L8APEXN

You made a few claims. I responded to one - "Yes, GD got SOME coverage (that's how I knew about it) as as something new, but nobody was raving about them,"

If you follow the link I provided you can see that they got a great deal of coverage, and people were raving about them.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kapusta

Not only were we not riding with the same people, we were apparently witnessing two entirely different mtb cultures and not following the same forums (like MTBR).

This is very funny. Not only did I "follow" MTBR back then, I organized, led, or just participated many group rides, including being one of the organizers of the DV Gathering in 2004, among others.

Kapusta

If this is true, then you know what I am saying about how few people owned GDs from 2004-2006 is accurate. Which leaves me at a loss as to why you are insisting otherwise.

You said 2005 was “late to the party”. I chalked up that misconception to you simply not knowing any better. But if what you are saying here is true, apparently you do.... so why say something that you must know is not true?

Also, if the GD was so popular and selling well in 2004, why did it take so long for other companies to get in the game? The next remote dropper (Joplin) did not come out until 2007. Heck , Rock Shox took until around 2010 (6 years later). It just does not add up.

And as far as industry press coverage... sure, go to GD website and you will easily find good press. And in that regards I will concede that I was going off my memory, And I guess I did not read all those publications at the time, so I should not have made a characterization about what they said.

However, I think it is beside the point, because whatever was being written about them in the industry press, consumers and the MTB community at large took a long, long time to adopt droppers. Even Weir getting on board and using a GD in Super D events (or whatever we used to call Enduro races back then) did not seem to make a lot of difference for a long time.

Anyway, I am not going to keep arguing with someone who insists the white wall we were both looking at was black.

L8APEXN

Of course it's true. I'm not lying.

Your impression is that "few people owned GDs from 2004-2006" so I couldn't have been late to the party.

You need to read my previous response where I detailed my experience: "Yeah, I was indeed late to the dropper party since I was the third (fourth?) guy in my extended group to get one. I was a hold out until I saw how well they held up and how they made riding more fun."

carlosponti

dropper post was invented in 1980 by tom ritchey

MAK

Okay...this thread has gone off the rail; 'why can't we all just get along'? �� I do have a dropper post question but I'll ask in a new thread.

Thank you to all who responded.