[Closed] Best Dropper seat post??

Not sure there is a clear 'best' yet.

Gravity Droppers are simple to look after and fix but come at you like a rocket when you press the button. Need looking after?

Reverbs are very slick to use, but can often be delivered in a non-working state meaning you need to bleed them. No bleed kit, you're screwed. Questionable reliability.

DSP, possibly somewhere in the middle (this is what I run). Controlled action, but not user servicable. Slick action and the cable-hydraulic system works well. Too new to have proven their reliability yet.

Cranks Bros. Possibly the worst reputation of the bunch?

KS. Mixed reports, but a lot of that is due to the customer service of the supplier. Don't know too much about this one.

This is what I think I know anyway.

I've owned and extensively used:

Gravity dropper (two of them), Crank Brothers Joplin and two Reverbs.

My mates, with whom I ride regularly and therefore I have good knowledge of the relative merits of their kit, have covered the Command Post and the KSI.

There IS a clear winner in my view and it seems in the view of quite a few of the magazines. It's the Reverb.

Yes, they do sometimes need bleeding from new. It takes about 5 minutes and after that they are more or less bomb proof.

If anything does go wrong, they are usually turned around in about three days from Fisher. I have had a problem with one that lost some pressure and a mate had one that came unstuck at the seat clamp. Both were dealt with within three days.

In terms of performance, the Reverb is light years ahead of everything else. It works, it carrys on working and it works really well.

My Ksi is 17 months old now and needs to be warranty replaced.
For 15 months could not fault it, just change the cable every now and then.
2 year warranty is mint, but will probably upgrade to a reverb when I get the Ksi back.

they are more or less bomb proof.

I have had a problem with one that lost some pressure and a mate had one that came unstuck at the seat clamp.

That's your definition of bomb proof?

I think an element of the decision depends on whether you want fixed positions or infinite variation. For me the GD and Command Post win, as you have fixed drops at 1" and 4 or 5". Much less hassle in my opinion. I rated my GD and my new Command Post seems very similar but a lot better looking.

Ive had three so far.
Specialized Commander- fantastic, smooth and reliable. 3 position might turn people off but its reliable.
Gravity Dropper Classic- Very industrial and makes plenty of clunking noises but its light, cheap and reliable. Simple.
X-fusion (current) Hilo- Got it rather cheap and infinitely adjustable so thats nice. Rather weighty but its held up well over the muddy season.

The X-fusion only travels 100mm is that enough?

Gravity Dropper - either the Classic or Turbo. They just work. And when they get sticky, quick wipe clean and lube and good as new. A lever, cable, pin, spring and a post running in some bushes - so simple, so maintainable, not even heavy.

Reverbs are a fairly new product but have had quite a few issues, and as yet we don't really know anything about long-term performance. They seem to have fixed some of the issues in the new version though.

KS i950 and i900 had huge early issues but have been around for long enough to have sorted [i]most[/i] of those. Still not perfect though. Seals are surprisingly excellent IME. Very good.

Gravity Dropper's been around forever and there's nothing more proven. Still the lightest, I think, too. Properly hands-off reliable, and when they do need attention you can service them with a rock. But, not that big a drop, which is a big downside.

But all these 3 are worth considering, personally I reckon if a trouble-free life is most important to you then it's the Gravity Dropper Turbo in a non-multi-drop version.

If you have a 30.9 (or bigger) seat tube, then Gravity Dropper do a 5" drop version. Very helpful customer service - when I wanted to buy a righthand remote (I've recently gone 1x9 so now my GD remote can go upside down under the bars, instead of on top), rather than selling me the whole unit they just told me the handful of parts needed to convert the item (clever engineering - lots of common parts). I hate faffing around with bikes, just want to ride it and have it work properly all the time and other than one broken cable (easily fixed and still workable on the ride) it's been great for a year in all conditions on my lone MTB.

I looked at them all and bought the Giant version as it was a decent price from my lbs, with the warranty and service that goes along with this . I'd normally be happy to buy stuff mail order but for this I wanted easy warranty backup. Cons (for me) of the others.

Gravity Dropper - Ugly
Joplin - Crank Brothers so sure to break
Command post - To expensive for what it is
KS - Superstar
HiLo - Looks a bit cheap and very exposed to dirt
Reverb - Expensive, unless bought mail order, which would increase the hassle of getting warranty work done when it breaks.

Despite Superstar's reputation I've generally found them to be good with servicing and warranty work on my KS posts. They've done warranty work that's been quick and quibble-free. They've been good value on out of warranty work too, though they were poor one time at letting me know about delays. Communication appears to be more of a problem for them than the service they provide.

Northwind's had more stereotypical dealings with Superstar about his KS post but since then he seems to have gotten along with it.

I find that after a few hours riding in gritty conditions the KS remote can become a bit draggy. I've fitted Middleburn cable oilers to the outers of my two KS posts to aid in cleaning the crud out.

^ chris have you got a link to these cables? also a good idea to make a cover for the lever under the saddle

ChrisL - Member

Northwind's had more stereotypical dealings with Superstar about his KS post but since then he seems to have gotten along with it.

<nods> Other vendors are available, but tbh despite Superstar being what they are I'd still go back to them, after all Fruit does have the distributor hat.

[url= http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=3318 ]Middleburn Cable Oilers[/url]. Cut your outer halfway along its length, fit the oiler between the two ends. Slip off the o-ring and squirt in GT85 or WD40 until all the grit is gone from the cable. 🙂

So the outer cable butts up on each side?
Then you just pull apart and squirt GT85 into the cable.?

http://www.middleburn.co.uk/access_cableoilers.php
liking these 🙂

Good little things those cable oilers, I've had some for yonks!

They are nifty. But tbh, I just used quality cables when I restrung my posts, and they both work fine (a GD Turbo and a KS i900). Have to say the cable that came with my KS was absolutely crap.

I'm using a Giant contact switch - not had any problems qith it yet. Not sure how the cable remote lever mechanism will cope with the dusty summer crap but it's held up fine in freezing and rain.

Also a bargain at £145 from pedalon - I didn't want to go mad on a reverb and also needed a layback so it's worked well. A bit more play than i'd have thought there should be in the post but you don't notice this when riding. Long term not sure as it's only been on a month or so.

Reverb best, was best from start, cant understand people who have had issues, the thing usually runs from the box and dont give any bother , do people **** about with 'em?

PS how do we quote on here ?

HiLo - Looks a bit cheap and very exposed to dirt

cant understand people who have had issues

what's not to understand? Seatpost goes down, seatpost wont come back up - ****ed.

Put some air in and it'll launch your family jewels in to orbit.

Yebbut it costs £10 to fix up the exposed to dirt part, and it is, after all, a dropper post at a reasonable price point.

I would have probably got one other than for the fact that the Giant one offered similar performance, looked better and was a bit cheaper.

I love that. "Mine works, so I can't understand how anyone else's could not work". Should work in QC.

Been running a KS post for 2 1/2 years, I take it apart occasionally to give it a clean and a lube, when it sticks its always been cable related. The post has now developed a little side to side play but you don't notice this when riding.

Before the KS I used a Maverick post it mostly worked but developed loads of play and not just side to side!

Got a mate who has the Reverb, it's been back twice under warranty but have to say if I was going to buy one now thats where my money would be going.

Ks are shortly bringing out the lev version with the cable mount at the seat collar. Much tidier solution, although rumoured pricing is mega bucks.

I do like the way MBR reported that as an exciting new development in dropper posts. After all GDs have only been doing it that way for 9 years.

looking like reverb is favourite, bike radar gives 5 stars..

trip to LBS i think to look ,,,feel ,,,and test upy... downy

[b]maxsatnav[/b] for what it is worth, I've just bought a Reverb, it worked straight out the box, comes with a bleed kit supplied (which extra fluid) and was pretty straight-forward to fit and didn't have any problem with cable routing.

The only real pain so far is the fear of breaking the handlebar remote every time I turn the bike upside down to remove wheels or fiddle with the mech.

For someone who never bothered moving my fixed seat at all, I've really enjoyed the infinite height adjustment, even on steep technical climbs it's great to tuck the seat in a bit. The recent weather has made it a bit hard to test it properly, but so far no regrets.

Reverb

Gothandy - flip the remote to the underside of the bars (albeit on the opposite side to where yours is presently, left or right), and you no longer have that worry.

i have had no issues with my hilo - limited to a 27.2mm one with frame, its been faultless so far (touch wood) and for 142 quid delivered from germany it cant be beaten on price really! its worked straight from the off and has endured working effortlessly at -7 degrees in frozen conditions, super muddy, snowy, rainy the only weather its not been tested in is sun!

i havent bothered to protect mine, i dont see the point, its like my suspension i dont put covers over them they are designed with mud in hand and if it fails it will get sent back for warranty, i clean it with a clean cloth an water after every ride (dont jet wash it) and spray some fork juice on to keep it smooth..

ok it may not look the greatest ( i think the only thing that makes it look slightly cheaper than any other is the fact the shaft is thinner in diameter, if they change that to match the actual insert post then i think it will be as good looking/ugly as any other!

the plus point for me and a few lads i ride with is the fact its a lever option too, dont get that with the reverb, just another thing to go wrong when out and about...

i had a gravity dropper turbo and it was shit, i sold it to someone on here for a loss of around 110 pounds, it had pissed me off that much i didnt care and went back to a normal seat post...the GD is just too mechanical for my liking, theres no way its worth 250 quid in my eyes, not when i managed to get a hydraulic version which looks nicer than a gd and performs better for almost half that price

ive had it about 2 months i reckon now, and so far so good, ive not actually heard of any bad reports yet from x fusion hilo (again touches wood)

Best, gravity dropper. You will avoid problems with air loss, seals failure and endless maintenance

Get one with the most adjusment, the most drop, the best service.

Simple - Reverb.

Can I just make one minor but very important negative point about the Reverb (notwithstanding the questioning of my definition of 'bomb proof' - you were right, it's not bombproof but they are better than all the others).

If you damage the push rod that actuates the post. DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCE FAIL TO OR DELAY IN FIXING IT!

Inside the remote assembly is a small plastic collar that connects the push rod into the remote assembly itself. If you bash to push rod and it becomes lose or slightly wonky, it's because the plastic collar has cracked.

If that's all you've done, then it's a non warranty job and will cost £45 to replace.

However, and this is where it gets truly frightening, if you delay in fixing it, the plastic collar can disintegrate and then cause scoring inside the remote assembly barrel. If that happens, the unit loses it's oil tight seal and you will need to replace the entire remote assembly, not just the push rod.

Now how much do you think those bad boys cost. Just the remote bit, that little iddy biddy unit that clamps to your bars.

Yes that's right.

£175!

😯

I got really lucky because I sweet talked someone at Fisher who ended up only charging me for the push rod but others may not be so lucky.

It's not a bad mark for the post; any post can have problems if you crash. But it's worth bearing in mind SRAM's parts support capability!

Northwind - Member

I love that. "Mine works, so I can't understand how anyone else's could not work". Should work in QC.

Posted 10 hours ago #Report-Post

Not quite the context of my post but hey ho

Both of my Reverbs have been for warranty work and both have been fine since. Even with this inconvenience I would gladly buy another... and was even concidering it with another frame purchase 😳

I don't want the gubbins at the bottom of the shaft such as a GD as it means I won't be able to drop the post even further for truly stupid gnar moves.

The [u]Best Dropper Post[/u] has to be the hidden hose Reverb's fitted to some Trek's this year... it's genius, and the future (assuming they never need warranty etc etc).

A little tip if buying a reverb, get the wrong side remote so that you can sling it under your bars instead of ontop. Under the bars its back on the correct side, if that makes sense. Keeps them a bit more protected in a crash.

Which is great if you run 1x10 and run a RHS lever on the LHS, but if you have a front shifter as well it's a bit of a PITA trying to juggle it around so they all work without snagging on each other.

Also worth bearing in mind it's still bloody vulnerable there, all it takes is a short snag to break the plunger & you are screwed.

I really do like my Reverb, but the lever is still a massive compromise IMO.

You can just get the plunger, SRAM list it as a spare part - however I found this to be a bit of a challenge. Thankfully after a few conversations with SRAM tech, they supplied me with a whole new lever (this was early last year just after I got it).

Now if we were talking 'ideal' I would be looking at the Reverb Stealth (or one with a hose input into the collar area to limit cable movement) coupled with a hydraulic system and a lever design as per the KS one.

On a seperate note, there are a few pictures floating around of the Fox DOSS one now. Oh dear. I thought the Reverb lever was poor, i'm not sure what Fox were thinking with their offering...

I've got 2 KS i950 posts, both of which required attention under warranty. One for a worn seat clamp, the alloy is very soft and engagement not as positive as I'd like. The other started to give, so that the post would squat by an inch or two when sat on the saddle.

Clamp replaced and squashy post serviced under warranty, so no complaints whatsoever with the service from Superstar, however, the serviced post looks like its developing a bit of squish again and it hasn't been used heavily...kinda resigned to it requiring home servicing to keep it tip-top, but it doesn't seem to be alone in this respect.

In use they're nice and smooth and return speed is not so quick that you have to worry about yer gentlemen’s veg.

I’ll try something else next time, but clearly none of the designs are without niggles, so I wouldn’t dissuade anyone from buying a KS.

Also worth bearing in mind it's still bloody vulnerable there, all it takes is a short snag to break the plunger & you are screwed.

I smacked mine with my knee!

I have a front shifter and run a RH Reverb remote on the LH side. There's a little bit of contact between the end of my shifter lever and the Reverb remote but not enough to hinder the action of either in any way.

So why are they ALL so damn expensive?

Is it because most of them will have to be sent back periodically to be fixed?

If the Gravity Dropper technology is 9 years old and it works so well how come the prices haven't fallen to put everyone out of the running? They must be pretty cheap to make as they're so simple.

The technology in a Reverb is similar to a fork so I can see that it would be expensive to produce. But over £200 for a Gravity Droppy???

jambon - Member

So why are they ALL so damn expensive?

So why are they ALL so damn expensive?

They aren't, they are just more expensive than regular seat posts.

BTW the Gravity Droppers are far from reliable. Give them two years of use and the pins break or just stop working altogether. They also need a lot of TLC the older they get.

I damn well won't, and I'd deary love a 5-6" droppy post that was reliable.

The point being that:

1. They're really over-priced.

2. They're really unreliable.

And I bought a Maverick speedball 3" dropper when they came out.

1. They're really over-priced.

2. They're really unreliable.

How much do you think is reasonable for the benefit they get you?

The point of them being over priced is moot; if you don't want to drop your seat post ever then it wouldn't matter how cheap they are you're not going to buy one.

Having been forced on occasions to go back to a regular post, I just can't stand it. It's horrible. I only ever have the saddle at full height when actually going uphill. Even on a relatively flat section I'll drop the post just a little, maybe an inch or less.

If all you were doing is riding up 12 miles and then descending 6 miles, and that's all it ever was, then I'd not be so worried but even then the dropper post has advantages.

Anyone else find themselves using their dropper post as a convenient sit down rest whenever they stop?

Anyone else find themselves using their dropper post as a convenient sit down rest whenever they stop?

yep.

Anyone else find themselves using their dropper post as a convenient sit down rest whenever they stop?

Indeed.

Where I ride - Catalunya Spain - it's really steep up, followed by really steep down with rocks so YES I'd love a reliable 6" dropper - Spaniards always travel in big groups so stopping and adjusting doesn't happen.

Problem is, as this forum will testify, for every user who has good words to say about any of the products there is always someone who has nothing but woe with the very same product.

I can't let myself splash over £200 on something that's going to be a bit flaky. And I don't understand anyone else who does to be honest.

Only £175 for the DSP with remote 😉 and Legend and I are in agreement that they're ace.

Is it 6" drop (I suppose I could google it).

I [i]do[/i] deserve a present!

Problem is, as this forum will testify, for every user who has good words to say about any of the products there is always someone who has nothing [s]but woe with the very same product[/s] good to say about anything and wouldn't be happy if Jesus himself came down and blessed their bike and guaranteed it would never fail.

FIFY

No its 125mm or 4.5" drop I'm afraid, It has been plenty of drop for me so far though, whats another 20mm between friends? 😉

http://dsp-racing.com/products-02.html

passtherizla - do you have any pics of the dsp bighorn in the flesh please? im considering getting a 27.2 version too!

You reckon?

There does appear to be some consensus on a fair few things.

Everyone like a Cotic Soul.

I do find the way Avid brakes are described as cheap and crap quite often a tad irksome when mine have been fine and dandy I suppose.

The dropper seatpost thing [i]does[/i] appear to be a big divider from what I've read. Not just on this forum.

I'd like to know form the ravers exactly how long they've had them too. If a Reverb is great for a year and then breaks, well that's rubbish isn't it?

Here's some Bighorn photos....

[img] [/img]
[img] [/img]
[img] [/img]
[img] [/img]

I'd like to know form the ravers exactly how long they've had them too.

Had mine since November 2010. It went back for a service under warranty in August last year after a particularly hard week in Verbier.

If a Reverb is great for a year and then breaks, well that's rubbish isn't it?

It's not great I agree, but then it's a lot better than not having one at all, at least from my point of view.

The reason they are still not foolproof is that up to 2010, you only had products being made by small companies who aren't going to have the manufacturing know how or the R&D to get it 100% right.

It's only since SRAM launched the Reverb that we've had a major manufacturer invest time and effort into making them. The Reverb is a lot better that the others, both in how it works and in its reliability, i.e. consistent performance over time, warranty issues not withstanding.

Notice how Fox have still to release theirs?

Ten years from now you'll look back at this time and realise that we were all beta testing these products.

mine looks just like that...

ok. i thought yours was a 27.2mm for some reason, was just wondering if the shaft was the same diameter as the 30.9's etc etc no worries though ill email si

So the Big Horn - I thought it only had 4" of drop? Is this a new bigger drop version? Looks surprisingly like my old Speedball, but hey, what do looks count for?

Nice looking remote button thingy. Very KS.

According to the website link above the 27.2mm DSP dropper only has 3 inches of travel! Whats the point for the best part of £200!

Rik - if you're short like me a 75mm drop is plenty.

I splurged on the 75mm Command Post as i wanted a short drop post (only have around 165mm distance tween seat collar and saddle rails) and the 3 position system.

It seems like a really solid post so far, no noticable lateral play yet but time will tell i suppose.

Havent heard many people say many bad things about the giant post, just wondering if this is because they are reliable or are not very popular? 😕

I think I might have had one of the first GD units in the UK, I bought in America years before there was a GD UK agent and its still working ok. I also have a second GD Turbo, again its fine, neither are bomb proof, both need some TLC from time to time. A mate bought a new Reverb last year, it lasted 5 months, seals failed and could not be repaired under warranty (seems odd but hey ho) and he was given a full refund and he is going to get the latest version later this month.

75mm drop is only useful if you are short and you don't ride gnarly trails IMHO.

With a 33" inside leg and over 6' tall even 5" drop isn't that much.

I have a 75mm drop post but don't use it for that very reason.

In terms of reliability they're not a fit and forget unit (any make/model)
I think they should be viewed as you view your suspension units in that they need to be clean properly with preventative maintainance throughout the year (like air can rear shock and lower leg services on forks) and have a Full service each year to keep them running as they should.

Edit: Jambon at 6'3" I found the 4.5" of the DSP post fine for all kinds of riding, will be finding out how a the 27.2" X 3" post works fro me on my Dialled Albert I'm building at the moment, I think it depends what you're used to riding, I've ridden everything apart from really steep tech dh with saddle up for years so any drop is great 😀

jambon - Member

If the Gravity Dropper technology is 9 years old and it works so well how come the prices haven't fallen to put everyone out of the running? They must be pretty cheap to make as they're so simple.

Still a low volume item. Also, price and performance aren't all that goes into it- people were happy to buy inferior products like the Joplin 3 just because they're less ugly.

I think this is probably what's at the centre of it all... People might moan about reliability on the internet but when they go shopping they buy looks rather than reliability.

Northwind, so what your saying is someone needs to make a Gold plated post that sells for £600 ish and wears out really quickly...

Jambon - i'm 5'2" with an inside lege of 27" (i think) and the 75mm Command Post allows me to sit on the back wheel very easily, so i don't agree that it is only of use if i don't ride techy trails 😉

In fact, it now seems that the 100mm drop CP would have fitted my bike but even though i paid more for a US-import 75mm version i prefer the idea of the one i have now. The reason? The 100mm drop has a 2nd position of 35mm from top height and the 75mm version has a 2nd position of 25mm from top.
This is a much better position for me personally as 35mm would be just that little too much for me with my short legs.

EDIT: Oh yeah, when i went to the Sierra Nevadas last October i was dropping my saddle all the time, to pretty much exactly where my CP now drops it and i think you know how gnarly those trails can be 🙂 In fact it was that trip that convinced me of the need for such a post.

I don't care if it's ugly (hey I ride a c456) but it is expensive for what it is and it's not as if it gets a unanimous vote of confidence from its users.

I'd really like there to be one winner in this race but it seems as though all designs have good and bad points.

Maybe we'll all have to wait a while...

Things are always being developed, tweaked e.t.c 😉

Don't have any first hand experience with [url= http://www.rasebike.com/cart/ ]these[/url] but it looks like a great mechanical post and comes with a neoprene protective sleeve. 9 inch drop too!!!
Its been on my wish list for a long time.

Has anybody got experience of the Rase post, I'm usually a little suspisious of stuff that's been on the market for a while but hasn't got a UK distributor/warranty agent. If they're that good someone in the Industry would have picked them up.

I just wish i was tall enough to be able to indulge myself with a 9" dropper post! 😳

I bought a Rase 9" Black Mamba. Never saw it as Spanish customs buggered the whole import thing up and I eventually got my money back.

Looks agricultural but a good idea. Really simple.

Got to make sure there's enough un-fouled seat tube for it to work okay.

Far from cheap.