[Closed] Is there a dropper that just works?

Only had it three or four months but my Thomson one has been faultless. Got it second hand so it's a bit older than that.

Forca one it replaced was auful, wobbled all over the place.

Gravity dropper.Ugly,too short a drop,not currently imported. However completely mechanical and can be fixed/serviced with a 7 lb hammer and a bent teaspoon! If they had kept up with longer drop trends and done something about the aesthetics I recon they would be just about the only player in the aftermarket dropper game today. I hear good things about specialized command posts but they also max out at 125mm.

In a word, no. I've given up looking for reliable. I'm now focused on repairable. That has lead me to the Revive. My second choice would be the Reverb. Service can be done at home but some of the spares are over priced.

My first reverb has only needed bleeding once. Been faultless apart from that - maybe because its not a Stealth?

I've had 4 Reverbs all together. 3 disasters and then one that performed perfectly for 5 years until I sold the bike. I thought they were pretty much sorted.

Currently got a Fox Transfer. It's been working perfectly for over a year but that's not to say it couldn't shit itself at any time.

Hire rite  😉

Must have had 5 of 6 reverbs over the years, no ride stopping issues with them, the odd 10mm drop issue,  which resulted in brand new posts every time, once was even out of warranty period.

I use a KS Lev now, only cos it came on the Bronson, 15 months in, no issues with it.

I've had no drama from my 2 Revives, other than the initial heart palpitations caused by paying for the damn things.

Bleeding a Reverb won't usually fix any real issues.TBH though they get a lot of stick because of the saggy thing but that's fixable pretty easily and it's not usually ride-ending.

It is a b2 stealth reverb with the 1x remote, maybe I just got a bad one as it shouldn’t be like this after 6 months. My ks lev ran for 2 years only needing a service once. 150mm is minimum drop for me really. Crank brothers has the 160mm drop which would have been perfect. Back to lbs on Monday I guess. Had 2 hours on it since the last bleed that lbs did

A dropper that just works?

Yeah a reverb, had 2 both spot on for the last 2/3 years.

KS Lev have always been fine for me. A lot of it appears to be luck as to whether or not you get a decent dropper.

My KS lev SI has just been sent back. 5 months with the best summer in my life and the stanchion is worn.

My reverb was 4 years old before it started playing up. Replaced a seal and problem solved. (Hopefully!)

My KS Lev has been problem free for a good few years now. I've also recently bought a Brand X dropper which seems pretty good so far - apart from the rattly lever.

First off, the seat clamp isn't too tight is it - it can happen?Failing that sounds like you could have  a problem with a leak in hose letting air in/fluid out,loose/damaged fittings at either trigger or post end or maybe a kinked hose(maybe broken internally and not outwardly showing leak.).Sounds like your LBS have had a fair few attempts at it so that should be alerting them to a deeper problem,who did full service ?

I would of thought you would be a strong candidate for a warranty replacement now if they are unable to fix it after so many attempts and make it work reliably(assuming they know what they are doing).

They should know what they are doing, they are a reverb service centre kind of thing. Service was a full strip down and rebuild. Same as what tf tuned would do. Leaking hose did cross my mind. Maybe it would pay to replace that just to rule it out

its got that conectamajig thing, anyone had problems with that? Seat clamp is not tight at all, lbs even checked that. I put it back together after first service and bleeds, lbs put it back together after the 2 bleeds to check I wasn’t doing anything wrong.

Cheers all, losing my mind!

I had same issues with Reverbs - three replacements under warranty so now run KSlev which has been perfect and even I can mend it. Thomson on the hardtail which has been bombproof. Fox transfer gets great write ups but pricey - new Race Face dropper is the same thing but less cash I think.

My Specialized IRCC Command Post has been excellent.  In two years it’s not needed to bled - has only had the dust seal replaced and a regrease.

Pretty much hit and miss if you get a good dropper from any brand imo

Had a KS Lev, was faulty within a month, replaced under warranty, one month later failed again, replaced by the bike's distro with a Reverb

The Reverb was faultless for 2 years before i sold the bike

New bike meant a Specialized irrc command post, faulty with 6 months, replaced under warranty, faulty again within 3 months, Specialized refunded me the cost of the seatpost

Bought a Brand X, used for one year fault free before selling the bike

New bike came with a Specialized WU seatpost, didn't get on with the saddle tilt when dropped so replaced it with  Brand X dropper, that developed a fault within one month, being replaced under warranty as we speak

Also have a KS e-ten on the hybrid due to being the only 27.2mm external routed dropper around, so far so good although it does have the most saddle wiggle Ive ever experienced

This is so basic and it just works

https://www.cyclestore.co.uk/giant_contact_switch_seatpost_2018-ID_73871

maybe budget for a wolf tooth remote lever as the included one is stiff but apart from that mine has been faultless

No need to service it. Just replace the full internals for £35

https://www.giantbikespares.com/Giant-Cartridge-for-MY18-Contact-SL-and-Switch-Dropper-Seatpost/product_detail/3-43566

Having used various dropper posts and shared your pain I've now stuck with a ks dropzone with the lever under the saddle. It's simple and works. Every now and then I do a strip and clean. They are unfashionable so you can pick them up cheap. They just refuse to die (ime)

Bontrager Drop line. Really nice trigger too.

Check the 1X remote is not leaking fluid from around the remote and hose junction, seen a lot of these doing this.

Also either a Fox Transfer post or a Bike Yoke Revive would be my choice for a new seatpost.

Warrantied 2 of those Giant ones, developed play and lost all the anodising in a couple of rides

Zero problems with my Revive so far, probably as durable as they come. That said I had almost no trouble with both my LEV Integra. The common denominator here is cable actuated and easy to do a strip and re grease.

That last sentence does not describe a Reverb.

Warrantied 2 of those Giant ones, developed play and lost all the anodising in a couple of rides

I've lost a wee bit under the collar, but in use it makes no difference. Tiny bit of side to side play but no worse than any other brand of dropper I've used

Oddly my oldest Reverb is working pretty well, just a slight sticking on dropping occasionally, but never needs bleeding and no sag or sideways play. A1 model, had it years.

Had one get all saggy and needed one working for a trip so bought another, then the saggy one just needed to be pumped up. Though that one went to the HT and has had the most use and abuse, so bushing is gone, wobbles, dirt got in, it's scratched up nicely, has the 1cm drop.

Newest one I've buggered up trying to swap a LH lever for RH, which meant bleeding and I've bled it a million times and it won't drop. Doesn't help I first tried to put the lever from the old A1 post on it and turns out they are incompatible with A2 onwards (silver collar vs black), but still doesn't work with the original lever.

Can hear the mechanism in the post shift on pressing the lever, just won't drop.

The spare I'd bought still works okay, and the old sticky one is roughly okay. Two out of four.

My experiences with these posts:

Command Post. 1 year old. The original Post arrived defective, replaced under warranty in September, new Post has been okay since. About 2000 miles and 1 service by local bike technician (not because it started to fail, just because of preventative maintenance).

Reverb: 1 year and 4 months old. No faults at all except once all it required was a bleed by local bike technician. That is the only maintenance job that has been done on it. About 1000-1500 miles.

I have a Yep Uptimizer - it’s 125mm drop but they do a 155 now.  Had it 4 years.   No servicing only occasional cleaning - been absolutely reliable.  Smooth, easy to use, cable activated.  Brilliant.

Brand X Around two years and fine.

Reverb A year and it's sticky

Thomson Just got it - so far so good

Ive had one of those 150mm giant contact switch. It needs constant stripping down and cleaning and despite me doing that the stantion is still worn to bare metal after 18 months. Dont get one of those

Bikeyoke Revive.

I have to reset it almost every ride, but as it takes seconds to do I’m happy with that.

If you're at the ArdRock just stop bybthb SRAM tent and they'll fix the Reverb for you. They were sorting loads out last year.

Another Bikeyoke Revive user with the 185mm drop.  Mine's been faultless. I've not had to use it's little revive feature for months and has less play than any other dropper I've ever tried. If you use your hand there is a tiiiiiiiny movement side to side in the nose but it's like 1mm and undetectable when riding.  Pricey but worth it. I'm trying to justify another for my second bike but it's a lot of money.

Reverb's are just hit and miss..some seem to work great for ages and other's are just constant pain.

I wouldn't have one again but if you buy a second you can have one being repaired under warranty at any point and your chance of not getting a lemon increases...With current pricing though they are pretty much disposable as its hardly worth paying half the price of a new one for a service.

If you have one and it's working then that's lucky... but I wouldn't go out and buy one even at the £200 quid mark because if you get a lemon it's just constant messing about and ruined rides.

I had a reverb, it went all weird and saggy etc

Then a Specialized Command Post. It just stopped working. Took the whole thing apart and stripped/greased everything. Still broke. Sold it spares/repair on eBay for £40 and now got a Gravity Dropper I paid £35 for off eBay. Works great and rebounds so fast you can fire a can of beer in the air.

I gave up on Reverbs after stealth routing negated most of the downside of cable operation. Had a few, most suffered with the dreaded play when you sat on them.  Had two KS (150/175) both have been fantastic and two Thomson (150s) which are as smooth as when they came out of the box.

Reverbs are serviceable tho if you know what you're doing (not me but a mate does), others have done between 500 and 3000 km without a service.  I need a 175 or even 185 for the SolarisMax and I'm thinking of going BikeYoke based on what I've read. Serious cash tho!

over the last 8? years ive had:

Reverbs x3

thomson

KS

xfusion x2

and Easton

All have had issues usually in 6 to 12 months (the Thomson was 25months) However, have had a brand x for around 18months now with zero issues. 2 years warranty and dirt cheap in  comparison to the competition.

Had a KS Lev

As you said seems pretty random. My one is still going strong after 2 years with sod all love and care paid to it. It did throw a hissy fit refusing to come back up but after I forgot about it over the mud months the first time took it out this year it worked perfectly. Suspect might have been some water in the system.

First Reverb (mk1) died shortly after selling it. Used a second (mk2) for a year and it was fine.

Got two KS LEVs and they're both fine (although I think I've just killed one trying to extract it from a steel frame...); the one I've potentially killed is four years old and has been ridden all that time through all seasons, with only one service. I like them.

Had a KS i900 – avoid.

Other half has my GD that I bought second hand. Agricultural, not that well sealed, but so simple to maintain it's amusing.

Looking to get a Revive to replace the potentially deaded KS described above.

Reverbs have a couple of things that can catch you out when servicing them. I imagine the stealth doesn't help as basically it makes any leak on the remote harder to find.

Non-stealth I've found the reverb to be a better option than anything else as remote cables get gunged up pretty quick in winter round here.

Meant to say too, have you had it serviced at the same place, if so local or elsewhere? Could they just not have the knack of something on the Reverb?

Reverbs have a couple of things that can catch you out when servicing them. I imagine the stealth doesn’t help as basically it makes any leak on the remote harder to find.

Thing is though you spend so long servicing them... I was forever dealing with the remote and working out is it the remote again or something else that requires a load of tools ... I did this for ages ... and TBH the biggest job is the rubber seals... the actual bleed itself isn't too bad.

Then the bushings or keys went... and I started trying to work out what I needed and which keys without removing etc. and at the same time had a real bad case of dropper envy as Jnr had a Thomson (he's not even close to his weight depressing a reverb @ enough pressure for it to come back up)

It was XMAS... my mum wanted to know what to buy me... and I just went for the same.  It just feels so much smoother...

Non-stealth I’ve found the reverb to be a better option than anything else as remote cables get gunged up pretty quick in winter round here.

Yep but £1/m and £2 or so for a new cable... vs new hose etc.

Jnr killed his cable outer a couple of week ago.(crash).. only took a few mins to replace (in fact fixed in car park as I had spare cables and could cut the damaged part off the hose)

Everything about them seems to cost money once they do start going wrong...

Spesh command post , very simple inside. The internal one is very easy to regrease. But limited drop for current fashion and limited sizing.

Still a good option if it fits you needs

They service a lot of droppers and have never had this before so I’m trusting them!

Took it in last night and we found a little kink in the hose right at the connector to the lever. Going to replace the hose and conectamijig just to rule it out.

Bought a s/h brand x post as a spare so hoping all goes well!

I’ve tried lots of dropper posts and the Fox Transfer is easily the best. Not cheap, but if you want a dropper that just works then this is the one for you.

If you don’t need any more than 125mm drop then the Specialized Command Post is also very good. I had zero problems with mine.

The Reverbs I’ve had have all developed one problem or another. I still have one on my hardtail, but it’ll be replaced with something else when it fails. The Brand-X ones might be worth a look it seems at the price CRC have been knocking them out.

They service a lot of droppers and have never had this before so I’m trusting them!

Took it in last night and we found a little kink in the hose right at the connector to the lever. Going to replace the hose and conectamijig just to rule it out.

See, this is why I gave up ... it start to feel like good money after bad and the result is a not particularly nice dropper when compared to other offerings that's a sod to maintain...

As mine got worse the internal hose was in and out like a government minister at a brothel... if only trying to see if a bleed works... so I looked at replacing it ... then the seat post developed (more) play so I knew I'd need to look to new bushings or keys ... etc.

Looking for parts they and tools they were pretty much getting to the same cost as a new Reverb ...

The answer is Xfusion manic. Its cheap (£170) you can replace the cartridge cheaply and its well made. Only negative is the weight. It weighs 100g more than most posts.

I've had zero hassle from my Fox Transfer which has been thoroughly abused and never serviced (used for about 2 years and counting). If you can find Marzocchi or newer Race Face droppers cheaper they're also rebranded Foxes.

My Fox Transfer has been faultless so far, as was my Thomson that has been the same on my mates bike for the last few years.

My current Reverb has been fine except when I over tightened the seat clamp, which to be fair didn’t seem overly tight. Had others that have been less so.

I have used Reverbs on my full suspension bikes ( not hardtail) for quite a few years .  I have needed to only replace 1 . I don’t use the “stealth version” as that makes maintenance difficult so is pointless in my view . After each ride I wipe the post and oil the seal with fork oil from a precision oiler. That keeps the seal good. I do the same on forks ( wipe stanchions and oil seal) each ride. Ocassionaly I have needed to add air but I have maneged years of service from each post . One thing I will admit is that I stop using reverbs in very cold & muddy conditions and just use a solid post on my hardtail. That makes a big difference. I would say that reverbs like all adjustable posts are really fair weather equipment and not up to constant mud wet and snow.

Sounds like a mixed bag for all makes then...

I'm about to try a magura one on Thursday, wish me luck 🙂

Slight hijack OP sorry but what's the ball park cost for a reverb service and places recommended to send to?

Tft is on the list but others that get the thumbs-up too?

Thanks

It was around 100 bucks, being a new post is 250 ish with 1x lever it’s just not throw away money. Hoping once the hose is replaced it just starts to be fine. They said there was nothing actually wrong inside the post when they serviced it

I have used Reverbs on my full suspension bikes ( not hardtail) for quite a few years .  I have needed to only replace 1 . I don’t use the “stealth version” as that makes maintenance difficult so is pointless in my view . After each ride I wipe the post and oil the seal with fork oil from a precision oiler. That keeps the seal good. I do the same on forks ( wipe stanchions and oil seal) each ride. Ocassionaly I have needed to add air but I have maneged years of service from each post . One thing I will admit is that I stop using reverbs in very cold & muddy conditions and just use a solid post on my hardtail. That makes a big difference. I would say that reverbs like all adjustable posts are really fair weather equipment and not up to constant mud wet and snow.

For me the internal routing was definitely a factor.

I look after my forks and shocks... both cleaning and lowers/air cans but the Stealth on my Whyte was more trouble to simply get out and bad in than forks and shocks...

Every time it did come out it would seem the base was rusty and it was prone to not working at all in the cold or after being wet.  I'd clean it and grease the bottom... but the whole thing just was a lot of time and effort compared to doing a fork or shock.

I'm convinced your right and an external one cleaned both ends and dried each ride would be fine... but I'd be hardly using it if I only used it in fair weather... (This summer being a bit of an exception)

I also carry the bikes on the back seat upside down and dropper down... (at least my bike needs dropper down) and that probably doesn't help when the bike gets back wet ... thing is Jnr's dropper is now a year old and has been treated the same and has no signs of rust... or anywhere for water ingress like the Reverb with the surclip and holes around it.

I feel I should contradict the advice on the command post - they are fairly simple and fairly smooth when they work, I had one on a 2nd hand bike that stopped working for no known reason (Everything inside was fresh and clean, cable moving fine, it just started dropping when I wasn't asking it to).

Replaced with second hand Reverb and everyhting has been fine since. I asked a mechanic in a well regarded Specialized dealer about the post after I'd pulled it to bits and basically they weren't keen to do much on it as they have had similar experiences on a number of posts - they stop working, even when clean with nothing looking remotely worn out inside, they just mysteriously misbehave after a service and then it's up to them to try and sort it out. In his exact words the way to sort it was "Find a bin, put that post in the bin, buy a Magura or a Rockshox one"...

I've successfully pulled reverbs to bits and got them working very well again. Replacing bushes really isn't a big job, same goes for the keyway pins. Bit of a knack to refilling the post with fluid though. And there are about a hundred steps to follow, but that's the price of a fully serviceable post.

I'm going to regret saying this I think, but I bought a bike (second hand) nearly three years ago which had a KS Lev Integra in. I don't know how old it was at the time, but I've not serviced it, other than a wipe down and a little lube, in all the time I've had it. It still works.

Of course, now it's going to disintegrate the moment I sit on it, isn't it?