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... and imagine you have to ride without them all the time... in other words, which do you consider least dispensable?
I ask as my preference appears (to me at least) counter intuitive. I'd keep the dropper, have myself a rigid-single-speed with the seat out of my way when I please.
I say this as I find there is almost always a joy/challenge/curiosity to single-speeding and rigid riding: even when I'm on a trail where gears and suspension would clearly be more suitable, not having them is fun in it's own way.
But there is nothing enjoyable about having my seat up when I'd rather it was dropped. It simply makes things scary for no good reason.
(Sorry if this question has been done before, or if simply unearths answers that reflect peoples' local trails... [likely])
Dropper wouldn't even get a look in.
Well, you can lower the seat without a dropper you know.
I'd take gears, can ride without dropper and bounce, but you'd never get to the top of anywhere round here otherwise.
APF
My rigid SS is definitely missing a dropper. I get what you're on about OP.
in view of what I have on various bikes -- no droppers (some interest but not convinced), no full suspension (one MTB has front sus.), one MTB has gears (other two are SS, one fully rigid, one hardtail).
Gears. Don't care about a dropper, not fussed about suspension.
Sure, you can always lower the seat manually, but for my trails this would involve getting off the bike roughly every 30 to 60 seconds to do so in order to fly down a 20m long techy descent or hop a couple of logs. Completely unrealistic. If I lived somewhere with big climbs followed by big descents it would be different
In my younger days I've had long travel hardtails, big 7inch travel freeride bikes, 27 gears etc. etc., and my current bike is 1x10 with a big 42t cog at the back. I'd be happy to abandon all that, but a dropper is something I really can't imagine riding without and not feeling somewhat frustrated a good deal of the time.
Dropper and gears.
Dropper & gears.
but for my trails this would involve getting off the bike roughly every 30 to 60 seconds to do so in order to fly down a 20m long techy descent or hop a couple of logs. Completely unrealistic.
It's astonishing how much previously unrideable terrain has been opened up to us by the introduction of the dropper post.
Gears for me, despite doing most of my riding at the moment on a rigid singlespeed.
My most ridden bike has gears and a dropper but no suspension, so, probably that. Riding without suspension can be interesting and challenging, riding without a dropper is just less good. And singlespeed can **** off
Dropper goes in bin. No question
No, not playing!
As I mostly ride a rigid singlespeed with a dropper post, then obviously I’d be keeping the dropper.
It’s astonishing how much previously unrideable terrain has been opened up to us by the introduction of the dropper post.
Eh...just drop your saddle!!??
Took about 5 mins on my first ever mountain bike age 12 to work that out.
Since all 3 exist I wilk have them all thanks.
If i had to choose id ditch the dropper no question....and suffer the oh so tragic 10 seconds it takes to drop the seat manually.
If i had to choose id ditch the dropper no question….and suffer the oh so tragic 10 seconds it takes to drop the seat manually.
Yeah, but the flow that the dropper adds is a significant advantage
It’s astonishing how much previously unrideable terrain has been opened up to us by the introduction of the dropper post.
Really? I think droppers are ace but I can’t think of any unrideable terrain it’s opened up. As for the previous post and needing a dropper to hop over logs or ride techy sections I must have been riding different trails a few years back. If you drop your post it is possible to leave it down and still ride.
If you drop your post it is possible to leave it down and still ride.
It's possible to do anything, well until your legs pack in, droppers make variable terrain much more fun, makes the pedally bits inbetween the tech sections easier as you can sit and pedal etc.
After recently having no trail bike for awhile my geared, dropper rigid bike has seen more use than usual on stuff I would of usually kept away from. What a laugh it was as well.
Long story short.....
Gears and dropper
It’s possible to do anything, well until your legs pack in, droppers make variable terrain much more fun, makes the pedally bits inbetween the tech sections easier as you can sit and pedal etc.
Totally agree and have no desire to go back to rigid posts but the fact still remains not having a dropper does not prevent you riding any terrain. It just might slow you down a bit.
Sooo...are we binning two or keeping two?
Actually, I'm pretty happy to bin all three!
Same as you OP. I'd keep a dropper over the gears and suspension, as I've said elsewhere. Indeed my last rigid SS had a dropper on it (currently it's geared, because I'm using it for some bikepacking stuff over summer and I had the kit anyway, but I'm already missing the singlespeed simplicity on it).
not having a dropper does not prevent you riding any terrain
Same goes for gears and suspension, if you've got the legs and the skills... 😉
all my bikes have droppers but it is still what i would lose first
Sooo…are we binning two or keeping two?
I was wondering how long before someone else noticed. So, after that little sample, how often do you think people have actually read the OP before commenting? 😈
Handlebars
Oh, lose two! That's such a horrible question I just assumed it'd be keep two. In that case I amend my answer to screw you, not playing, it'd ruin everything
I'll go without any of those and afford another rigid singlespeed, thank you. 🙂
Ha, yes it seems the precise question has been somewhat lost on the way, probably at least in part to my rather unclear wording
So to clarify, I was asking which 2 would you abandon, which 1 would you keep
If the thread gets enough responses I'll try to put them into a little summary graph
id keep gears.
the dropper gets used as much as the gears usually, but without gears i'd be going nowhere.
suspension i can live without, providing i remember that i dont have 150mm of spring, and ride accordingly
Would loose the dropper & slam the seat. I pretty much only pushup or do uplifts anyway these days so I dont think it would be a loss.
I'll keep the dropper. I could bumble up and down pretty much everything else but the dropper's really handy.
If it was rear suspension - that would be the one to go.
But mountain biking without sus forks - no thanks - that's why I have my CX bike.
So I'll try and lose the gears and see how I get on. I reckon a 30x18 these days as I'm a spinner.
Have droppers become the new wheelsize/helmet/discs for road bikes debate?
I'd keep gears - I like them so much I have 30 on my road bike ☺️
SO far...
(the half marks are from the people who only picked one to abandon -- the two they didn't got half a point each)
Actually, I’m pretty happy to bin all three!
+1. And keep hydraulic brakes with tyres in a decent compound. (Not the ungrippy ones I started with in the 90s!)
Although, to answer the question - gears. 😁
Back in October I bought a Kona Unit, 27+ fully rigid single speed.
Since adding gears, it's seen more use than any other bike I own.
So I'd drop the dropper (I've never ridden with one) and I'm happy to forgoe suspension if I need to, provided I can keep my squishy tyres 🙂
would have to be suspension and gears for me. Droppers are great but provided the rules allow for a QR seatclamp I could survive without it.
Wait, what!? I only get to keep one!
I'd rather ride my CX bike than have a mountain bike with only one of those 3 to be honest.
But if I had to choose - I'd keep suspension.
I'd keep the bounce and pedalability.
Oh, hang on, read that wrong. I'd keep gears, I can mince along without suspension on most of the stuff i ride.