Question: why dropper post is not one of the top features of most gravel bikes?

[lidation]

I am just curious, why dropper post is not one of the top features of most gravel bikes?  Dropper post is a MUST on mountain bikes. And I find it very useful on gravel bikes. Most of the fire roads I ride have many long sections of 15 - 25% grades, many of which are rutted after the winter storms (we get rains only in winters here in California). Going down those steep rutted gravel roads without a dropper post is very sketchy.  But I find that most gravel bikes design choose to use D-shape seat post, eliminating the possibility of dropper posts.

[kbernstein]

Half of them have proprietary non-round seatposts to begin with, many of them using a groupset battery inside already, but if your bike has round seatpost and mechanical, nothing is stopping you from having a cable actuated dropper post? What specific design does a frame need?
Not to mention I'm pretty sure most mountain bikers use wireless droppers at this point

[Tijoe]

I've been using a PNW Coastal dropper on my Gravel bike for over 4 years.   I am so glad I let myself suffer the "over 1lb." bike weight increase.    I can descend so much faster than my fixed post riding buddies on the rough gravel roads and trails we frequent.    I have droppers on all of my 29ers: hardtail, bikepacker, and FS bike.

I just ordered this dropper for my pending SPCycle G028 build.   https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256812033342849.html  It sure is a heavy sucker, but I want to see how a wireless dropper works.

I would never purchase a gravel frame that doesn't have a round seat post.

OTOH,  one has to consider that the majority of "Gravel bike" riders do not get to enjoy long steep climbs, and sketchy 8+ mile steep descents one experiences in the Pacific North West states, when you are lucky enough to live in rural places, versus riders that live in the Asphalt jungles.

[gribs]

I can see the benefit but running a 2x system I don't have room through the headset for another cable and don't see a good place to mount the lever. I grew up on 90's mountain bikes so I have the memory of riding the type of stuff I ride now on a gravel bike on bikes that were much worse in terms of tyres and brakes. For longer rough descents I'll just get an Allen key out like I used to back then. All my current mountain bikes have them though and they have a huge impact on helping beginners ride more confidently off road.

I suspect they're not standard fit on more gravel bikes as the category is primarily aimed at roadies and they add weight and cost, but they're the ones who would benefit most.

[wintermute]

If you're riding trails that require a dropper, you probably also need suspension.

You can pull gravel either way. Sure, you can fit 2.3s, and ride single track, and why not a drop will be great, although the nature of drop handlebars limit your ability to shift your weight in the same way as flat handlebars, so the advantages reduced. For most people gravel is much less technical, even if it is fast. Whilst we can all joke about matej mohoric famously fitting one to his road bike, realistically The juice just isn't worth the squeeze.

I mean for a real answer, it's because the market sector has been wondering what to do with gravel for a while, and the idea of gravel as a competitive sport, where people are sold stuff aspirationally and that aspiration is to be mads or Keegan, rather than a bike packing adventure it's how they've decided to make money. Look how many modern western bikes now come with aerodynamic seatposts, even though they are phenomenally uncomfortable.

It's also easy to be patronising. I am a very competent mountain biker, I have raised ews and xcm internationally. When I race gravel I'm just not challenged enough to need a dropper. But for 90% of the course, descending a loose fire Road is terrifying.

[federic000]

for the rides where a dropper is needed, and large tires are needed, and suspensions are needed, and a more slack geo is needed, well for all of this i have my super-efficient FM936

[Kolo]

Dropper post adds complexity and weight. But I fully agree that it is much more fun to ride with it.

[shoushou]

I ride a dropper and I love it.
It also has some suspension built in which is nice.
I could ride without all the roads and trails I do without, but it’s sometimes more fun with the dropper.
I guess it’s not a thing because it needs a round seatpost and aero posts are the big thing now.