There have been a number of transformational things in the last 5-10 years that are far from gimmicks. Wider tires on road bikes. Disc brakes for cx and mtb. Dropper posts and 1x drive trains on mtb. Cycling is rife with orthodoxy that begs to be challenged.
Disc brakes were available in 1975, wide tires before that. Dropper posts I consider to be a gimmick. 1x drivetrains do have some drawbacks, but I consider them overall to be a good improvement to the simplicity of a bike so I will grant you that.
The real utility of the dropper post for me is in climbing.
On XC courses I would set my post height at some compromise height, like I would on a CX bike. I’d always feel it in my knees on the climbs though when it was just a bit too low.
Now it’s perfect for decents and for climbs. Such a useful addition to an MTB.
Even being able to adjust the height without the bloody thing twisting from the centre line is a win for me. :)
Back in the early-mid 80s, we used to race on MTBs with quick release on the seatpost clamp, and precisely the right lube to make sure the seat would drop on demand. That didn't deal with the "how do get it back up to the regular height", but before the 90s rolled around there were already several spring-based solutions to that. Dropper posts work better, but they are not a new idea.
I can't possibly see how you make this case. I just got a new bike and the dropper was definitely the part I was the least sure I'd care for, but the benefit was immediately obvious on the first ride. Being able to pop the seat up with the press of a button when I started a long climb was amazing.
1.25in (32 mm) and 1.5 in (38 mm) tires were pretty common on the "sport touring" category of 10-speeds from the mid-70s bike boom to the early 90s or something like that.
Then marketing decided that everyone, even casual cyclists, should aspire to ride on "racing" road bikes with 23 mm (or even 21 mm) tires, even if the aero and acceleration benefits really didn't make any sense for them.
Really happy that wider tires are making a comeback and that the "gravel" category is in many ways a comeback of sport touring.
"Dropper posts I consider to be a gimmick." that's a pretty bold opinion. Might say more about the types of trails you ride than anything. Sure, you don't need a dropper post for a lot of simple beginner trail riding, start adding fast, technical descents with drops and such....that you also need to climb to, it'd farfrom a gimick. It allows you to have a fun enduro bike that you can climb comfortably in, and then descend like a wild-person on for maximum fun.
Not just any disc brakes, hydraulic ones, at a competitive price and weight. They are so much better than the old caliper brakes it’s silly even comparing them.
Suspension have received lots of improvements, both features such as lock-out, and also generally in terms of better properties, geometries and availability. Especially when looking at the rear frame. Forks are still mostly just forks :)
Finally you also have overall build quality. A mtb from the last decade just feels more rigid and lightweight, you get a sense of confidence the moment you grab the handlebar, whereas 20y ago shifters and handles have that flimsy feeling to it. Warped wheels and flat tires is also much less common problem today.
If I may inquire, as someone curious about 1x's, what do you like about them over 2x or 3x?
Did you put the 1x on a road bike, or something or other?
I'm not into racing, but I like going hard and fast (relative to my fitness), and find that I don't really care about cadence, but I do like range and minimalism. Makes me think a 1x, even on road, would be great for me, even if I'd keep my 2x's, since they work perfectly fine. Only if/ when the components wear out, maybe I'd do the 1x switcheroo.
One less derailleur to adjust or have fail, so less maintenance.
No worries about chain angle in certain gear combinations.
Front chain ring can be cheaper/more durable/flippable because it doesn't need ramps/pins/grooves.
I did a 3x8 to 1x8 conversion on a hard tail mountain bike I was commuting on a while back (~8 years ago). There was some messing around with chain line, but over all a simpler setup when I was done.
Funny enough cross chaining on 1x tends to be worse if you want to get enough range out of the back (1x12/13). That combined with how thin chains are getting to accommodate the big cassettes makes me feel like the limit of 1x will be reached soon.
> One less derailleur to adjust or have fail, so less maintenance.
Theoretically, this is true. Except that the derailleur that 1x design removes is the front derailleur, not well known as the locus of failure or maintainance.
I live in a flat place, so I know a LOT of folks who set up their crit (racing) bikes as 1x. 1x on gravel and MTB has become almost the standard.
It happens because the cassettes have gotten SO WIDE -- 12 speed is pretty normal now -- that you don't so much need the extra chainring in front to get a pretty wonderful gear range, especially in contexts where having close ratios may not matter (e.g., mtb or gravel).
Dropper seat posts are even coming to road bikes now. As large, heavy person with a high center of gravity I welcome this trend. Descending Mt. Umunhum on my road bike is a hair-raising experience.
You're not wrong. I built up a frame from '89 with random leftovers from more recent bikes and it works. No oddball standards or 'well, you'll have to get an adapter' silliness. It was kindof refreshing to build AND it functions just fine.
Somewhere in the 90's - early 00's was peak bike and I think most (but not all) progress after that came from marketing departments.