I've never had a bike with a dropper post - The bike I'm getting in Feb has a dropper post option - Is there any worth in having one for bike-packing duties?

I'm in the same boat: after decades of avoiding full sus and dropper posts, I've just got a new bike with dropper and yes, straight away, I'm thinking of how to adapt the dropper to bikepacking, especially as i'm 5'7" and running a M frame with 29 wheels so there is only 24cm from tyre to under saddle; if i was a bit taller the seat would up a bit more and there would be more clearance.
However, I have also noticed that both a small and medium Altura frame bags that I have lying around that never fitted into the triangle of the hardtail frame, fit perfectly into the triangle of the new full sus frame. So, it's looking like me running a much smaller underseat bag and transferring the stuff that was in that into the frame bag. I don't anticipate getting full range of travel on the dropper that I get with no bag at all, but hopefully 2 or maybe 3 inches, which will be pretty good.
The record for the HT is held by Neil B - he had a dropper on his bike and a small under saddle bag - if it was remotely simple to attach pics on this site I would show you the pic
So yeah - go for it!

Also a recent convert after years of poo pooing them. They make steep descents much less of a heart in mouth affair, particularly if you have a seat pack on. I mean you can use a QR and drop your post manually but this is faffy enough to not bother generally, particularly for short drops.

Several times pre dropper I've gone into a steep drop, shifted my ass backwards and got caught up on the saddle pack resulting in much panic and flailing. With a dropper the seat and pack is nicely out the way. Just check your clearance - I can drop mine 2" with a terrapin on (it hits the mudguard at this point) but that's plenty.

Carry some kind of clamp like those woolftooth ones (or a jubilee clip and a bit of inner tube) so if it fails you can jam it up. I put a split foam handgrip round mine when attaching a seat pack

I've bike packed with my dropper, only gives a couple of inches max, but can be helpful. Currently running with a rigid post after shortening the cable poorly and now being too bled. Still haven't got round sorting it! I use some pipe leading type insulation to protect the post

Dropping the saddle can be useful - depending where you ride.
It's something else to go wrong/fail and probably another gadget on the bars and cable/hose.
They add (even more) weight to the bike.
Your saddle bag straps can scratch the stanchion and ruin it, so needs protection (faff).
Swapping to a rigid post for bike packing is a faff.

Balance these points. I wouldn't bother with one, but usually can't be arsed removing/swapping it, so do.

For some sort of balance - I spent 12 years as a coach and much of that time was spent explaining to people that you don't need to consciously shift your weight backwards or get your arse rearward of the saddle. It's a notion that comes from the early days of mountain biking and our own self-preservation insticts. Generally, it causes far more trouble than it could possibly solve.

swap my dropper for rigid when bike packing then leave it like it for ages,

Used to be fan of a dropper post but once my reverb gave up in the middle of fisherfields i have since decided not to bother.One more thing to go wrong and that pedal back nearly killed me. Didn't have the hose length to pull the post out the frame so ended up with a slammed saddle and a good distance back to the road

if you get a dropper - then fit something like a rear mudhugger - otherwise you will be binning it in 6 months time

Thanks folks - I've managed without for years but having one offered made me ponder - Think I'll save the cash and spend it on goin' swimmin' with bowlegged wimmin instead.

Bearbonesnorm wrote:For some sort of balance - I spent 12 years as a coach and much of that time was spent explaining to people that you don't need to consciously shift your weight backwards or get your arse rearward of the saddle. It's a notion that comes from the early days of mountain biking and our own self-preservation insticts. Generally, it causes far more trouble than it could possibly solve.

If your 6' 2" you do!
Seriously a continued flaw with bike design is that head tube length does not increase proportionally with seat tube length - hence why I run a lot of headset spacers, the highest rise stem I can find and highest rise bars I can find, in order to get a decent bar / seat relationship. Dropping the seat helps redress the balance a bit

That said jamming your groin into a seat quick release after sitting on the back tyre was a common rite of passage for mountainbikers back in the day, much like having a scab in the pattern of a Suntour XC9 pedal on both shins.....

For those that are cautious about droppers and reliability, this could be of use.

https://www.wolftoothcomponents.com/products/valais-25

My go to saddle bag is a PR mr fusion which has a frame bolting onto the seatpost, so with my newest build I've stuck with rigid. Tempted to pick up a Brand x dropper and swap the lever to a wolftooth, as the prices at present are rather low.. but generally fall in the 'can't be bothered to keep swapping posts' bracket

I just use the enduro collar that came with my reverb placed about halfway down the post. I then wrap the remaining post (above the collar) in tape to protect it from the seatpost strap (its basically a DIY wolftooth)

If the post were to fail through loss of pressure, the enduro collar can be used to 'hard fix' the post back to full height (turning it back to a regular seat post).

For me, seatposts aren't about simply allowing you to get your weight back - IMO, they allow you to quickly and effectively shift your /weight/body around unhindered and lean the bike etc. I've found this gives much better control and confidence when going fast and through techy bits.