Flats for MTB

[MudLark]

Sorry, I meant to say - put it on.

 

When people like Nino and Kulharvey are putting them on their XCO machines, you know it's not a fashion statement but fulfills a very distinct requirement - to be able to get lower and further back than a rigid post allows you to.

 

Play bike vs xc bike makes not a jot of difference, in my opinion. It's a bike. Droppers make bikes better, or to put it better, allow you to be more confident over sections where a rigid post would leave you puckering and begging for mommy. If all you do is gravel grind, then fine - a dropper won't make a difference to you, but it seems to me that you don't just gravel grind, and occasionally like to let it loose and gun it. A dropper on your XC bike will allow you to do just that, at any time, without it feeling as if you have a rod up your ass.

Okay, fair enough and thanks for that. Look I'm an ou ballie doing things I probably shouldn't (or so my mates say) like going through the air all wheels up and trying to beat the Strava downhill records of people nearly 40 years younger. Etc. And then the dropper on the (heavier) ally bike with the 2.4 (more) aggro tyres which jumps nicely and has a great soft downhill setting really helps. But other times we're grinding mileage at speed on climbs, flats and not very technical downhills and then then the light weight and very efficient pedalling platform of the newer design carbon bike is best. So I figure I've got pretty much the best of both as it is - a good play bike and a great XC bike. No need to fiddle. Not yet anyway. But I hear what you say and will reasses it again in a while when I am more used to the new XC bike.

[V18]

Built up a rocky element few years ago. Didn't fit dropper initially. Was fine. Fun. Dare I say, nostalgic. After fitting the dropper later. It became my one bike to do it all. 105/120mm capable of even jonkershoek roughest trails. Including plumber. Adding a dropper just diversifies your bike and you honestly don't have to press that button. At the weight penalty of half a water bottle. It's a no brainer.