new inexpensive dropper post from KS

Just saw this on pinkbike :
http://www.jungleproducts.co.uk/ks/exaform-speed-up
http://www.pinkbike.com/news/randoms-the-bike-place-show-2017.html
That price is my speed.. Long travel options, Mechanical clamp, (a plus in my book,) but lever is below seat; I can live with that.
Hopefully will be available in the states at some point

 

TFPU, crashnot

I love where this is going. Full mechanical/no hydraulic, no cockpit clutter. And the price? Less than the straight post I just bought!

I've been inexplicably loving a straight post on my bike the lest several months and have no plan to change it, but a post like that would definitely nudge me in that direction.

 

Under the seat lever is cool-if you've never used a bar mounted lever. For the trails and way I ride, I am using that dropper on the fly, up, down, up, down, ad infinitum.
No problem with handlebar "clutter" or crowding-I have 780mm bars!

 

That might be the one to make me finally try a dropper... Thanks for sharing!

There were some other eye catchers on the Pinkbike page. Definitely worth a look...

 

I use a lever actuated KS-900r seatpost on my 29r hard tail. I like to keep that bike as a simple beater and I like the ability to swap out the seatpost for a carbon and light weight saddle for OTH races. The lever on the bottom of the post is not as convenient as the bar mounted lever's (obviously), but on the right bike the simplicity is welcome. There are some trails where it gets tricky, for example Deer trail at oaks. You go from a descending mode into a climbing mode. If your'e a sit and spin climber this isn't gonna work, however if you're SS or a stand and mash climber this is prob the post for you. I've adapted my riding style to just climb standing up on those occasions and it's actually done me some good across the board.

 

FWIW, with time I'm finding less need to adjust my seat height. I ride down more terrain with no concern for its height than when I first started using droppers.

And I'm more able to push the pedals with my seat too low. Weirdly, having my seat too low feels good after a long climb, almost like resting. Between that and standing climbing, I feel like my regular post gives me a less repetitious workout. No doubt more of a workout, but I've never been great at doing things the easy way.

If my bike had a stealth port I'd probably be using the Reverb I have. Got a few lying around, tired of collecting pricey parts.

@Ebruner, thanks for the interesting testimonial.

 

The thing that sucks is the 27.2 post on the Highball Al.....it limits you a much smaller group of posts.

 

You drop your seat on Deer?



J/k.......sort of.

I've got a friend that drops his seat comin down Blackstar....says it makes him a better descender. Not so sure about that.

 

I agree with most of this....tried a dropper for most of a year. Didn't use it nearly as much as I thought. It did come in handy a few times in Moab, especially on Rockstacker.

I've gone back to rigid posts....in fact neither of my bikes has a seat QR either.

The wife's new Tallboy has a dropper, and she is finally seeing the benefits, but she only drops it about 50mm of the available 125mm.

 

I'm not too embarrassed to say I drop my seat on any descent that lasts more then 30 seconds. Many times I won't drop it all the way but I really like the ability to move around on the bike. I am acutely aware that you can descend just as fast (likely faster) as I can on a hard tail high posting it.

 

Just flinging crap.....

I was at the bottom of Yucca/Bbmblebee/Coachwhip at the Non Dot Races....it really surprised me how many people dropped their saddles coming down BB from Goat.

Again, whatever you are comfortable with.

 

A dropper is a great way to rest between climbs.

 

Yeah, I drop my seat an almost any technical descent, I need all the help I can get . ive had a hydraulic dropper with a handlebar remote on my altitude before, an xfusion strate. unlike all my other xfusion products, it was an absloute lemon, had to send it in like 7 times over 2 years for the same problem (leaking oil/sagging). They did let me send it back in exchange for another prodict (new fork damper). Just turned me off getting another pricey and/or hydraulic one, spending hundreds of dollars just to maybe have the hydraulics break down in the middle of a long ride; I figure ill just mnaually drop. (My other bike has a ks lev that Knuckles has been graciously letting me use, is been problem free but it wont fit on my altitude). so something like this that would be a minimal investment but (hopefully) reliable if not quite as easy to use is fine by me. Manually dropping your seatpost over and over will wear out your seat tube's diameter eventually and will make it harder for your quick release to keep the post locked in place.
I dig the 9.8 fall line but just cant justify 5 hundy.

 

I was trying to visualize riding with a dropper that had the release under the seat. Seems to me it would only be usable after almost coming to a stop. The times I usually need a dropper I'm not gonna take a hand of the steering wheel to drop it. Thinking it would be just a quicker version of a quick release that's heavier and more $ ? JMHO

@mike and @mtnbikej and others, what you boys thinking running solid posts and not dropping for DHs? I remember the days of the seat kicking me in the gut and other places and don't care to go back there. If nothing else I need to get back at that gravity thing that kicked my butt on the uphill... to harness it to get my COG lower to have some DH fun and lessen the chances of a crash.... To each their own... cheers guys

 

The Crank Bros. Joplin had an under the saddle lever...just seemed awkward. Then again, it was before bar mounted levers were common place.

As for the other question, it is just what you are used to.

 

I don't mind a short section here or there, but it really doesn't feel too in-the-way on my current setup. Hats off doing it on a HT; 29" wheels do help, I think. You guys know I slam it for extended DH.

I'm intrigued by the under-seal lever, but have no misconceptions about using it on the fly. I'd still consider it an alternative to a rigid post.

 

yah, I know i couldnt really us eit on the fly, especially as i think it doesnt have a return spring. It basically streamlines manual adjustment, for cheap.

 

Have a dropper use it anytime anywhere Any Trail why not that's what it's there for finally put one on the SS although if I was really doing coup or something else I probably put the Ti set back on because it's awesome.

Lever under the saddle makes no sense to me but if it was long climb Follow by long to Descent sure but then I just use flip lock collar

 

It is available in the US now! I just ordered a tester for our shop, shoot me a message if you'd like one. We can ship!

 

How much for the 150mm?

 

$115 shipped. Check your inbox, I'll just need your post diameter and address!

 

Spam much?

 

I'm a dropper lover. I drop my post for just about any obstacle. Bunny hopping up a curb, I drop the post.

But I don't use one on my XC. The weight is just too high still for me. A full pound EXTRA at the highest point on the bike is too much for me right now. And that is for the expensive posts.

 

Not sure why it wouldn't be adjustable on the fly.. just grab your crotch and squeeze. Here's a tutorial:

 

I use a KS i900r dropzone lever model without remote on my XC bike (125mm travel and 175 dollars). It allows an easy swap back to a rigid post for racing if I so desire. The weight of this particular unit is 540g (verified by me). A quick look at Syntace's site confirms that a reliable carbon post is 220g and a reliable aluminum post is 260g. The delta between the carbon post and the seat post i use is 310g or .6lbs. To me, that's not too bad of a hit for a QOL improvement.

To each their own for sure, but I just wanted to point out that the delta doesn't always have to be that extreme and it doesn't have to be that expensive.

 

27.2

Though it isn't just the weight in my mind, but where the weight is; at the top of the bike. Almost as bad as adding 300 grams to my wheels. Every time I stand up I am swinging a pendulum back and forth with the extra weight high up in the air. And since I am racing above my pay grade, I need every little bit of power/weight ratio I can get. My descending skill is above average for my class, so I take the weight savings over the performance.

But I will consider it when I put together my FS bike as it is 31.6.

 

Then again....after 70 miles, that .6 lbs feels like 10.

 

Well my bike is now sporting the exaform speedup. $80 from Niagara cycle, sorry to whoever spammed this thread. It’s all I need I dont feel the need to spend hundreds more for a high end dropper with a spring and remote. I like simple and reliable, and this has no hydraulics or air seals to fail and stick in wrong position when I’m deep in the hills (happened to me twice). I can even adjust it while on the bike. It’s easier than the quick release collar and I know that every time it goes back to the exact pedaling position. It is infinitely adjustable between high and low, has a mechanical clamp. Action isn’t the smoothest, I’m gonna take it apart and make sure there’s enough grease in there.

 

I have had nothing but problems with my Reverb post, saw in the QBP book the other day a E13 mechanical post with a shift paddle lever. I will order it up tomorrow and hopefully it will be less problematic than the Reverb.

 

Yeah, the e13 would be the only real dropper I would get. Just not in the budget right now