How much dropper travel fits my bike?
How much travel you can run isn't decided by how badly you want it, it's limited by two things: the usable depth of your seat tube (the insertion it accepts) and the stack of the post. With the saddle at your pedaling height, the exposed section of post must hold travel + stack, and the post's minimum insertion must fit within your usable depth. The current trend is to run the maximum travel that fits. It's the complement of measuring the insertion and the stack: once you have those measurements, you know which travel actually fits.
"I want the 200" sounds great until it doesn't fit. The maximum travel isn't the one you want, it's the one that fits your frame.
The two conditions that rule
1 · Top: travel + stack in the exposed section. Set the saddle to your pedaling height and look at how much post is outside the tube. That exposed section has to hold the dropper's travel plus its stack (what it takes up between the collar and the rails). If it doesn't fit, the saddle ends up too high.
2 · Bottom: minimum insertion in your usable depth. Every post needs a minimum length inserted inside the frame. That minimum insertion has to fit within the usable depth of your seat tube, that is, before it hits a bend, a pivot or the bottle cage.
Key facts
What it pairs with
This entry is the direct complement of how to measure the insertion and the stack: there you take the measurements, here you use them to find the travel. And it closes the loop with what dropper post fits your bike, where diameter and routing also come in.
Send us your saddle measurement, your seat tube depth and your bike model and we'll tell you the maximum travel that fits. Message us on WhatsApp
Frequently asked questions
What limits the travel that fits me?
The usable depth of your seat tube (insertion it accepts) and the post's stack. Travel + stack at the top, minimum insertion at the bottom.
Why not always the maximum?
Because every post needs a minimum insertion. If the tube is short or gets obstructed, the long post won't fit all the way or ends up too high.
How do I check it?
It's the complement of measuring insertion and stack: with the saddle at your height, see if travel + stack fit at the top and the minimum insertion fits at the bottom.
Related
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