wireless dropper post

Best dropper posts in 2020 | 14 recommendations and our buyer’s guide Our guide to the best height-adjustable seatposts on the market ❚ The products mentioned in this article are selected or reviewed independently by our journalists. When you buy through links on our site we may earn an affiliate commission, but this never influences our opinion. Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Pinterest Share on Reddit Email to a friend By Alex Evans August 1, 2020 at 6:00 am Dropper seatposts are a good example of how fast and far mountain bike technology evolves. Less than 10 years ago, a seatpost that moved up and down was a rarity, but it’s near impossible to find a mountain bike without one now. We’ve tested a huge range of dropper posts and this list represents the best of the best. The best dropper posts for mountain bikes in 2020 OneUp V2 Dropper Post: £179 Crankbrothers Highline 7: £270 Brand-X Ascend II: £140 Brand-X Ascend XL: £164.00 / €191.99 / $251.99 / AU$317.99 RockShox Reverb AXS: £700 / $800 RockShox Reverb Stealth C1 X1: £395 / $349 9Point8 Fall Line: £379 / $349 BikeYoke REVIVE: From £299 Fox Transfer Factory 2020: £438 / €498 / $409 / AU$658 KS LEV Integra: £290 (125mm travel) Manitou Jack: £299 Specialized Command Post IRcc: £265 Syncros Duncan Dropper 2.0: £210 X-Fusion Manic: £220 OneUp V2 Dropper Post 5.0 out of 5 star rating Buy now from Chain Reaction Cycles ($263.00). Best dropper posts The V2 has up to 210mm of drop. Alex Evans Price: £179 (plus £42 for OneUp Dropper Post Remote V2) Weight: 579g (without remote and cable – remote: 48g) Stroke length (* tested): 120mm, 150mm, 180mm, 210mm* Diameters: 30.9mm, 31.6mm, 34.9mm Max length: 554mm (210mm travel) ADVERTISEMENT The OneUp V2 dropper’s party piece is how it lets riders substantially increase their post’s travel, meaning the seat can be lower on the descents while returning to the same position at full extension, without the equivalent increase in post stack height. OneUp’s done this by making the post’s body, seal head and seat clamp as slim as possible and the 210mm travel post was shorter than RockShox’ Reverb B1 150mm travel post by 34mm. It’s impressive stuff. To boot, the V2 doesn’t cost a fortune and we had no issues with it sticking or feeling lumpy during the testing period. It also made us wonder why we haven’t upgraded to a longer travel, shorter stack post sooner! Read our full OneUp V2 Dropper Post review Crankbrothers Highline 7 4.5 out of 5 star rating Buy now from Chain Reaction Cycles ($422.99). Crankbrothers Highline 7 dropper seatpost Once out on the trail it was a top performer. Andy McCandlish / Immediate Media Price: £270 Weight: 516g (without remote and cable) Stroke length (* tested): 100mm, 125mm*, 150mm, 170mm Diameters: 30.9mm, 31.6mm Max length: 417mm (125mm travel) With the Highline 7, it looks like Crankbrothers has nailed performance, reliability and ease of fitment. The post’s construction screams quality and it was very simple to fit to our test bikes thanks to the cables nipple attaching to the post end with the lever clamping the cable at the other end. The stack height — the distance from the bottom of the post’s collar to the centre of the seat rails — was impressively short at 50mm, too. Although the remote was £55 extra, we thought it was well worth it, thanks to its smooth action and adjustable angle. Previously, Crankbrothers’ posts had a reputation for being unreliable, but we had no such experiences with the Highline 7, and should the worst happen, it’s backed by the brand’s four-year warranty. Top-quality Trelleborg sealing and igus glide bearings mean performance is impressively smooth, easily controlled and consistent even on the longest, dirtiest rides or after an extended rest, although the return speed isn’t adjustable but a ‘soft push’ of the lever does make the post return slower. Read our full Crankbrothers Highline 7 dropper post review Brand-X Ascend II 4.5 out of 5 star rating Buy now from Chain Reaction Cycles ($207.99). Brand-X Ascend II dropper seatpost It’s great to see the 27.2 option if you are running a skinnier posted bike. Andy McCandlish / Immediate Media Price: £140 Weight: 618g (without remote and cable) Stroke length: 150mm Diameters: 27.2mm, 30.9mm, 31.6mm Max length: 390mm (105mm travel), 400 (125mm travel), 449mm (150mm travel) Thanks to its cable barrel attachment at the post end, the Ascend II doesn’t require accurate trimming of the inner and out cables. The Ascend II is an externally-routed cable dropper, although an internally-routed cable option — the Ascend XL — is also available. The Ascend II impressed us on the trails with a near-perfect return speed, impressively shaped and easy-to-use remote, and reliable action. Although the supplied cable didn’t last long in wet conditions, suffering from corrosion, simply replacing it with a better quality cable would solve that issue. Although the Ascend II is impressively cheap, it’s almost identical to Race Face Aeffect-R and Syncros post. If you’re after a bargain, then, look no further. Read our full Brand-X Ascend dropper post review Brand-X Ascend XL 4.5 out of 5 star rating Buy now from Chain Reaction Cycles ($252.49). Reliable, no-nonsense performance from Brand X Reliable, no-nonsense performance from Brand X. Immediate Media Co Price: £164.00 / €191.99 / $251.99 / AU$317.99 for the model tested Weight: 637g Stroke length: 150mm Diameters: 30.9mm, 31.6mm Max length: 455mm Internal length: 255mm The Ascend range from Brand-X offers reliable, no-nonsense performance in sizes to suit most bikes at total-bargain prices. This 150mm-stroke XL version is the latest addition to the family, but uses the same proven mechanism as the 120mm post (£139.99). It comes with a wobbly but functional shifter-style remote lever for 1x transmissions – but a vertical ‘universal’ lever is also available. Cable fitting and set-up is a typically fiddly affair with the nipple at the lever end, but the linkage actuator means operation is smooth enough. Return speed is acceptable without any danger of neutering you, and the top-out is discernible. Despite costing less than it does to service some droppers, Ascend reliability is better than most, making it a no-brainer if you’re watching your wallet. There’s also an externally-routed 125mm Ascend II for £139.99 and a 27.2mm version for the same price (85mm or 105mm stroke, internal). Dropper post vs fixed post. Which is faster for XC racing? Best mountain bike: how to choose the right one for you The most anticipated enduro bikes of 2020 RockShox Reverb AXS 4.5 out of 5 star rating Buy now from eBay ($1142.00). RockShox Reverb AXS dropper post SRAM reckons the post lasts around 40 hours of ride time before it’ll need charging. Andy Lloyd Price: £700 / $800 Weight: 650g Stroke length: 100mm, 125mm, 150mm, 175mm, 200mm Diameters: 30.9mm, 31.6mm, 34.9mm Max length: 440mm As RockShox’ halo dropper post, it comes as little surprise that the Reverb AXS is a top-scorer. Building on the hydraulic Reverb’s performance, the electrical AXS takes the simplicity of use one step further. The button’s especially light and easy to push and the post doesn’t require the physical depression of a lever to actuate, making its use even more intuitive to operate even over rough, jolty terrain. The lack of cables makes fitting easy and it would be possible to share this one post across many bikes. After months of abuse in adverse British weather, it’s still running as it should. Read our full RockShox Reverb AXS review RockShox Reverb Stealth C1 with 1x remote 4.5 out of 5 star rating Buy now from eBay ($498.00). RockShox Reverb Stealth C1 with 1X Remote The Reverb Stealth comes in 30.9, 31.6 and 34.9mm diameters. Andy McCandlish / Immediate Media Price: £395 Weight: 516g (including remote and cable) Stroke length: 100mm, 125mm, 150mm, 170mm, 200mm Diameters: 30.9mm, 31.6mm, 34.9mm Max length: 519mm The Reverb’s popularity comes as no surprise thanks to the number of different travel and diameters available. This latest iteration improves on reliability and reduces the post’s overall length and stack height while keeping travel figures the same. Plenty of accessories – including a bleed kit and MMX matchmaker system – are included in the box. When previous iterations of the Reverb were slammed for top-stroke bounce issues, RockShox went back to the drawing board and added Vent Valve Technology to the latest model. This lets you ‘bleed’ the system of air if it starts to sag without needing to attach syringes. The latest Reverb appears to have hit the sweet-spot of performance, reliability and user serviceability. Read the full RockShox Reverb Stealth C1 1x remote dropper post review Latest deals $498.00 9Point8 Fall Line 4.0 out of 5 star rating 9Point8's Fall Line offers smooth action and adjustable return speeds 9Point8’s Fall Line offers smooth action and adjustable return speeds. Immediate Media Co Price: £379 / $349 Weight: 623g Stroke length: 75mm, 100mm, 125mm, 150mm, 175mm, 200mm Diameters: 30.9mm, 31.6mm Max length: 455mm Internal length: 245mm One of the longest posts on the market, the Fall Line is light and loaded with great features, but we’ve had irritating leakage issues with our samples. The ‘DropLoc’ cable shuttle needs to be set up exactly right, but having the cable anchored at the lever end makes it easier, and once you’ve got it sorted the whole mechanism can be unscrewed for easy removal/refitting. There’s a wide range of stroke lengths, with super-long 175mm and 200mm versions available for an extra £40. It’s lightweight and short for its travel. The saddle clamp gets large titanium bolts for security and separate angle adjustment, and there’s a layback head option for £35. Whether you choose the ‘universal’ remote or the sweetly-machined shifter-style ‘Digit’ unit seen here, the action is very smooth. Return speed can be altered and stop-point modulation is excellent. The 9point8 post has a great reputation for reliability too, although we’ve had gradual pressure leak problems. BikeYoke REVIVE 4.0 out of 5 star rating Buy now from eBay ($648.57). BikeYoke's Revive lets you bleed out problem-causing air BikeYoke’s Revive lets you bleed out problem-causing air. Immediate Media Co Price: From £299 Weight: 620g Stroke length: 125mm, 160mm, 185mm Diameters: 30.9mm, 31.6mm, 34.9mm Max length: 463mm Internal length: 265mm BikeYoke got into the dropper business by designing remotes to fix problems on other posts, and its own REVIVE dropper is designed with a unique self-fixing feature. There’s an extra-long 185mm option and the low saddle clamp means the 160mm version we tested fits where most 150mm posts do. It’s secure and easy to adjust too. The minimal shifter-style lever has a drilled-out paddle to stop dirty thumbs slipping and contributes to low overall system weight. It’s loose on its pivot from new though. By leaving out an internal floating piston to separate oil and air, BikeYoke reduces shaft drag for a smooth, adjustable speed stroke. If the post does start to sag or bounce, turning the 4mm bleed valve under the saddle while compressing it ‘revives’ it back to proper function. We’ve got one post that needs ‘reviving’ irritatingly often, but our other samples hardly ever require it. The BikeYoke dropper is a reasonable price too. Fox Transfer Factory 2020 4.0 out of 5 star rating Buy now from eBay ($837.68). 2020 Fox Transfer 175mm dropper 2020 Fox Transfer 175mm dropper post. Russell Burton Price: £438 / €498 / $409 / AU$658 (including lever) Weight: 646g Stroke length: 100mm, 125mm, 150mm, 175mm Diameters: 30.9mm, 31.6mm Max length: 505.7mm Internal length: 298.5mm If you can afford it, Fox’s Transfer is a robust, sweet-performing post that can be switched between internal and external routing. It uses a typical hook-ended actuator lever design, but cable clamping and cutting is done at the lever end, making it a much easier process. The light-action remote lever is available in under-bar shifter style or vertical ‘universal’ format too. You do have to buy that separately at £69 on top of the £369 post cost, which seems steep given its average, wobbly-from-new design. Fox recently announced the addition of a 175mm 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. Function is silky smooth though, with excellent speed and position control. Every Transfer we’ve used has stayed that way indefinitely, no matter how bad the conditions or minimal the maintenance. That makes the high price a reasonable investment, and the Performance version skips the gold Kashima coating of the Factory post to save £50. You can even switch to external operation using an actuator at the collar. Read our full 2020 Fox Transfer Factory review Latest deals for the Fox Transfer Factory $488.49 KS LEV Integra 4.0 out of 5 star rating Buy now from eBay ($465.67). KS Lev Integra dropper seatpost On the bike, the infinite adjustment of the post was smooth and the return was controlled rather than gunshot fast. Andy McCandlish / Immediate Media Price: £290 (125mm tested) Weight: 484g (without remote and cable) Stroke length: 100mm, 125mm, 150mm, 175mm Diameters: 27.2mm, 30.9mm, 31.6mm, 34.9mm Max length: 450mm Internal length: 250mm KS’s LEV is light, well priced, flex-free, available in lots of options and more reliable than most of its rivals. It’s been on the market for a while now, so we’ve had plenty of time to work out what it is – and isn’t – good at. 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 low weight will appeal to XC/trail riders, and there’s even a 27.2mm version (100mm stroke) for hardtails and older frames. It’s got a smooth and easily controlled stroke with a solid top-out thunk that leaves no doubt that it has re-extended. Pricing is okay too, with a 100/125mm model at £290, 150mm at £310 and 175mm at £340. KS’s shifter-style ‘Southpaw’ lever (£37 alloy, £59 carbon) is much nicer to use than the short ‘universal’ knuckle lever that comes as standard. The way that the post extends if you pick the bike up by the saddle is a pet hate of some people. We do still occasionally get LEVs that need a nudge or pull to extend them too, but that’s less common than it used to be. Our main criticism of the LEV is how the cable is mounted – it’s clamped at the post end instead of the lever. 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.