I don't want this to turn into a debate on what's needed. The demand is there. I just want to know when to expect a longer dropper on the market. Is it a technical challenge or just the industry slow to adapt?I'm 6'4" and switched from a 200 to a 185 and like it better. The seat never gets in my way and I ride fall lines.
I won't say you can't have one, but I don't feel they are needed.
From an engineering standpoint it becomes much more challenging the longer the dropper you're attempting to design. Length, stiffness, stiction, durability, price, weight, etc. Lots of compromises.I don't want this to turn into a debate on what's needed. The demand is there. I just want to know when to expect a longer dropper on the market. Is it a technical challenge or just the industry slow to adapt?
You're 6'4", of course you don't need as much drop as average height riders. I'm 5'8", I need WAY more drop than you. 210mm is adequate, but I could used another 1" or 2" just to match where I was before droppers were a thing.I'm 6'4" and switched from a 200 to a 185 and like it better. The seat never gets in my way and I ride fall lines.
I won't say you can't have one, but I don't feel they are needed.
The taller you are the more drop that you need and can use as my legs are longer. Plus my seat is already 75-100mm higher than yours.You're 6'4", of course you don't need as much drop as average height riders. I'm 5'8", I need WAY more drop than you. 210mm is adequate, but I could used another 1" or 2" just to match where I was before droppers were a thing.
I think this is a totally invalid way to be thinking about droppers. There's a wide variability in how high the ST is on bikes and the reason is not for accommodating a dropper, it's for stand-over, meaning that just because it's really low, doesn't mean it benefits you to go that low. There is definitely a point IME of diminishing returns with dropper length. As you get longer and longer, it does not translate to better control, like I feel the first 4" are the most critical, 5" is a better starting point, 6" works in most every situation, 7" is getting pretty long, more than that doesn't translate to making me faster or giving me more control, more of a false sense that you get "used to" and you think you need it, but you change back to 7" or 6" and you realize you weren't being held back. There are structural reasons we are not seeing droppers that long and even if they were made, I wouldn't want one, I wouldn't want the reliability issues that will be inherent to that much flex. We aren't talking 40mm stanchions here, we are talking toothpicks relatively and they don't even make 230mm travel forks due to not enough bushing overlap. As you get longer, you start putting lots more stress on these moving parts. Again, diminishing returns. It's kind of the same idea that more travel is always better, so you might as well ride a 9" travel bike, right?There are plenty of average height riders running 200-210mm posts now and I know tallers riders would definitely like more height. I have about 60mm of post sticking out of the seat tube running a 210mm OneUp. So what's taking so long to develop a lonnnng dropper? Anything in the pipeline?
Again, I'm not interested in opinions on how much drop is needed/beneficial.I think this is a totally invalid way to be thinking about droppers. There's a wide variability in how high the ST is on bikes and the reason is not for accommodating a dropper, it's for stand-over, meaning that just because it's really low, doesn't mean it benefits you to go that low. There is definitely a point IME of diminishing returns with dropper length. As you get longer and longer, it does not translate to better control, like I feel the first 4" are the most critical, 5" is a better starting point, 6" works in most every situation, 7" is getting pretty long, more than that doesn't translate to making me faster or giving me more control, more of a false sense that you get "used to" and you think you need it, but you change back to 7" or 6" and you realize you weren't being held back. There are structural reasons we are not seeing droppers that long and even if they were made, I wouldn't want one, I wouldn't want the reliability issues that will be inherent to that much flex. We aren't talking 40mm stanchions here, we are talking toothpicks relatively and they don't even make 230mm travel forks due to not enough bushing overlap. As you get longer, you start putting lots more stress on these moving parts. Again, diminishing returns. It's kind of the same idea that more travel is always better, so you might as well ride a 9" travel bike, right?
It's the structural concerns, duh.Again, I'm not interested in opinions on how much drop is needed/beneficial.
Might be different if the use-case was stronger. Maybe.I don't want to build posts that won't fit in even more frames, and will gather dust in the warehouse, never paying off the $100,000 in retooling I did to build them.
I doubt they'd have any problem selling 230mm droppers. 210mm is already super popular. I really think it's not a matter of if but when.I don't want to build posts that won't fit in even more frames, and will gather dust in the warehouse, never paying off the $100,000 in retooling I did to build them.
I'm 6'4" too and I agree.I'm 6'4" and switched from a 200 to a 185 and like it better. The seat never gets in my way and I ride fall lines.
I won't say you can't have one, but I don't feel they are needed.
Some sort of telescoping post would solve a few issues, but also create new engineering challenges.I doubt they'd have any problem selling 230mm droppers. 210mm is already super popular. I really think it's not a matter of if but when.
