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A Quick Guide on How to Install Dropper Post for Cyclocross Bike

We’re going to modify a drop bar shifter to work with a dropper post. While a dropper post may seem unconventional on a cyclocross bike, there are real advantages out on the course. Dropping your saddle away from your body allows you to negotiate tricky terrain, Including barriers, with greater ease. Dropper posts come with flat bar remotes, but in this case we have a cyclocross bike with a drop bar. It also has a 1x drivetrain, so in this case we can actually use the front shifter as a dropper post remote. All it takes is a few simple modifications.

The only modification you’ll be making to the shifter is removing the shift ratchet mechanism. In our case we’re using a SRAM shifter. Here’s how you do that. The shifter ratchet mechanism is located behind the hood and a small plate here in the shifter. In order to get to it you’ll first need to remove the hood. Once you remove the hood use a small phillips head screwdriver to remove the three screws holding on the cover. Once you remove the plastic cover you can locate the shifter ratchet mechanism right here, just below the main part of the shifter.

In order to remove the shifter ratchet mechanism, You’ll need a flathead screwdriver to remove the circlip, and a very small phillips head screwdriver or allen key to push a pin out of the shifter. For easier access to the circlip, I recommend moving the shift paddle inward, and holding it up and out of the way. You can see the shifter ratchet mechanism here. There’s a pin that runs through the body, and the circlip that you need to remove is right here. To remove the circlip, use a small flathead screwdriver and carefully push the open end of the circlip until it pops out.

Once you’ve removed the circlip, you can push this pin out toward the back of the shifter with a small phillips head screwdriver or allen key. Once you have pushed the pin free, carefully pull it out of the shifter body while keeping a finger over the shifter ratchet mechanism to make sure the spring doesn’t get lost. Once you’ve removed the pin you can carefully remove the shifter ratchet mechanism. Now that you’ve removed the shifter ratchet mechanism, simply replace the plastic cover and rubber hood. Now that you’ve replaced the plastic cover and the rubber hood, your shifter is now ready to be connected to your dropper post.

With your dropper post installed on your cyclocross bike, you’re now ready to handle technical terrain with ease.