I don't think anyone here is saying travel is better in isolation. None of us want to ride a 180mm bike from 20 years ago with fucked geo.
But here we compare two high end modern geo excellent bikes of different travel and different suspension platform.
The moot from the high pivot fans is that the rearward axle path counteracts the less travel. This is the standard sales pitch of high pivot bikes and quite frankly that sales pitch is misleading. Sure you get some square edge dulling with high pivot rear axle path but that absolutely does not counteract having considerably less travel.
Now there is certainly times when high pivot works real well I would say small to intermediate chuck it does a real good job. Hp pivot also does a good job and getting more stable as the chain stay lengthens giving the impression of more travel through extra stability of a longer wheelbase.
But get above small to intermediate chunk into big sends, hard hits and big chunk that's where the shear mm of travel rule (assuming an equally modern geo and suspension design). Dropping out of the sky off a 12 ft step down to bottom out? give me more mm any day of the week. This is were Astro's statement is 100% correct. Hit the below drop on a 180,, Crestline then hit the same drop on the 150mm druid, The druid rider will be absorbing more impact from that hit because less of it is dissipated through the suspension. In the landing out of the sky example, there is no advantage from hp.
Now Cresty interestingly runs some reasonably high anti squat and kinetmatics make it feel playful like a lower travel bike on the smaller stuff but when you open it up into the big chunk.... there it is, there's the capability. Its not a fully blown squish machine all the time. I can see a scenario of a rider operating below that big chunk window that they can get as much out of the druid as they could out of the crestline. I can also see a scenario where the that intermediate chunk level is the riders bread and butter and they are happy to weather harder hits on occasional big chunk they might ride and find the druid absolutely a better bike for them.
But if you love to play in the big chunk and that's your bread and butter, the 150mm Druid wont be the bike in that instance. It will be constantly under gunned and the bigger travel bike would be the better.
I'm in the big travel camp. I'm grinning the most hitting the biggest chunk and silliest of lines. If i purchased a druid i'd be dissappointed at the lack of travel in the rear end and it wouldn't be the bike for me.
View attachment 179825
