That post is really dated being from last March.
Right on, I use a 122mm saddle so I have plenty of movement. In the southeast the courses don’t typically have sustained steep descents. I can’t think of one time that I wished I had a dropper.
I have wished for better brakes at a few events but that’s not common.
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A dropper isn’t needed on 90 percent of XC courses in the US if you have a little skill.
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Maybe if you descend like the average XC rider. Guess that’s why I gain so much ground every race on descents.
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It’s never “needed” but that doesn’t mean it’s not faster… which it is more often than not.
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The “needed” thing gets thrown around a lot in these discussions. But the thing is that we don’t “need” anything more than a 1990 rigid MTB to get around 90% of trails. It just happens that modern stuff is much faster, safer and more comfortable.
I can survive (sometimes barely) almost every trail I know with a rigid post, including alpine stuff, particularly if I’m not using a very wide saddle. But I’m so much faster and safer with a dropper
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https://youtu.be/wmDQyMpDMxs?si=ovHfr44nhRaKbo6L
Feelings vs the numbers 
…no clue, never ridden a dropper
I’ve never lost position because I didn’t have a dropper and my competition did.
I’m sure they have a place (recreational trail riders, jump parks, descending the alps, enduro racing, etc..) but I’m not drinking the marketing kool aid this time.
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Unless it broke and they were on the side of the trail fixing it I’m not sure why they’d lose a position because of a dropper..
In Florida and other parts of SE I get that you don’t see the value in it (although with minimal climbing it’s hard to make a weight argument there..) - racing almost anywhere in the Western US (and most other parts) there is little question that it allows you to ride faster. So, it has a place at the front of very many XC races, I promise.
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To get back on topic… I just finished this full size build for my son. Still waiting on a few bits to get the weight down a little more.
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Good luck to him with that saddle 
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We all have different strengths and weaknesses. I’ve got craptacular skills, but a pretty decent engine for my age. I could safely skip the dropper for any course I race and be OK, but I’m more confident and faster descending with a dropper. The extra ~1.5w needed to overcome the extra weight on a hilly course isn’t going to be a difference maker for me in a race.
From my perspective, the real kool aid in play here is thinking that an extra 1-2 lbs on your bike is going to make any significant difference in performance on most courses. But we all have different perspectives. And I’m not saying it’s not fun to build a super light bike (and believing in your setup is a powerful thing), but the data is pretty clear that weight isn’t the difference maker people used to think it was. Even at the pro level where the margins are razor thin, nobody is compromising their setup to save a couple pounds on most courses. BTW, I do love your super light builds, I think it’s a cool pursuit. They just wouldn’t be good race bikes for me.
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This is very dependent on the trails you ride, I think.
I live in Colorado and ride a lot of sustained, steep, technical descents. I can’t imagine riding without a dropper. I’d either crash a lot, or have to walk a lot of features. And when I wasn’t crashing or walking, I’d be descending slower.
Here’s a fun video: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=-46ng2_eRn0&pp=ygUTTXRiIHdpdGhvdXQgZHJvcHBlcg%3D%3D
Punchline is here:
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haha… he uses the same saddle on his road bike and has never complained but he weighs 20kg so not much pressure. I also use the same saddle on my MTB and actually find it very comfortable.
Right on! I’ve only pointed out that for me, I don’t see a need for a dropper. With some of our tight and twisty courses, a lighter bike is much more efficient for me to move around and more enjoyable to ride.
I also want to point out that I don’t NOT use a dropper to save weight. I don’t use it because I don’t use it. I had one on a previous build and it stayed up at all times.
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I concur regarding the location and types of trails ridden. It’s strange because the other video posted above showed no evidence of a dropper really being faster.
Regardless, if I lived in Colorado (really wish I did), I assume I might have to use one!
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Totally agree with this but when everything is 1-2 pounds heavier it adds up… and a 22-23 pound bike is a different machine than one that is 28-30.
But all else being equal, I’m team dropper. Weight “penalty” is minimal and so much nicer to have.
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My gravel bike resembles that remark. I added an AXS dropper to it this year and it already had heavy-ish aero bars. And a top tube bag. And MTB tires. It now weighs almost as much as my FS Epic 8.
The dropper on the gravel bike is a bit silly for most of the races I do, but the gravel bike travels upright in my van under the bed and that dropper buys us about 3” additional headroom in the bed. So, yeah I added an extra pound on the bike and blew ~$400 to get a little more headroom… I may take the dropper off on race day for Unbound to save the weight and eliminate a failure point, but I’m not worried about an extra lb for my lower priority races. And it should actually be useful at Rule of 3 with all the single track and switchback descents.
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I’m thinking of leaving my dropper on for Leadville. It weights about 350g more than my rigid carbon post. All-in, that’s about 1.5 mins over the duration of the Leadville course.
It’s possible I could make that up on the descents if I keep my dropper. Plus I’d have lower risk of pinch flats if I can move the bike around more underneath me.
But yes, the weight does add up. My 130/140mm bike with pedals and dubnital tires weighs 27.3 lbs. if I had a true XC bike that would be about 24lbs.
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Not just the chunky downhills. Don’t sleep on the aero benefit of the dropper on the high speed road descents (at the lake, lower columbine, and a few other fast spots). Probably not going to get you back 90 seconds, but likely good for 30+ seconds between those sections. It’s almost a supertuck position with dropper down and hands at the stem, that position will have you flying by anyone who doesn’t have a dropper (unless they are willing/able to ride the top tube). Regardless of net loss/gain on course, I’ll take the dropper at Leadville for the extra margin of error coming down powerline, upper columbine, and sugarloaf (and even St. Kevins when tired late in the day). Fast and high consequence. I hate hospitals.
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