[Closed] Brand-X dropper longevity

I've been using one on my full sus for almost 2 years, and one on my hardtail for a year. Both have been subjected to frequently damp/muddy rides and both operate faultlessly.

Great VFM in my opinion

I'm 18 months on mine. (although it's Branded Pro).

The only point of failure on mine has been cabled related, I get a lot of schmutz in my seat tube once the cable pulled out of the end, once it got so shitted up it wouldn't drop/rise, once it was so cold it locked 'open' so it fell when you sat on it and came back up when you didn't. I ride 12 months a year and live in Wales so you expect stuff like this.

About 6 months ago I stripped and cleaned it - once it's out it takes literal minutes, a few weeks ago I did the same and replaced the seals / keys at the same time. Kit was £15, again it took minutes. The how-to vid is 'real time' and lasts 6 mins long - but they'd doing a brand new clean dropper - real world it's more like 15. It's like brand new again.

I think they're wonderful, real world reliability, serviceability and low price. what's not to like.

A fair few threads on here about the Brand X. Having read probably all of those there are remarkable few failures on this post. Some rebuild spares are also available for it which is a bonus.

I'd take one over a reverb any day.

Had the 150mm version since release and it's been excellent.
Ok, the first one arrived lacking pressure so got replaced under warranty (wouldn't hold it for more than a few days) but the replacement has been spot on.

Probably due a clean and grease after winter, but other than a top up of air pressure recently, that's been it.

Mine hasn't missed a beat in 2 years. Some droppers might feel a bit nicer but the price difference is crazy. They should be the de facto standard.

Buy!

A friend has one on his Vitus complete hes had for 2years now, only issue was in a crash the lever snapped but was replaced with a bontrager one. The black colour on the back of the dropper stanchion has started to wear thin, but the post hasnt skipped a beat.

I've had mine for a year and it has been excellent. I did have the same issue P-jay mentioned when it locked open after a long wet and muddy ride, but a bit of clean of the cabling soon fixed that.

[* I work for WiggleCRC and Brand-X is our Own Brand]

Cheers for the replies, this is very encouraging so far. I'm trying not to fall into the trap of "buy cheap, buy twice", but this sounds like a good bet 🙂

As has been said before on these threads asking about these droppers you may want to add in the cost of a bontrager remote (about £20) and you’ve got a good setup at a very reasonable price.

Or you can “convert” a front shifter if you have one spare. There’s a video for this on YouTube.

I've had a 125mm external one for about a year now and it's been fine. Using a mudguard must help a bit though.

I've had one a year and I have not been able to to ever return reliably. I've serviced it and checked the torque of seatpost clamp. It will work first time after cleaning, but as soon as I go out on it, it will not return to full height. Far from the worst dropper i've had but I'm not impressed.

I’m now just waiting on mine to mate with a PNW Loam lever & expecting good things to go up & down not round & round. 😉👍

They have a 2 year warranty mate, I'd send it back I think.

@Zippy - aren’t you the guy who can’t even work an iPad though?

Yes they have 2 year warranty but it work directly after a service, but fails on the bike, so how am I to get it warrantied when they'll there nothing wrong with it.

Sorry why can't I use an ipad?

No idea why this is now about an iPad? Lol

Zippy, I see your point. I once emailed an online shop with a link to a video of a sus fork I had an intermittent fault with. They swapped the forks in the end.

Worth a shot mate?

I could give it go I suppose, hadn't thought of that.. f'all to loose. Still think my 2nd hand giant dropper has been more reliable, and even my reverb is still going in 4 years on.

Now you've said that about the reverb....😏

I retrofitted one with 120mm drop to my Hardtail that I've ridden frequently over the last 18 months through mud, slop, ice and snow. A few months in the lever feel got a bit sticky. I put chain lube down the cable from the lever end and on the pivot/actuator at the bottom of the post and it's been fine ever since. Apart from that and washing the bike / wiping the crud off it, zero maintenance. I use the dropper all the time when I ride so I dread to think how many cycles it has done. I've just bought a nukeproof mega with a 150mm Brand-X dropper fitted. The lever is far superior to the one on my Hardtail. I don't know if that is Brand-Xs new standard lever or one specified by Nukeproof. If I was in the market for a dropper I wouldn't even be considering any of the over priced alternatives.

The new Brand X levers are indeed modified and better than the old type.

They also have the cable terminated at the lever which is much easier to fit and adjust.

I’ve had mine for 2 years now. No problems with it at all. After 1 ride per week average (ish)

had mine about 8 months. its branded trans-x, but seems good.
always had minor side to side wiggle.

want a longer one, and better lever though. so maybe with the new lever mentioned above its time.

also, looks like the whyte dropper on some models is the same

Mine froze on Saturday again so I'm slightly less happy with it, peed on the seat tube and it sorted itself out. That'll learn it.

@P-Jay have you replaced the inner & outer cables? It sorted my externally routed one and a friends internal after both (and another friends Thompson) all stopped working a few weeks back on a sub zero night ride. Mined worked fine the following week when it was even colder.

It seems to be the most reliable dropper around (although compared to a Reverb that's not saying much), mine certainly is going strong after 2 years of abuse.

@p-jay - you mean your cable froze...not the dropper?

I have replaced with a sealed cable - lasting over a year now without issue.

Mine is just shy of 2 years old, still going strong.

Just installed another this weekend on eldest_oab's bike - it was £87 for TransX/BrandX or £125+ for the repairs and service to his Reverb, that has been a constant bleed hassle.

you mean your cable froze…not the dropper?

It's hard to recreate in the garage, but the problem seems to be the release mech at the bottom of the post gets wet / full of schmutz, add in sub-zero conditions and a 30 mins drive for an extra bit of wind chill and the mech freezes open. Cable moves (about 50% of normal travel) but doesn't release. If I sit, the seat drops, when I get off, it rises. Sub optimum!

I've recently serviced it, cleaned the mech and replaced the inner, I guess I should change the outer and see how it goes.

Pretty good and very fixable to the 'home mechanic'.

I've got the older versions on my bikes (one stealth one not). The non-stealth is on my awaydays 'big' bike, so doesn't get the hammer that my 'everything else ride' hardtail.

The one on the hardtail is showing a fair bit of rotational play now. I have replaced the bushings, keys and the lot and it got much better, but regressed quickly. I think I might have worn the slots to the point where the keys are now worn by them and round we go. I put quite heavy grease in the first time I serviced it and I think this is the problem.

Also the cable freezes up in cold weather. The way to avoid it is to be careful when washing the bike and not to wash it upside down. This reduces water ingress into the frame. If there is water in the frame, it finds its way to the base of the post whenever the bike is upside down (trailside repair for example). It then trickles into the end freezes up.

They are way, way better than reverbs, though. There is much less to go wrong.

I had one on my bdman for over a year and it was mint. I just got one for my reign. Mine just come with the same lever as my old one did should it have been different ? Not that I have a problem with the older one.

Perhaps you got one from older stock mate? They do all ship with the new design lever now.

Cheers mate I’ve only had it a couple of weeks. I find it ok anyway.
Cheers

I've had a couple over the last few years, I stupidly 'upgraded' to an Easton when they came out in an effort to brand match my bar/stem. Subsequently the Easton dropper died and a bought another brand-x.

Anyway, they are the most reliable post Ive owned, every other (rockshox x2, Thompson, ks, Xfusion and Easton) has died in one way or other. The current 150mm brand x I've had since launch is still going with no issues.

Only thing I'd suggest is buy a better leaver as the one it comes with just feels rough.