[Closed] Dropper Post Stealth Routing -- Yay or Nay?

Reverb - Stealth means no exposed loop of cable to manage so better
KS Lev or other post that links at the collar end - not as much of an issue.

Why not internal route all the cables?

mikewsmith -- thanks. My builder has access to Thomson Covert Elite for pretty good price. I just didn't know whether there are any disadvantages of having stealth routing. Will certainly ask him about internal routing for all cables. I know it will cost much more $$$ because of the extra work. Of course, I have also read many nightmares about internal cable routing.

I'd route the cables above the down tube, not under, for better protection and definitely go stealth. Exit where a lower bottle boss would be. This is also quite neat for brake and rear mech. Overall it's a cleaner look, no loose loop of cable to manage and less to snag, flex, kink or wear, plus the vulnerable barb is removed.

I suppose one drawback to internal routing of cables is more difficult to install / replace. Especially hydraulic lines.

I can see the benefits though

Reverb or [b]KS Lev Integra[/b] - Stealth means no exposed loop of cable to manage so better
KS Lev or other post that links at the collar end - not as much of an issue.

Why not internal route all the cables?

 

The reason I mentioned the Reverb as it has a big loop of cable/hose, the normal Lev doesn't it never moves on the frame.

My point was more the stealth option is more use on the posts where the cable/hose attached at the seat rather than the collar.

The only downside is, depending on your setup, it might make it tricky to raise the post to hold the bike in a workstand.

So long as you clamp it right with a good stand there is no issue clamping the exposed part.

See what you mean mike, good point.

I put a Stealth on my bike, it already had internal routing for the gear cables and as I've gone 1x10 I had one spare 'route' through.

Took a fair bit of giggly-pokey and needed to drill out the cable stops but glad I did it.

Also bought a RH and run it on the LH so hidden under the bar.

Looks far better, and one less cable floating around.

Nicolai?

One option is for the cable to exit the bottom of the seat tube and then run up the top of the downtube. Routing cables under the downtube looks horrendous, is a mud trap and the cables will get damaged.

Not sure I'd want a non-stealth dropper, the extra flapping cable is annoying.

Agreed on routing cables on the inside of the downtube, if that'll work for front mech (or you're going 1x?). Only downside is if you use a clamping bike carrier like a Thule 591 - although my cables are loose enough that I can keep them out of the way and clamp straight on to the tube.

i'd recommend the ks lev.
i have a regular lev and a lev integra. in retrospect the integra ( stealth by another name ) is a pain. cable routing is a faff, then if you want to pull the post out for some reason you have to free the cable, and may even have to detach the switch from the bar.
the regular integra ( non stealth ) has a fixed position cable at the collar. once the cable is routed it doesn't move ( unlike both the reverb and the thompson ).
the ks has greater travel available than the thompson or the reverb, FWIW, and uses cable actuation in common with the thompson, but contrary to the reverb.
someone linked good ( sub 200 quid ) deals on the lev yesterday. do a search.

Thanks for all the input. KS Lev, which has the cable connection at the collar, seems interesting. I'm just wondering the user-experience and reliability of KS Lev

Came across a German company called Vecnum, which has a dropper called Moveloc. It's pretty cool.

20 months in with the Lev, no hassle, replaced the bush at the top which was a 10 min job but that was mostly as we got the part in and wanted to have a look at how it worked on the inside.
Cable management is simple as it's fixed in place.

KS LEV all day long. 2 on my current bikes after ditching 2 Reverbs due to faults and PITA bleeding of them. The LEVs have much less faff, replace gear cable now and again, ability to raise the post if it gets a fault (so not screwing up your ride midway through and cycling like you're on a bmx for umpteen miles!) and no massive loop of cable.

Quite pee'd that newer frames no longer seem have mounts under TT from droppers, just to be more aesthetically pleasing. The new Capra I've bought doesn't have them and I could have fitted one of my LEVs to it. Instead I've got an integra to replace the reverb (as I dislike them so much...plus its too long).

Jungle are also brilliant IMO if you have issues with KS posts (as one of mine lost a bit of pressure after nearly 2 years), servicing and returning it within 5 days of me posting it.

More Lev love here. Also external routing love for maintenance purposes. I'm sure you can Google some posh retro frames and come up with a pretty way of doing it. I'm also a top of the down tube fan.

I wouldn't bother with internal routing if I were designing a bike (which I do regularly so I guess thats an odd thing to say). The faff of cable outer replacement outweighs any aesthetic benefits unless its carbon, where the outer can go in at the front and pop out wherever its actually needed - internal routing on steel/alloy is always a halfway house that offers very little IMHO. Of course for stealth routing thats a different matter as it has a purpose.

3 downtube guides and a hole at the base of the seat tube (well towards the base) is all you need for a nice clean routing. Make sure you put the guides on the opposite side to where you'll have the lever, offset to allow enough clearance from the bottle cage bosses, and angle the entry port at about 15-30 degrees (dependent on tube size) from straight on to give a nice clean entry for the hose without a kink. Depends on the frame builder I guess but if you need a port spec and grommet to fit it let me know, I have hundreds of them!

Wow...really appreciate all the help here. There seems to be a lot of love for KS Lev here. I've read a lot of negative experiences about KS's customer service. Interesting.

benpinnick -- your designing perspective adds another dimension. If I decide to go with all external, no stealth routing for dropper, I'm thinking just put all three on the TT -- just needs to decide whether they are above or below the TT. If I put all three above the DT, I'm a bit concerned about how the derailleur cable gets routed via the chain-stay; that cable gets a bit wonky navigating around the BB, inside the chain-line. Whereas if I keep them near the TT, both the brake and derailleur cables would just go down along the seat-stays.

The old customer service was with superstar, well known for their customer relations.

Thanks, mikewsmith. I'm in the US. 🙂

3 downtube guides and a hole at the base of the seat tube (well towards the base) is all you need for a nice clean routing.

I've retrospectively fitted a frame for a stealth reverb and a lot of people gave me this option as the one to go for.

And then it was pointed out to me that the whole reason for stealth was to do away with the damn cables/hoses being visible and I found myself agreeing. A hole at the base of the seat tube is a half arsed job, as the hose then runs up the outside of the downtube :picard: get it out up near the front of the bike hiding as much as possible.

However I don't design bikes and I've had a hole drilled into a carbon frame so what do I know, but if I had the option to place the hose on a custom bike I'd stick it in the same position near the headtube.

Edit - Sorry, re-reading your OP - I also had under the BB routing suggested which was an even worse routing in my mind as it's nearer the trail and then it goes all the way up the downtube.

Edit Edit - Reads a bit high horse, meant to read a bit tongue in cheak.

FWIW...at this point, I'm leaning toward just to have all cables under the top-tube and use an external-cabled dropper (e.g. Gravity Dropper). Still thinking about a Thomson Elite, but based on everything I've read Gravity Dropper just works, and works, and works.

I have a ks lev integra. Just about to sell it as it was on my zesty but I'm a shortarse so post didn't quite sit right.

FWIW...at this point, I'm leaning toward just to have all cables under the top-tube and use an external-cabled dropper (e.g. Gravity Dropper). Still thinking about a Thomson Elite, but based on everything I've read Gravity Dropper just works, and works, and works.

That's what I'd do. My hardtail has all the cables as you describe and it's a tidy solution. Internal routing seems completely form over function. My full-sus has stealth dropper routing but I use a Gravity Dropper instead. The larger diameter GDs have 3 rather than 2 guide bushes and thus noticeably less play (not that I ever notice it on either GD when riding) as well as longer drop.