All Things Bikes and Tacos! (...and every vehicle imaginable)

Of course they're not necessary! We've had the discussion a million different ways about every new component out there; none of this stuff is "necessary." They make riding a bike more fun!

The dropper is a game changer because it has changed the way people ride more than any other single bike component. Throwing a dropper post on an old 26" hard tail would make more of a difference than any other upgrade in my opinion (maybe disc brakes).

I think it's also a bit of a misnomer that a dropper is only advantageous when the trails get steep. A dropper provides benefits on any moderately flowy or technical trail because it allows you to move around the bike in a way that you just can't do with the seat up. Sure if you're just spinning then you won't see the benefits of a dropper, but I don't go mountain biking to just spin.

As with all these debates though...ride what you like

 

one of the biggest benefits i see a dropper for is being able to sit on your seat when youre not moving. no more leaning the bike one way or the other. just drop the seat, foot on the ground, wait for the crosswalk like to turn. no more trying to balance your bike or stand on your toes. the biggest reason i would put one on my commuter

 

Not debating. You kinda said very much the same as I did, just with more words.

Thought I was pretty clear in stating that putting your hat fully in one camp or the other was being short sided. Aka pro/cons to each. So yea, ride what you want how you want.

 

Oh, maybe my post wasn't clear... my hat is fully in the dropper camp. I see zero cons to a dropper other than money (I guess weight, but that's dumb). I don't understand why you wouldn't run one on a mountain bike.

I still believe people should ride what they want cause 'merica.

Also, sorry for being argumentative. I'm taking work stress out on here

 

I was actually looking at the retractable tonneaus with the same idea in mind but wasn’t sure how much space the canister takes up.
For a cheap solution, I just ordered a header rail for the bed and plan on ordering this Rocky Mounts Driveshaft that fits in the track, https://rockymounts.com/products/driveshaft-track.html
Not the quickest/easiest option since it requires removing the front wheel, but it’s secure-ish and for a longer trip removing the front wheel isn’t a big deal. Maybe I’ll throw a tailgate pad on for the shorter trips near town.



On the topic of dropper posts, I haven’t experienced one until I got my mountain bike a couple weeks ago. I now plan on throwing one on my gravel bike when the replacement frame comes in.

 

All good. I’m a fence straddler as I think there is a place for fixed post on selective mountain bikes. Not likely any I’ll own, just saying I get it.

 

Do you fit a 9.5?

If I won you can have the shoes IF you agree that if you win I can have the socks hahaha

 

Yeah 42/43 depending on the brand

 

Cute lil feet. Haha

 

I personally did that trend: BMX from 5-17; MTB from 18-30; life ; BMX and MTB from 45-now

no squish, no dropper...all fun!!! Most riding in Ohio and Michigan...most riding in the fall and winter...climbing is "stand and mash" from the old BMX days;
(this is an older pic right after I got it. Looks the same except add a lot of mud residue and some scratches, and no reflectors)


granted, I am not falling down 3000' of rocks most of the time like out west...but there are many downs and ups here with roots, mud, loose gravel etc

I am the only one of my freind group w/o a dropper and squish. I could be talked into a dropper...but NEVER squish. I hate the feeling of it...

 

A few times a year I travel to Utah for work and my employer is cool enough to send personal items on the company truck. So far I've only taken advantage of that during winter months snowboarding. This time I sent my bike and I was able to get away from work for a day and a half to drive South and spent all day riding around Gooseberry Mesa. Coming from the East and spending most of my miles in Michigan and the Appalachians, riding it here is like riding on the moon. Dirt? Not really. Rocks? Yes, everything is a rock. Sooooo much grip! Was fun and so much different than anything I've ridden so far. The views aren't bad, either.

 

@GarlicFarts and @GrundleJuice are probably the best worst names I’ve seen on this forum

 

My bike seat doesn't seem to mind.

 

One up. It also carries their awesome EDC tool and a co2. Actually the best mini pump I’ve ever used.

Like all things, moderation... Looks good on a black bike as an accent. But, maybe I’m biased

 

I put a dropper on my bike and now I can do this!




Ok, I came to chime in here because well I think it is a bfd, regarding mountain biking.
One way to define if something is 'necessary' is if racers use it.
Not saying because racers use it I need it too!
But I am suggesting that people race would only use it if they felt they needed it.
Not saying racers never fell for a sponsored gimmick either, but overall droppers the real thing and are not just here to stay but spreading throughout muggle-biking.
Just like disk brakes and then hydro disks. Ditto through-axles.

The reason a dropper is the best component ever (perhaps excepting disk brakes) is that it allows you to immediately lower your center of gravity.
Lowering your COG makes navigating Any technical terrain feel vastly less precarious. Fact.
Can you lower your center of gravity without a dropper? Sure, by contorting your body over/around/behind your saddle. But you will not achieve the same confidence as moving the saddle down.
Or to put it another way...
There was a reason most every mountain bike came with a qr seatpost clamp (remember those?).
Because pedaling with the saddle down sucks ass. So as soon as the trail pointed back up we all stopped and raised our seats before carrying on.
When the trail went up and down, we suffered inefficient climbing and/or a high COG at relatively low speed/mild descents

Not stopping to adjust saddle height is, quite simply, a game changer.
Being able to optimize saddle height as smoothly as the terrain shifts below me has become an integral part of my riding.
Keeping the seat low in a big down section and being able to flick it up to pedaling height just as momentum begins to ebbs out... that is fundamental.
I cannot ride dropper-less any longer.

If you have never used a dropper post; Do NOT Get A Dropper!
If you do, you will Never Go Back to a fixed post.
All your rides will need one or they will never be ridden again!
You have been warned.

 

I bet you could benefit immensely from a dropper.
I see you ride with your seat slammed. Just like the BMX riding position. A dropper could do that.

And you say you stand and mash for the climbs. Extending the dropper would raise the seat to more like a roadie position for far better climbing efficiency.
I can only mash so long (former BMX'er myself) but if I can raise my seat I really feel the benefit of a full leg extensions on those longer climbs. Then I can save the stand-and-mash power for hucking and bucking over root and rock.

Finally, trails with a lot of up-and-down has the highest potential benefit from a dropper simply because the seat height can be optimized every time the terrain changes.

So a dropper really gives you 2 bikes in one, that you can switch on the fly. Just sayin...

Oh well, you are having fun and thats all that really matters!
And you probably have bigger quads than me, lol
Oh and read my post above too!

P.S. Squish has it's place, but I am with you and ride a hardtail almost exclusively .

 

It was some fly fishing homie from Pennsylvania! With that being said, I do have another pair of DZR shoes in your size laying around

 

Wife and I rode Santos and Alafia last winter. Both are great examples of Florida trail builders making the best with what they have to work with.
We thought Alafia was WAY better than Santos. This could have been due to the fact we hooked up with a local rider in the first 30 minutes. He basically gave us a guided tour for the next 4 hours hitting all the best features. When we rode Santos the day before we were basically spending a lot of energy just tryout to test out trails and scope out features.

I don't think I'd ride Santos again, but we do plan to hit Alafia at some point this year and also check out some of the other trail systems. Just not during the summer.

 

Anyone have experience with wheel building? Thinking about investing in a stand and building a custom wheel for fun

 

I've been thinking about some new ones, the Shimanos I have are great but are getting older and the lacing system is on borrowed time and not replaceable.