How do I service and maintain a dropper post?

By ElenaFebruary 14, 20230 comments

If you are a mountain biker, mud and dust are a part of the game. It doesn’t matter how regularly you wash your bike, dirt gets into just about everything.

To prolong your dropper seat post's lifetime and to keep it running smoothly, a regular service is required. This is something your local bike shop can do for you but if you prefer to do it yourself. Here is a video that explains how to service and maintain your Surface Dropper seat post.

Here is what you need for this service:

Allen key set
Flathead screwdriver
Adjustable wrench
SRAM Butter Grease
Gloves (optional)

How often should you service your dropper post?

We suggest you wipe down your seat post after every ride and monitor the 'feel'. If your dropper starts feeling a bit sticky, its time for a service. Most likely about twice a year but if you have been riding in very muddy, wet or dusty terrain, we recommend opening up your seat post and checking that its still clean inside. If not, its time for a service.

Stratos AL models fitted with the Surface Dropper Seat post.

How do Dropper Posts Work?

Dropper posts most commonly work with cable actuation through a remote lever. There are variations that work with hydraulic or electric actuation as well, however, the SURFACE Dropper Post is cable-actuated. With your body weight on the saddle, pushing the remote lever will result in telescopic compression of the post. To return the post to normal saddle height, unweight the saddle and push the remote lever again. The post will rise again to the original saddle height.

What are the benefits of having a dropper post?

A dropper post greatly increases the extent to which you can move your body weight around, especially when dealing with steep descents and technical terrain. In addition, you can achieve a lower centre of gravity, meaning more stability and increased handling at high speed.

What are the common problems with dropper posts?

Dropper posts should operate relatively hassle-free. The internals is well sealed, and should not see much foreign ingress. Keeping the post and seal as clean as possible, will prolong the service interval of your dropper post.

With cable-actuated remote levers, the cable does stretch, similar to that of a cable shifter. A stretched cable could result in insufficient actuation. SURFACE remotes feature an adjustment barrel, to take the slack out of the cable.

Check out SURFACE Dropper Seatpost

Can you clamp your bike by the dropper post?

Yes, be sure to clamp it around the body, and not the telescopic shaft. Be mindful of the clamping force, as it should not exceed the rated torque of the seat post clamp.