Are my options limited in looking for a 27.2 dropper without paying through the nose. Ive seen ones on the bay of Fleas for around £66 with 200mm of drop..

I doubt you have seen one with 200mm drop.

Longest drop I have seen on a 27.2 is 110mm.

27.2 really limits your options. Most are 100 mm drop, max.

I honestly ruled out several frames that had 27.2 seat tubes when I recently bought a new bike…

Depends on what you class as paying through the nose. There was a thread about this yesterday -see below

http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/272-droppers-what-are-the-options#post-4539033

A mate has one of the $66 fleabay specials & it works but the action is vicious & means it can double as a catapult if you put a stone on the saddle. Operated in error it could have life changing consequencea.

Tmars – probably the cheapest option….
http://www.evomtb.co.uk/tmars-dropper-remote-height-adjustable-272mm-seatpost-aluminium-6061-t6-forged-cromo-steel-innertube

Then there’s the slightly more expensive stuff, think there is a v8 post to but unsure where to get that…
Xfusion Hilo…
http://www.evomtb.co.uk/x-fusion-hi-lo-drop-in-100mm-seat-post-272
And the gravity dropper…
http://www.evomtb.co.uk/gravity-dropper-classic-4-multi-adjustable-seatpost-272

See if you can get hold of a used Gravity Dropper – they’re so easy to service that even if it’s quite worn, change a few parts and it’ll be as good as new, and as reliable as ever.

andyl.. it was the tmars I’d seen @ 200mm max height..didn’t subtract the 90mm it drops down to…making 110mm.

JoeG..its a pain in the arse ( ?? ) that it really limits frame choice. I’m after a steel hardtail to take 150mm forks with short or adjustable chainstays, low bb..Stanton to expensive ( for me ) so will Probs go for a NS Surge. Looked at Dialled etc. One of the manufacturers even quoted updated geometry but stl had a 27.2 seat-tube.

I do believe that the 27.2 seatpost standard is rapidly becoming obsolete for any bike that might possibly take a dropper seatpost. My guess is that most brands will go to a larger seat tube on their next round of frame revisions. Steel hardtails will likely be the area where 27.2 remains the most common, though.

I do believe that the 27.2 seatpost standard is rapidly becoming obsolete for any bike that might possibly take a dropper seatpost.

Happily, Thomson seem to disagree. Roll on June/July. 🙂

ks lev in march?
I’m hoping so as the cheapy forca I got last year is pretty ropey really.
Buy cheap, buy twice, as they say

Is that a confirmed fact about the 27.2 lev in march? I really want a dropper for the wifes bike but I think she will only get on with a very smooth one.. I have the 31.9 125 lev and its awesome, so I would be v happy spending the dosh on the 27.2 for Mrs Toys.

I bought a used Gravity Dropper on here last month for £75 posted.
It goes up and down, can’t really ask for more.
Having a switch on the bars is important I think as otherwise you may have to stop to activate the dropper on rough terrain.
The drop is only 3 inches which doesn’t sound much but I find it more than enough for getting behind the saddle and, more importantly, back up (which is the bit I worry about most!).

Is that a confirmed fact about the 27.2 lev in march?

JensonUSA says “usually ships in 8-9 weeks” for the 27.2 x 100 mm Lev. So March sounds about right.