Droppers dropping beats

As XC racers, we’re pretty adapted to riding with our seat up, but could we gain more with a dropper? I tested my Orbea Oiz with a Fox dropper on a twisty, three minute descent at home. The time difference was only one second, not that significant, until you compare my heart rates, 10 beats lower with the dropper. I would call that a difference maker in racing.
No droppers were used in the making of this picture, however.

Interesting stuff. 10bpm reduction using a dropper? That means quicker recovery, less time in the red, etc.

Well… I came here to see a YouTube vid of someone making some kind of electronic music using a bucket of broken Reverbs.

2/10

I came here to see a YouTube vid of someone making some kind of electronic music using a bucket of broken Reverbs.

10/10

😀

A good read, a dropper now lives on my xc bike, takes some of the stress out and the difference between can do and easily do makes a big difference.

takes some of the stress out

Seems to be the case. It’s a little bit like the old argument for soft tails in XC. Reduce a little of the fatigue/stress to allow more focus on the harder stuff.

Always seemed that way to me too. I mean, no question I’m faster with a dropper but I’m also more relaxed, working less hard, and sometimes able to do overtakes and lines that I wouldn’t have with the seat up.

I’m not an XC racer and I know that races are by and large won on the pedals but if you arrive at the bottom rested and in good shape you can surely attack the next climb harder, and one easier pass on a descent or one crash avoided cancels out a lot of weight difference too. 350g or thereabouts of weight penalty isn’t nothing but it doesn’t seem so huge. (and that’s for a retrofit, consumer post, if it was built in the frame and built to race spec/intervals it could be less)

My mate who’s just about moved up into elite racing Enduro this year by becoming one with the turbo and riding up every hill on uplift days ( before exploding his ankle)
Worked out that reaching down for your water bottle also raised your hrm by a fair bit.

I remember Chris Porter saying he’d done some testing with Fox sponsored xc racers. They proved they were faster with the dropper but then got caught in a loop with the racers.
“it’s faster”…
“but it’s heavier”…
“yes. But it’s faster”…
“but it’s heavier”…