remotelocal

The reviews can be breathless at times, but what's the reality these days?

I want one for the weekend trails but I also ride my MB to work and home 5 days a week, so i'm wondering if a dropper left at it's high point would handle the regular use/ride through the week? Or would I just shorten it's lifespan doing so? I'd rather not switch out posts as i can run a stealth set-up on my frame so would want to take advantage of that. but I don't want to splurge on a dropper if i'm going to wear it out or give myself trouble from daily use.

ColinL

Leaving it in the up position is the easiest thing you can do to a dropper. Having your full weight on it and bringing the post down is the hardest thing you can do. Raising it up is something in between.

So, commuting with it fully up is no big deal.

But if you've read a lot of reviews, you've probably read that some droppers can be unreliable. They are getting better as a whole, and some of them have infrequent routine maintenance and seem quite reliable. In general, fully mechanical posts are more reliable, but they're heavier, don't go down unless your butt is forcing them down, and they come up really fast since it's just a spring.

Which posts are you considering? I have a Gravity Dropper turbo LP and it's been fine for two years. But it is ugly as hell, and my new (as of December) frame has stealth routing, so I've been considering an upgrade.

osco53

I'm all over mine, so far no problems at all.

I ride light and leave it halfway down most of the time..

I have landed on the seat badly a few times, no problems so far..

Giant Contact Switch Remote Seatpost 30.9 x 400mm

NO maintenance really,,
It's a cartridge unit,, replacing the cartridge,, $80

dminor 

I have a Contact Switch that was given to me blown (long story) and I replaced the gas spring on it. So far, it has worked flawlessly and I love it to pieces. I will be interested to see how long the gas spring lasts.

If you want to avoid the gas/hydraulic and go with a mechanical post, look at either the Gravity Dropper (as ColinL has) or the Specialized Command Post.

Side Note: I tried to find an industrial replacement before ordering the Giant cartridge and there is just no such cheap, off-the-shelf replacement - - industrial gas springs that are that small in diameter AND lockable AND aluminum-bodied AND that have that much stroke are all quantity-custom-order items - - mostly for seatbacks on airliners. Fortunately I got my Giant spring for $55 from my sponsor LBS.

remotelocal

Thanks ColinL. I'm really shooting blind as to what would be the best option. I'd like a heap of drop, I ride my seat nice and high usually, so it'd need a good drop to get out of the way. I'd be interested to know what stealth options you'd consider to upgrade to. Thanks, andy

ColinL

I'm leaning towards a Thomson Covert Elite. I think those guys are serious engineers, and they figured out all the v1.0 issues with the Elite dropper 2 years ago. They're also serious about customer service, so if you do have problems, it seems like pretty much everyone comes to a satisfactory resolution.

Aceldama

The gravity dropper is supposed to be the most reliable. But I couldn't get past the looks and the remote.

The Fox DOSS uses mechanical stops and a low pressure air spring. The ergonomics are excellent and I haven't found any reports of it failing.

ColinL

andy, did you get a dropper? which one?

I made the mistake of finding that Rockshox Reverb Stealth posts are extremely cheap from Germany, due to the strength of the US dollar against the Euro right now. Look here: Seatposts Adjustable in height Online Shop | Bike-Discount
(You can set it to USD and English in the upper right.)

So now I'm quite tempted to get a Reverb 125 Stealth instead of paying >$400 (retail is $450) for a Thomson Covert Elite.

dminor 

^^ Hasn't the Reverb been plagued with problems since its inception though - - or am I behind the info curve on that?

ColinL

My take was that reliability is better now on the 125 and 150, and there is good info available on how to self-service them. I'm planning to inspect & bleed once a year. First time will probably suck.

sscyco

I've got a LEV, nearly 2 years old, no issues. My options were limited though since I needed a 27.2 diameter

osco53

If I had a Do-over I'd pass on the Infinite position dropper and get one with three set height positions...
That would save me from that, "Dang, a hair lower would have been faster".
Second guessing is a waste of focus..

Funny thing is, Only time I'm at full height Is on the fire roads and long climbs.

Every where else I am half way down as that's my perfect height to pinch the saddle with my knee's when the need arises.
Half way down for me Is plenty low for full movement on the bike in all directions..

Have not racked the family jewels a single time since I became a dropped rider....

ColinL

You do realize you've just jinxed yourself, right? Watch out for the boys this weekend!

remotelocal

Hey ColinL, been away from the thread, and in that time I took the same gamble as you! someone locally bought a new bike fitted with a 150mm reverb stealth, but doesn't have the leg length to manage it. I picked it up for a good price (@ $250US), brand new unused. haven't fitted it to the bike yet, but looking forward to it. Need to do the bleed etc, so need to find the time to seriously focus on getting it set up. Agree on the servicing too. there's a ton of stuff online, recommendations for replacement parts, detailed videos on self servicing, so i'm dead keen to give it a whirl. and 150mm of drop is just what I need!

edit: and having been scared by all the negative posts about the stealth, I've convinced myself that there's just way too many OEMs speccing this post for it to not be generally reliable. I think every single person who has had trouble with one has posted a rant on the internet! anyways, fingers crossed.

ColinL

I got my 125mm Reverb Stealth from the post office on Tuesday (9 calendar days shipping from Deutschland, not horrible) and installed it last night.

The connectimajig is neat; two spring-loaded ball valves minimize fluid loss and air intrusion when you disconnect the post from the hose. However, after doing a full bleed, I don't see it as necessary to avoid bleeding; it's just helpful to keep from getting fluid everywhere when you pull the post for service.

Cleaning spots on bike where the lever, hose and post would run: 5 min
Test install & actuation: 10 min
Figuring out housing path & length, full-on OCD style: 10 min
Looking for tools: 15 min
Drinking beer: 10 min
Another OCD session - perfect setup of brake lever and Reverb remote: 15 min
Cutting Reverb hose & forcing hose back onto the barb: 10 min

Test squeeze - slightly squishy. Normal? Not sure, let's bleed!

Full bleed - yes there were a few bubbles: 5 min
Install zip ties & cable guides: 5 min
Sit on bike and get post to proper XC pedaling height at full extension: 3 min
Mess around with return speed: 1 min

I didn't observe a huge difference in return speed from slowest to fastest, so I just put it in the middle. Even on full fast, it's nowhere near the nut-smacking speed of my Gravity Dropper Turbo LP. Much, much slower. I used my normal park tool housing/cable cutter, and then stuck a tiny punch in the end to make it round again. (Same thing I do with cable housing.) Otherwise, nothing special required for me because the new post came with 2 very nice threaded Rockshox syringes (only need one - I guess the other is a spare), fluid, spare barb, zip ties (which I didn't use) and 3 of those wonderful guides which loosely bind 2 cables together. Those things are a godsend for keeping your brake and shift lines orderly up front.

Test ride in the neighborhood with the fam tonight after work, and trail on Saturday! Pics later.

remotelocal

Awesome work ColinL. I installed last weekend, bleed and set up was super easy. Hitting the forest tomorrow for first ride on the post.