think about this. I have relatively long legs so my saddle height is far from optimum on steep descents. Dropping the seat a couple of inches for a 10+ km descent would be really nice.

If you don't need a dropper post for its intended purpose (bumpy MTB descents) then you could go with the zero cost option...lay the bike down, step over it, pick it up.

Yeah, I've done that. It "inhales strongly". ;)

My Ghost Grappler came with one, and other that the first instances of "let's see how this works," and the subsequent knee shock, I haven't used it.
I tip my bike to almost 45° in order to swing my leg over.

Same here, no need to drop it to the ground.

Sounds like a good idea to me. I'm going to keep this in the back of my mind for when the day comes.

My wife had one on her mtn bike and after two knee surgeries is thinking about getting one one her ebike. She has a Gazelle Arroyo with a step through frame. As for "laying it down" some people don't have that level of mobility. And as to serious mtn bikes don't have droppers, you can't be serious. I ride my old CX bike for gravel rides but if I was getting a new gravel bike for where I ride, I'd get one with a dropper and some type of front suspension. If you're getting a dropper, study them carefully. You can spend a modest amount with a cable and spring actuation or fully electronic for a small fortune. At the end of the day, go ahead and get any bike with any modifications that will get you out and enjoy riding.

I was on a road bike that I hadn’t ridden in a while last week. It felt like the seat was low, but I rode it for a dozen miles anyway. When I got home and measured, it was a good centimeter low - I guess the clamp may have been loose.

Anyway, I set a couple Strava ‘personal bests’ on downhill segments… I guess if they weren’t so clunky or heavy we’d have ‘em on our road bikes.

The Thompson Elite post I use on my road bikes is about 200 grams. The dropper used at Milan San Remo is about 327 grams. So, yes, a bit heavier.

I don't know where you get the idea that droppers are clunky. I've been using a KS dropper on my mtb for 6 years and I think it's great.

When they come up with one that automatically lowers the seat when I stop, and then brings it back up again when I start I'll buy one. Sort of like on luxury cars that raise the steering column and slide the drivers seat all the back to get in and out.

Until then I'll be buying a low entry comfort bike next time...AKA a Girl's bike. No shame here. The problem with them, like my 77 year old cousin pointed out, is with no top bar to lean against our leg, We must use one hand to hold the bike up when we stop.

There is an electronically activated wireless dropper on the market, so with a speed sensor and a little imagination I'm sure you could rig one up to do this. It would suck to have it drop all at once if you weren't ready, and you'd have to raise your weight off the saddle to make it go back up.;)

Really,, having a cable operated post with a little lever next to your thumb is super convenient, if you're into that sort of thing.

When I stop on my mountain bike, it’s second nature to drop the saddle with the thumb switch. It’s as easy as shifting gears.

Definitely have a dropper on my mountain bike for riding bumps and drops, it is essential. I like it so much I installed one on my Specialized Allez road bike a few years ago and enjoy the fine height tuning on long rides.

I just bought a Trek FX Sport 4 for road riding and I am replacing components to make it really lightweight. I went with a carbon fiber bars and seat post to save weight.
Those dropper posts are heavy. Mountain bike guys are not as weight sensitive since they are always going downhill.

I've yet to find a route that is all downhill.

Oh, you don't have a Strava Escher Routing subscription? :D