Gravity Dropper – to remote or to non-remote?

That is the question. Is saving a few £££ by buying the non-remote a good idea or just penny-pinching that will be regretted on the trail?

I tend to ride trails with a lot of ups and downs and few flat sections so the remote would probably be best.

Does anyone have experience of how easy the non-remote version is to use on the move?

I went remote. For the few £ more, why not. Unless of course you like fondling in between your thighs and/or you’re a Michael Jackson impersonator.

I’m not sure that a non-remote gravity dropper completely defeats the object, but it sort of does. The whole point is to be able to drop your saddle on the fly and not have to stop. If you think about where you want to use it most, most likely you’re not going to want to take one hand off the bars to drop the bars.

Hi
I have a non remote GD and now also a remote Maverick.
I was happy with the GD until I tried the remote version this weekend.
With the GD you have to pre-judge where you need to use it to a certain extent which is fine for big descents followed by extended ups or flat bits.
What I liked about the Maverick was that I could be dropping down singletrack and come to a very steep drop/step or gnarly bit and if I didn’t like the look of it the seat was down in an instant.
I also like the fact that I can drop the seat just one inch or so (compared to 3 inces on the GD) and I find that that is fine most of the time.
I rarely need to drop the saddle all the way.
Cheers
Steve

remote,i enter too many rocky downhills with one hand under my seat

I’d also go remote. The cable is a bit of a pain to route, but its worth it.

I have a non remote SSC dropper and I dont find it a problem to remove one had from the bars for less than a second.

i find it more of a problem than not having to do it

defo remote unless you don’t like wires.

Just bought a non-remote i900. Kind of wishing I bought the remote but I’ve not tried it properly yet. Main thing that put me off the remote was the wire getting in the way/being a faff to route tidily.

yeah great reason to cripple a great device because it ruins the look of your neatly cabled bike…..
it doesn’t get in the way and a couple of zipties and you’re away.

reminds me of a fellow who once helitaped the cable for his maverick to his frame….didn’t work to well….

Thanks for that – ****.

Jeez, 6 inch travel front and rear, remote control seatpost devices…. talk about skll compensation

Whatever – how about ‘ways to make riding your bike more fun’?

Why did you even look at a thread about adjustable seatposts if you aren’t interested?

How about enjoying the challenge of popping your arse over the back when you weren’t expecting it.

How about enjoying the challenge of popping your arse over the back when you weren’t expecting it.

Because often that means your weight is in the wrong place on the bike to best control it. Ideally you want to keep your weight 50:50 if you can (it’s not always possible) so that you can have enough weight on the front tyre in order for it to grip and allow you to actually control the bike.

The all at sea, arse behind the rear wheel style is OK if you’re going really slowly, but you can’t really control the bike like that.

it can be considered a skill compensator but so can every component/bike after a single speed rigid (with solid rubber tyres)and you dont see many out on the trails these days
I use my remote for long unfamiliar trails on FS and my GD non remote will be used for local fmailiar trail stuff on HT

I’d also argue that it’s a skill enhancer as it allows you more choice about where to put your weight and thus enhances your ability to control the bike.

I liked the point that someone made I think on bikeradar, that having some kind of ti superlight hardtail could be seen as a ‘fitness-compensator’ 😛

grumm – I like that. I’m going to steal it and use it elsewhere 🙂

Non-remote is fine as far as I’m concerned. Probably theoretically easier with a remote, but you’ll soon get used to the pull button. I went for a 4″ drop.

2retro4u
Marin County, Cali

I have one of each, but the remote is on the old bike that I don’t ride any more, so it’s history. If you have the remote, you use it more often. OTOH, if it’s on the saddle, it’s just that much cleaner and lighter and less cluttered. Try to remember to use your front-brake hand to adjust it, because you do not want to touch the front brake with your other hand under your crotch.

talk about skill compensation

Aren’t WE the purists! I’m just as happy riding my FS 29er down stuff I first rode on a coaster brake sled with no front brake. I can ride anything with more than one wheel, but why shouldn’t I take advantage of evolving technology? From the earliest days of mountain bike racing, one purpose of competition was to find out what works better than what else and use that to improve the bikes.

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Orwell was a f#$king optimist.