X-Fusion Hilo 27.2 dropper post

Dropper seatposts. They’re hailed by some as utterly vital; others really can’t see what the fuss is about. If you’re in the former camp, and you run a bike with a 27.2mm seat tube, your choices are limited, partly as a result of having to cram all the springy droppy gubbins down a narrow pipe.

The 410mm-long Hilo from X-Fusion is sold in 27.2mm, as well as 30.9 and 31.6mm sizes. It is air powered, has a 100mm drop, and comes with a handlebar mount as well as a post-mounted lever – a nice touch. The remote lever requires an extremely firm press to activate and needs careful setup, although it works reliably. It’s easy to swop to the post-mounted lever if you’d rather, and you don’t mind performing Michael Jackson-style crotch grabs every time you want to raise or lower your saddle. There was creditably little sideways slop in the post for the duration of the test.

I had to torque the clamp bolts up rather tight after using the recommended anti-slip compound to prevent slipping, and initially, when I raised the post it topped out about an inch too short. The website suggests checking your seat clamp, but I suspect the issue was due to the very tight fit generally in my seat tube. The problem was eventually remedied by increasing the air pressure, which had the added effect of spanking me lightly on the arse occasionally. I quite liked it…

Overall: If you’ve got a 27.2mm frame and want a dropper post, this is one of the few options open to you. Thankfully it’s well worth investigating.

Review Info

Brand:	Upgrade
Product:	X-Fusion Hilo 27.2 dropper post
From:	Upgrade, upgradebikes.co.uk
Price:	£199
Tested:	by Barney for Three months.

Barney Marsh

Barney Marsh takes the word ‘career’ literally, veering wildly across the road of his life, as thoroughly in control as a goldfish on the dashboard of a motorhome. He’s been, with varying degrees of success, a scientist, teacher, shop assistant, binman and, for one memorable day, a hospital laundry worker. These days, he’s a dad, husband, guitarist, and writer, also with varying degrees of success. He sometimes takes photographs. Some of them are acceptable. Occasionally he rides bikes to cast the rest of his life into sharp relief. Or just to ride through puddles. Sometimes he writes about them. Bikes, not puddles. He is a writer of rongs, a stealer of souls and a polisher of turds. He isn’t nearly as clever or as funny as he thinks he is.

Comments (0)

mikewsmith July 25, 2012 at 3:58 am

What’s the weight on the 27.2 post?
How does it compare to some of the others reverb/ks etc. Would be tempted by this or the ks. is it self service or back to.the distribution?

mintimperial July 31, 2012 at 3:03 pm

@mikewsmith, I’ve been running one of these for about nine months now. I also have a Reverb and whilst it’s definitely not as slick as the hydraulic RockShox effort, it still compares very favourably. I’d much rather run this than no dropper post at all. Not sure about the weight, sorry.

I found that the problem with the remote being stiff is entirely down to the cheapo cable included with the post. After replacing it with a decent inner and outer it’s very smooth and much easier to use. The only other issue I had was getting the pressure right, the instructions don’t tell you that you need to hold the lever down when you pump the air in, otherwise it won’t work…

shauntreanor July 23, 2013 at 5:58 pm

Looking to upgrade to a dropper seatpost and it looks like either Reverb or Thompson Ellite. Has anybody got any constructive views / advice.