The Revive is also easy to set up and has a sturdy two-bolt saddle clamp design. We couldn't find much to gripe about with this model. We tested the mm Revive , which was a bit heavier with a longer overall length than the shorter travel competition.
That said, in terms of grams per millimeter of travel, it ends up being one of the lightest. It's also somewhat expensive, but we feel the cost is justified considering the quality and performance. Read review: Bike Yoke Revive. Tranz-X has recently expanded their distribution, and they now offer some of the least expensive aftermarket dropper posts on the market.
The Kitsuma Air is the most affordable model we've ever tested, yet we were pleasantly surprised by its consistent and reliable performance throughout testing. Installation is easy, and it can be used with any remote lever you choose. We opted to test it with the Tranz-X 1x remote, which is also affordable and has good ergonomics and a light lever feel. We were thoroughly impressed by this post's super-smooth travel in both compression and extension.
It also features an air spring that allows you to adjust the rate of return. A simple but sturdy two-bolt clamp secures the saddle rails and gave us no issues during testing. The mm post we tested is among the heaviest in the test. That said, it's also the longest post we tested, and its weight is actually quite reasonable considering the drop length.
It is sold as a post only, so you will need to purchase a remote if you don't have one already. Extended post lengths are also a bit longer than some of the competition, so fitment could be an issue for some riders and bikes. Beyond that, we were extremely impressed by this post's performance, especially for the price. Read review: Tranz-X Kitsuma Air. The OneUp V2 thoroughly impressed our testers and is among the best dropper posts we've tested.
Combine that stellar performance with a low price tag, and the V2 is easily one of the best values in the test. This dropper easily performs as well as or better than models that cost twice as much.
OneUp wants you to get all of the drop you can squeeze onto your bike, and every millimeter of length has been shaved from this post, giving it an impressively short stack height and extended length. It also has adjustable travel, so you can fine-tune the drop length and fit even further. For a cable-actuated post, it was super easy to install with the cut end of the cable at the remote. Testers were thoroughly impressed by its smoothness of travel and easy compression force.
The OneUp remote has good ergonomics, a light lever feel, and short throw, all of which help to make saddle height adjustments easier. It is also offered in , , , and mm lengths and the three most common diameters.
The biggest ding to this model is that it doesn't automatically come with a remote lever. While it can be frustrating to purchase a remote separately, it does ensure that you get the lever you want. We purchased the OneUp remote to test with the V2 post and found them to work very well together. Beyond that, we found this affordable dropper post to be high-performing and recommend it whether you're on a budget or not. Read review: OneUp Components V2.
The relatively small Canadian brand, 9point8, has been producing quality products like the Fall Line for a few years, quickly making a name for themselves as innovators in the market. The Fall Line became a fast favorite, with a number of unique design features. It utilizes 9point8's cable-actuated mechanical brake system, known as DropLoc, to lock the post anywhere within its travel range. It has an adjustable air spring that allows you to dial in the rate of return to your liking.
The Fall Line was also one of the easiest droppers to compress and had the lightest remote actuation force in our side-by-side testing. We were especially impressed by 9point8's thoughtful features like their convertible remote lever design and well-designed saddle clamp, little things that make a big difference. The only complaint we have is that this dropper is a little tricky to set up correctly. Get back up if you need it. Parts are readily available for the home mechanics out there in case of breakage, and it has a 2-year warranty.
The Fall Line is available in an astounding six travel lengths, three different remotes, and in inline or offset configurations. All this comes at what we consider to be a reasonable price. Read review: 9point8 Fall Line. By combining their proven Reverb design with their AXS technology, RockShox has finally brought wireless technology to the masses the masses who can afford it anyway.
Without cables or hoses, it couldn't be easier to install and remove, and it allows for a super clean handlebar setup. The post moves very smoothly in compression and extension, and we did not find it to be sensitive to cold temperatures like the standard Reverb Stealth.
Should your post ever develop sag, RockShox has also added a Vent Valve so you can fix it at home. The saddle clamp is solid and user-friendly with a single bolt clamp and a separate tilt-adjustment.
Finally, the remote is outstanding with a large paddle-shaped button that requires far less force or movement compared to any cable-actuated system. The biggest issue with the Reverb AXS is its price. It is super pricey, about as far from a value purchase as you can get.
It's also a bit heavy — somewhat surprising considering its high price tag. Our It does have a claimed 40 hours of ride time, but you've got to remember to charge your batteries every so often. Since we're all so used to charging things, that isn't too difficult, but it is an extra step. All those concerns aside, the Reverb AXS offers next-level ease of installation, outstanding performance, and one of the best remotes on the market, if you can justify the expense.
The recently updated Transfer is one of our favorite all-around posts. Fox targeted some weak points of the older model and improved them considerably in the newer version. With a lower weight, shorter stack height, redesigned saddle clamp, and shorter overall length, this post made the jump from a mid-pack offering to one of the best posts available today.
It uses the same buttery-smooth internals as the previous version, which provides fast and easy adjustment on the trail. It doesn't take much weight to drop the post, and the return is fast and reliable with a nice thump at top out. In addition to the post updates, Fox also redesigned their 1x remote lever.
The new large, high-leverage, textured thumb paddle mimics a shifter and operates using a sealed cartridge bearing for consistent, smooth action. On the whole, the post and remote package was one of our favorites in the test.
While the update offers a whole lot to like, this post still has a couple of minor weak points. Despite the fact that Fox lowered the weight, it's still on the heavier end of the spectrum. Additionally, the Transfer lacks some features offered by other new posts on the market. The travel is not adjustable to dial in the fit, and the return rate is fixed. These things certainly aren't deal-breakers, but they would be nice options to have.
As a quick check, measure how far your current dropper is extended from the frame between the seat collar and bottom of the dropper post collar. This number will tell you approximately how much additional travel you could add, IF, there is space for a longer post inside the frame. Wireless dropper posts are nothing new. Magura released their Vyron dropper post a couple of years ago. The problem was, it was not very good. The half-second delay in the communication between the remote and the post was frustrating when riding it on the trails.
Gone are the days when a mm dropper seat post is considered long. We now have towering droppers that offer up to mm of drop for even the most flamingo-legged riders. This allows taller riders to have both a comfortable riding position while and enjoy increased clearance when the seat is dropped.
Currently, the longest dropper post is the EightPins NG2, which offers up to mm travel. However, the integrated system requires a special frame design and is currently only available on a very limited number of bikes.
The maximum drop of most dropper seat posts is non-adjustable. Instead, they can be purchased in different lengths: , or mm for example. Notable exceptions are the OneUp V2 dropper that comes in , , and mm lengths, but can also be shimmed internally to adjust the travel by 10 or 20 mm using a supplied spacer, or the Vecnum NIVO which is easily adjustable by up to 32 mm. This gives a little more control over maximising the drop available. Traditionally, dropper seat posts were sold as a system with the post and the remote.
However, if you have a cable operated post, there are now several aftermarket remotes on the market that allow you to upgrade the feel of your post.
Some dropper posts like the KS and Yep offer remotes that are compatible with a 2x drivetrain. However, with most riders now using a 1x drivetrain, the most ergonomic solution is a trigger shifter on the left side of the bar. If you want to minimise mechanical issues and costly servicing, it pays to look after your dropper post. Expensive, hard-working and sitting directly in the line of fire from all the mud, grit and water that sprays off your rear wheel, your dropper post is expected to survive it all.
With some light maintenance, you can significantly prolong the life of your dropper seat post. We talk you through the essential post-ride maintenance and answer some common questions about dropper post-care here. Trevor loves adventure. Whisky, riding his bike and everything in between. Though he was born in England, he believes he should have been Scottish. Besides being accustomed to bad weather he's a specialist when it comes to steep and demanding trails. Once, he was in love with competition and raced in the early years of the EWS, but now, at years-old, he no longer has anything to prove.
Nonetheless, demonstrating that you can teach an old dog new tricks, he continues to hold his own against the wild and fearless youth. Together with his young family and two crazy dogs, you will almost always find him outdoors. Dropper posts now need to offer both high performance and infallible reliability.
Tops next level performance wireless installation. Flops tall stack height requires charging. Tops everything you need from a post shortest stack height on the market. Flops cable outer activation not compatible with all bikes slight lateral play.
Tops beautifully made light action and damped stroke great remote. Tops super smooth reliable audible top out. Flops low-quality remote fiddly seat clamp bolts. Tops fit-and-forget post low stack height and insertion depth. Fox recently announced the addition of a mm stroke length post to the Transfer lineup, which is compatible with the Race Face 1x lever, and the new post and remote will cost the same as the other length models.
The function is silky-smooth though, with excellent speed and position control. You can even switch to external operation using an actuator at the collar.
Its large-diameter upper shaft means it flexes noticeably less than most posts when pedalling in longer lengths and on bikes with slack seat angles.
The way that the post extends if you pick the bike up by the saddle is a pet hate of some people. This means accurate cable tension and length is needed to get it working well and it takes longer to set up than posts where the cable is clamped at the remote end.
PNW offers good value for money across its range of products and its Loam dropper post is no exception. The Loam dropper comes with some nifty features including customisable speed return and easy on-bike travel adjustment. The 55mm stack height is reasonable and still leaves a decent amount of room to move around when the saddle is dropped.
There is noticeable side play when wiggling the saddle which made the post feel less sturdy but did nothing to impact performance. Because the Duncan Dropper 2. Further restrictions in available travel options also limit choice. With the remote included with the post, a smooth and predictable action, and an easy-to-use and reliable two-bolt seat clamp, there are few reasons to not spend your cash on the Duncan.
While the neat shifter-style remote wobbles a bit from new, it has plenty of leverage for such a light action. The stroke is smooth and easily controlled in both directions, with reasonable return speed and an easily felt top-out clunk. A dropper post is a height-adjustable seatpost that allows you to lower your saddle quickly and easily on the fly by pushing a handlebar-mounted remote. Mountain biking is a dynamic sport with riders moving all around the bike.
Dropping your saddle down gives you much more space to get behind the seat on steep downhill sections, moving your weight back on the bike. Having the ability to gain standover height is beneficial for nearly every type of mountain biking. In fact, even gravel and cyclocross riders are embracing the added control, where being able to quickly switch from grinding uphill to attacking a descent is essential.
Less expensive posts often have less travel. The longer the travel, the stronger and more precise the internal mechanisms have to be. Longer travel posts do exist, from mm up to mm, but they can be difficult to use for shorter riders or on certain bike frames. That said, longer travel posts are becoming more and more common as technology improves and bike manufacturers design frames with shorter seat tubes.
There are two travel styles for dropper posts: those that have fixed height settings where the post stops 20mm down, 75mm down, etc. The majority of posts on the market are stepless designs. However, obviously the aero bit won't fit in the frame, so you'll need to make sure it fits. Concerted efforts have been made in recent years to further squash out the road buzz that can translate to fatigue over long miles.
There's the Canyon VCLS it stands for Vertical Comfort Lateral Stiffness seatpost, which uses a 'v' shaped split to create two thinner strips of material and thus disrupt the buzz from that nasty tarmac before it reaches the rider. The Specialized CG-R features a 'z' shaped switchback containing the brand's 'Zertz' material; also embedded into forks and seatstays, this again is designed to cancel out shock and vibration.
The same brand is also responsible for bringing dropper seatposts to the road audience: the Specialized Diverge , in its S-Works form, features a 'Command' dropper post. The theory is that those riding the adventure road bike, like mountain bikers, will want to be able to adjust their saddle height to suit the terrain.
Specialized bikes: which model is right for you? There's a wealth of options available, and in the cases above they can be purchased separately and fitted to your own machine, provided the diameter and shape are compatible. Cycling Weekly's Tech Editor Michelle Arthurs-Brennan is a traditional journalist by trade, having begun her career working for a local newspaper before spending a few years at Evans Cycles, then combining the two with a career in cycling journalism.
When not typing or testing, Michelle is a road racer who also enjoys track riding and the occasional time trial, though dabbles in off-road riding too either on a mountain bike, or a 'gravel bike'. She is passionate about supporting grassroots women's racing and founded the women's road race team rt. This is the story of how he found it and just how painful it is to ride.
The Colombian says at the time he didn't want to be drawn into speculation over his future at the British team. Cycling Weekly is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site. All rights reserved.
England and Wales company registration number Cycling Weekly EST. Sign up to our newsletter Newsletter. System Ex seatpost. Specifications Diameters: Weight: g claimed. Material: Aluminium. Clamping system: Single rear bolt. Reasons to avoid - Single bolt saddle rail clamp can make it fiddly to get your saddle angle set up correctly - Only one offset.
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