Telescopic seatpost for a DJ hardtail

Our man Kirk, a longtime lurker, bought a P.2 and wants to rock it for trails. He needs a longer seatpost, that’s for sure.


Hi Lee,

I have been a lurker of your site for a long time. Bought your pump track book and the Mastering MB Skills book (2 copies). Built two pump tracks. Your advice rocks!

I was riding a Kona Shred which was a very solid ride, with good geometry for both dirt jumping and trail. When it came time to upgrade I decided on a cro-mo Specialized P2 Long/Large. I know you have raved about the P Bikes being pretty good all around bike for DJ, pump track, and even a little trail riding. My question is about the trail riding. I know they are not a cross country machine, but the geometry is such that my knees are nearly hitting me in the chest even with the seat tube fully extended to the min insertion point. I am 6′ 1”. I didn’t expect to get as good of leg extension as I did on the Shred (full leg extension), but I am not even close.

Any suggestions? Can I rock a longer seat tube on trail rides with climbs, and then the stock seat tube for park/street?

I live in Utah and our trails are basically all out-and-backs. All up hill on the way out, all down hill on the way back.

Thanks,

Kirk
Logan, UT



Titec ‘Scoper Prolite 30.9 x 450mm Black

Hey Kirk,

Right on! You will love your Mighty P.bike. It’s a great all-season, all-reason machine.

On my P.3 I rock a cheapo 350mm seatpost. That bike has a straight seat tube, and I’m only 5’9″, so I get all the adjustment I need. But it looks like your P.2 has a bent seat tube, plus you’re tall, so we need to be more clever.

Two posts would work, but 1) I doubt you can find an inexpensive one that’s long enough for you and 2) what if you find some sweet jumps on your next trail ride? Life is too short to have a seat up in your business.

Go telescopic
Titec makes a telescopic seatpost called the ‘Scoper. It’s basically a seatpost within a seatpost, and it only costs about $60. I ran its predecessor on a 2002 BigHit, and I was able to get full XC extension plus full DH lowness.

The 30.9 x 450mm model allows up to 12 inches of vertical adjustment. That should be plenty. Get that post and rock it all seasons, for all reasons.

Don’t forget tires
The stock Rhythm Lite Control tires are excellent for DJ/pump/park and other hardpacked situations, but they’re a bit smooth for all-around trail riding.

To make your P.2 a true do-all bike, you need tires that 1) balance fast rolling and good grip and 2) stand up to high-G corners.

My current favorite is the Specialized Eskar. A classic is the WTB 2.4 Mutano Raptor. And let’s not forget the extra-blingy Geax Saguaro with white sidewall.

Have fun!

— Lee


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6 replies
  1. cwegga says:

    Well, this might not be a popular solution, it sounds like you still have XC seated climbing in your brain.

    My solution is to just stand up and pedal or push up the hills I can’t climb. 😉

    I never liked seated climbing anyway but I have a heavy, single speed, freeride/dj bike and I don’t have the adjustment or gearing for seated climbing. You’d be surprised how easy it is once you get used to it. I’m just riding for fun and the work of pushing a bike up a hill similar to riding up a hill.It doesn’t change my enjoyment of the ride to push.

  2. Josh says:

    I ran a Titec scoper on my Iron Horse SGS, and it was so simple and easy to use (I could adjust it while riding actually) that the SGS became my primary bike.

  3. dylan says:

    I rock a rocky mt Flow
    and run a longer seat post with a quick release
    but I had a friend who rocked a single speed and would go on rides with him and he would hop off and walk on the climbs and he would always kill it.So I gave up on the ajustment and just walk if it get s to steep. The titec looks like a sick setup, so rock what works.

  4. Sean says:

    Standing climbing is okay for short inclines but on a long climb it will sap you quickly. You are not only pedaling the bike but also supporting your body when you stand-climb. Seated climbing lets you focus on relaxing your upper body and using only your legs. The flip side is that if you choose standing climbing as your preferred method you’ll get stronger in the long run but you will feel weaker at first because you will tire quickly. I ride both singlespeed and geared bikes, I climb standing more often on the singlespeed but stay in the saddle on the geared bike about 95% of the time. Over the course of a long all-day ride it makes a big, big difference in how much energy I have.

    And if your bike is heavy, stand-climbing really will sap you!

    I ran a Titec Scoper on a freeride bike 5 years ago, it worked great. I agree with Lee.

  5. Kirk says:

    Lee, thanks for the seat tube advice, and the bonus tire suggestion. I think I may try that Titec product. Even if I can get an extra inch or so I will be more comfortable on our long gradual climbs. Like I said in my original email, since our trails are mostly out and back I prefer to ascend with the seat up, and then slam it for the descent. I am really loving the geometry of the P2. I struggled trying to learn to wheelie on the Kona Shred for 2 years. Once I added the P Bike to my arsenal I started to find the “sweet spot” almost overnight.

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