Originally Posted by
mattcalifornia
I just hang off the back of the saddle like I did on my MTB in the 80's and 90's. It's a rare occurrence anyway, and the dropper is usually the least of my concerns at that point -- the brakes, tires and lack of suspension are typically bigger issues.
I don't have a gravel bike but I have gone on rides where there were other people on them. None of them had droppers but the roads we were on were not super steep or technical. I would get a gravel bike if I knew friends were available to ride with.
I thought a dropper might be useful on a gravel bike when things get sketchy or steep.