Still think a dropper post won't help you be faster/safer/funner?

ChrisG

ChrisG

Unapologetic Lifer for Rock and Roll


As posted on Pinkbike (and everywhere else):

"Milan-San Remo was won today by a racer using a dropper post - a world first. As far as we know, a dropper post has never been used in professional road racing before.

In a thrilling race, Matej Mohoric was able to stay with the biggest names in the sport on the final Poggio climb, then dropped all of them on the descent, holding onto this gap over the final, flat two kilometers to claim one of the biggest prizes in road cycling."

This is an awfully good argument for at least running a dropper on any sort of mountain bike, IMO.
 
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I’m sure it was partially the drooper, but more likely those big 🥜 that made the advantage on that descent. He almost lost it a few times. Pretty cool nonetheless.
 
ChrisG said:
This is an awfully good argument for at least running a dropper on any sort of mountain bike, IMO.
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The advantage of the dropper post in road racing is supposedly to allow for a more aerodynamic position resulting in higher speed on the descent, which is of very little advantage if any in mountain biking, hence my failure to see the awfully good argument you mention.

That said, the dropper post is an awfully good improvement to have on a mountain bike!
 
That was some absurd skill (and power). He dropped the group in a highly technical/twisty section. Going edge-to-edge when the edge was a stone wall.
 
serviceguy said:
The advantage of the dropper post in road racing is supposedly to allow for a more aerodynamic position resulting in higher speed on the descent, which is of very little advantage if any in mountain biking, hence my failure to see the awfully good argument you mention.

That said, the dropper post is an awfully good improvement to have on a mountain bike!
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A lower center of gravity in the turns is also a huge advantage. Applicable to Road, MTB, and Cross. I guess gravel too, but i wouldn’t know much about that.
 
jShort said:
A lower center of gravity in the turns is also a huge advantage. Applicable to Road, MTB, and Cross. I guess gravel too, but i wouldn’t know much about that.
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I obviously don't have any experience racing, riding or even following anything else than mountain bikes, that is why I mentioned my failure to see the connection based on the explanation I read about the more aerodynamic position being the advantage. With the lower center of gravity being a more universal advantage I can see the argument making sense, thanks for the clarification.
 
ChrisG said:


As posted on Pinkbike (and everywhere else):

"Milan-San Remo was won today by a racer using a dropper post - a world first. As far as we know, a dropper post has never been used in professional road racing before.

In a thrilling race, Matej Mohoric was able to stay with the biggest names in the sport on the final Poggio climb, then dropped all of them on the descent, holding onto this gap over the final, flat two kilometers to claim one of the biggest prizes in road cycling."

This is an awfully good argument for at least running a dropper on any sort of mountain bike, IMO.
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He used at least 2 of his 9 lives on that descent.
 
rick81721 said:
My brakes would burst into flames
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I'm more apt to send it on the road (and do other stuff, too) than I am on the trail. Inexperience in the woods is definitely a factor, but I don't think that's all of it.

I went to Mallorca for my 50th, and hit the famous Sa Calobra. They have professional photographers at one of the turns, and you can find your pictures from that day and buy them. Naturally, I made sure I was on top form as I entered that turn. The second pic shows what would've happened had I messed it up on that turn, lol. Had to go into that hairpin doing 25+!!!! When I got the pictures, I looked at that second one and said "wtf were you thinking?" :Ugh:

IMG_8369.JPG

IMG_8371.JPG
 
Pretty sure nibali was using some sort of dropper post back in 2016 or so . Still can't see weight weenie rodie pricks adapting to this new fad
 
Ryan.P said:
Still can't see weight weenie rodie pricks adapting to this new fad
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The pros are adding weight intentionally because these bikes are so light. Instead of that they’ll just run droppers. It’ll be like disc brakes, but eventually I bet they all will ride them.
 
jShort said:
The pros are adding weight intentionally because these bikes are so light. Instead of that they’ll just run droppers. It’ll be like disc brakes, but eventually I bet they all will ride them.
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Imo the only reason droppers may get some traction now is because UCI banned the super tuck . It's also the worst possible place to add weight to a lightweight road bike .
 
So for those that use droppers - strategic question: if you are in a position like this are you popping it back up whenever you have to pedal? Mahoric was pedaling at a few points ont hat descent, but I watched the video a few times and I can't tell if he is popping it up and down between pedaling and coasting. If he is, is his remote on the drops? Still have no interest in a dropper (yet - I'm learning to never say never!) but seeing something like this is pretty cool. I do tend to acree with @xc62701 though - I think this is more about his huge set than the dropper. That one turn should have given him PTSD with how close he came to stacking it.

And since someone mentioned it, I've actually used the supertuck in a race on my SS before - it was on that screaming paved descent at IC that you do twice during the race. I actually caught a guy who was way ahead of me. I looked down when I wasn't even going my fastest anymore as it was flattening out and I was still over 50 mph. The supertuck works. Of course, all I could think about was that if I hit a wet patch or a pothole on the road, I was going to become a Pollock painting on the highways of WIlliamsport but luckily my stupidity didn't come back to bite me (that day.)
 
I've been saying I want a dropper on my gravel bike for a while now but can't figure out how to do it. I have a 2x drive on my bike so I can't use a left shifter as the dropper lever and the frame isn't drilled for a dropper cable.
 
1speed said:
if you are in a position like this are you popping it back up whenever you have to pedal
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No. It looks like he only had like 70mm of travel. I think they said how much somewhere, but anything with 100 or less you can just pedal normally and it’s not going to hamper you. On a longer dropper, I just put mine down a little bit in the twisty stuff so I can keep pedaling and still get some benefit of the lower seat.
 
Comparing dropper posts on road bikes vs. mountain bikes is dumb. Trail bikes with a seat tube angle of 75° or greater can not be ridden effectively without a dropper. Your center of gravity will be too high with the seat in the way. On modern geo bikes, you have way more control on the descents if you drop your hips and stay centered on the bike rather than having your ass (and your weight) hanging off the back.
 
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