You Rarely See a Mountain Bike This Affordable With This Underrated Feature

There can be no denying that full-suspension aka full-squish mountain bikes are all the rage right now. Having test ridden loads of them over the years, I totally get it.

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Generous shock absorption under both your handlebars and your seat definitely makes tackling tough technical single track easier.

That being said, I would argue that another semi-recent mountain bike innovation is more critical for entry-level riders — and can be found on much more affordable bikes.

I’m talking about the almost criminally underrated dropper post, which happens to be one of the standout features of Cannondale’s new Trail 1, which costs just $950.

Dropper post download

Longtime GP contributor Andy Cochrane described the dropper post perfectly a few years back.

“A dropper is an adjustable seatpost that allows riders to quickly lower or raise their seat, without stopping. Dropper posts are usually operated with a lever on the handlebars, typically employing the rider’s weight to depress the seat and hydraulics to raise it.”

For the visual learners out there, here’s a quick video demo on Evil’s Chamois Hagar gravel bike.

These days, you will find this feature on nearly every mid-level to high-end mountain bike, just as you will find a feature that goes almost hand in hand with it, the 1x drivetrain.

The advantage of the dropper post is that when things get steep, you can quickly move your seat down and out of the way, enabling you to shift your weight rearward — over the back tire — and avoid flying over the bars at severe angles.

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Getting your butt off the seat has the bonus effect of letting that back wheel bounce around a bit while the suspension in your fork — and your own “human suspension” — absorbs the shock from any rocks, logs or bumps on the trail.

Yes, rear suspension can do that, too. But if you can learn to manage this type of terrain with a combination of front suspension, technique and a dropper post, it will not only save you money but make you a better mountain biker, too.

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The dropper post and 1x drivetrain are less common on gravel bikes and cheaper mountain bikes, but the trickle-down effect is clearly kicking in, as both are present on the Trail 1, one of Cannondale’s most affordable new MTBs. (At $750, the Trail 2 is cheaper. It also has a 1x drivetrain but lacks the dropper post.)

Considering the fact that Cannondale’s trail bikes can go for much more — witness the $8,800 Scalpel Carbon SE Ultimate, for example — it’s great to see the brand isn’t leaving beginners and the budget conscious to fend for themselves.

Hardtail heaven

While I am perhaps unreasonably excited about the dropper post, the Trail 1 has a few other compelling features as well.

The SmartForm C3 alloy frame, while hardly carbon fiber light, should make ascending and jumping a bit easier and livelier than what you’d experience with an old-school steel frame. 

Meanwhile, internally routed cables keep the silhouette’s modern geometry streamlined and clean.

The aforementioned drivetrain is a Shimano CUES 1×10 that, trust me, is much simpler to shift than anything with more than one chainring.

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You simply press one right-hand lever to shift up and another to shift down, leaving your brain free to focus on not eating shit mastering fundamental techniques when you are, say, plummeting into a valley with a climb on the other end.

The bike also packs 29-inch wheels, beefy WTB Ranger tires, a Suntour fork with 100mm (roughly 4 inches) of travel and Tektro hydraulic disc brakes, two features that will significantly ease technical descents. Just make sure you sink that 130mm dropper post, too. 

Editor’s note: The XS and S sizes of the bike have 27.5-inch wheels and a fork with 80mm (3.15 inches) of travel.

Pricing and availability

The Cannondale Trail 1 is available now in Black, Tungsten Blue and Tiger Shark colorways for $950.

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Cannondale Trail 1

• $950 at Cannondale

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