Being comfortable while you’re out on the trails mountain biking through that glorious scenery is vitally important. Most mountain bikes nowadays come with a built-in tool that helps you do just that.
A dropper post is a system that allows the height of the seat to be adjusted while riding the biker on your handlebar.
But, like with all systems, your drop post cable might need to be replaced after some wear and tear. To do this, you need to make sure you know the routing technique as well as the proper size. Those things you can find the proper or post cable.
This includes feeding the cable through the ports and up into the handlebar to the lever to ensure it’s securely fastened. But there’s so much more that goes into this, and we’re gonna help you out by taking a look at that now.
Should You Do it On Your Own?
Let’s face it, repairs on a mountain bike can get quite pricey, so many of us talked about figuring out how to alleviate some of that stress so that we can enjoy our adventurous hobby. This might include trying to replace or upgrade the components of that bike.
It’s perfectly OK for you to do this with just about every aspect of your bike, including your dropper post cable. That is if you’re comfortable with your handy person skills. If you’re not, then we highly suggest you take it to a bike shop to get it done.
On the other hand, if you’re comfortable with the idea or want to try your hand at it, plenty of online tutorials and other educational resources can assist you in this process(on top of this post).
How Long Does It Take to Replace it?
Your time is quite precious, and though you love your hobby, you want to make sure that you have the right amount of time set aside to finish your project and do it effectively. Depending on the router type, insulation can’t take up to about an hour.
This is especially true if you’re just starting with this new hobby and have never done this before. After you’ve done it a couple of times, the process will speed up, and you may find yourself only taking about 30 minutes.
This is because it has a step-by-step process that is necessary to be followed to ensure safety. Here’s a look at the overall process:
- Work backward from the lever and run the cable through the head tube down into the tube, utilizing the mounting points as guides.
- They’re gonna feed the tube through the seat post and up into the hole where the cable port is in the bottom of your seat.
- Once you’ve done this, you can then shorten the cable to the right length and cut it so that it’s easy to move your handlebars from side to side.
- Now that you have the outer cable mounted, you have to utilize the inner cable. You want to start by using a wet lube and wiping it down.
- By looking at the manual, you need to figure out if your cable needs to be fed from the seat post or the lever.
- Once you’ve done that, you’re going to route the cable just like you did with the other cable, and then the next step is tensioning that cable.
- This is done by pressing the lever and checking that the post’s bottom is pulled and tight, not loose. All that’s left is to position your seat post, and you’ll be ready to hit the trails.
What Tools Do You Need?
In order to ensure you’re able to execute your dropper post cable effectively, you need to make sure you have the right tools on hand.
The truth is there are not a lot of tools necessary, but if you don’t have the right ones, you’re going to find it very difficult to execute your task. So here is a look at the main tools you will need to do this:
- Allen wrenches
- Cable cutters
- Carbon-safe assembly compound
How Much Does it Cost to Buy a New Dropper Post Cable?
You want to make sure that you’re comfortable on your ride, but you also want to ensure that your wallet stays safe. So we understand why everyone must consider their budget.
In that frame of mind, you may be wondering how much to budget when you’re looking to buy a new dropper post cable. The truth is it’s much cheaper to replace the dropper post cable than the actual dropper post itself.
Typically you’re looking at anywhere between $10 and $20 when investing in a new drop post cable.
Are Dropper Post Cables Universal in Size?
It may be tempting to think that all cables are the same. Though there are set parameters, the size of the dropper post cable depends on the bike you’re using. These cables can range anywhere from 1.1 millimeters to 4 millimeters in width.
So no dropper post cables are not a universal size. This means you must ensure that you are choosing and investing in the cable appropriate to your mountain bike.
This can be done simply by ensuring you keep the manual handy or measuring the routing ports when you’re ready to replace your drop post cable.
Final Thought on How to Replace Dropper Post Cable
Being able to adjust your seat with a simple flick of a lever is super helpful when you’re out on the trails.
This will ensure that you’re not only more comfortable but that you’re able to enjoy your rides. But, of course, that means that there may come a time when you have to replace your drop post cable, and now you have a clear idea of how to do that.