Considering getting an uppy/downy post but I am really not sure which one to go for. Looking for 30.9mm diameter, with remote and as much travel as possible. Let’s hear your experiences with (any of) them, both good and bad.
Cheers

I’d recommend against the KS i900r… Took 2 warranty returns to get it to work at all, it’s been fine for a while but I’ve not much faith in it staying that way. My Gravity Dropper’s been spot on really, crude and ugly but light and reliable.

I use a Joplin 4……well I did until it broke after 2 hours of the first ride 😡

I’ve got a Joplin 3 and it’s fine, wet & gritty Peaks rides included.

Was seriously looking at an i900r, but that’s not a glowing review Northwind. Will have to reconsider.
I have heard Gravity Droppers are reliable. Do they come in 30.9mm though?

I’ve got a Joplin 4 and it’s ok as long as I regularly take it to bits / grease it / reset the air pressure etc

I’ve got a Joplin 3 and it’s fine, wet & gritty Peaks rides included

😆 …for now, for now. It’s time will come.

2 x Joplin 3: One just starting to use again after being returned from warranty and the other, 2 rides old, just about to be sent off. I just like to take this opportunity to thank Ran and Ryan for the excellent customer service they have provided with all my CB returns. 😀

When they work, they work greater and overall I’m happy with my Joplins.

I’ve got a Joplin 3 – it was too cheap to pass on (<£90 from CRC). I really need to get a remote kit though as attempting last minute seat post drops when riding somewhere unfamiliar isn’t to be recommended. It doesn’t sound a lot but 3″ travel is easily enough. Overall I’m really impressed with it, being able to instantly pop the seat up for full pedalling efficiency on the climbs is really useful (especially for all day rides).

overall I’m happy with my Joplins.

Having to send both of them back, i wouldn’t be! I don’t mind having to do regular maintenance as long as the thing works properly when well maintained. Just out of interest, what went wrong with them, Nuke?

Anyone on here use the Reverb? Seems like a lot more money than the others, is it really that much better?

I bought a Specialized Command Post off here recently and very pleased with it. If I was buying new I think I’d go for the Giant Contact Switch.

I’ve got a KS i900r and unlike Northwind, mine has been spot on. Gone through a typically minging south wales winter, still works as new and absolutely no play. I would get anything you choose from the lbs though, cos I think they all have QC issues.

Joplin 3, Joplin 4 and I950 here. They’re all heavy, expensive and fragile – but I wouldn’t be without one. The J3 has quite a bit of lateral play, even with the guide block tightened up (it was loose out of the box). The J4 was much better in this respect and was my favorite post for sometime until I changed frames and needed much less lay back – enter the I950. This is the best post (imo) by some margin. Rock solid (no play), 5″ drop and when dropped it locks i.e. you can pick the bike up by a dropped saddle and the post doesn’t extend. I know this sounds trivial, but I didn’t realise how irritating this was on the Joplins until I got a post that didn’t do it!

You might want to consider how much layback you need (Joplins have about 20mm or more, I950 considerably less), how much drop you want and how long a post you need (I owned a Joplin 4 largely because it was a long post and I needed the extra due to quite a short seat tube).

Not had a single reliability issue, but I did run neoprene boots on the Joplins and I’m scrupulous with the TLC on the I950.

Gravity dropper here. 27. Something with a shim. Thinking of getting another for other bike.

Nuke – you may giggle, but my Joplin 1 was fine with regular servicing, as is the 3.

The manual says they need regular servicing and if you do it right, in my opinion they’re cracking bits of kit

you may giggle

Thank you…I will 😉

As I said, overall I’m happy with my Joplins, and I do service regularly and pretty much only use them in fair weather conditions. I fail to see what I could have done to the two-ride (Dry rides) old one as it appears to be leaking air out near the lever. The other, was contaminated oil iirc. Maybe I’m just unlucky 😕

PocketShepherd – Member

Was seriously looking at an i900r, but that’s not a glowing review Northwind. Will have to reconsider.
I have heard Gravity Droppers are reliable. Do they come in 30.9mm though?

They do, but I’m not sure it’s imported officially. I shim mine out to 31.6 in the Mmmbop though and works fine.

I think to be fair to the i900, a mate of mine (ChrisL) has 2 and though he’s had some issues they’ve not been awful. Mine was sent out not working, returned under warranty and returned still not working “There’s nothing wrong with it”, sent back again and finally rebuilt and works. And it’s a nice bit of kit while it’s working.

I’ve got the Rock shox reverb(for trade price) no problems yet, in fact I keep forgetting to use it, had it for a month now. You have to bleed it when you get it, but you get everything to do it & it only takes a couple of mins.

I’ve got a Joplin 4 and it’s ok as long as I regularly take it to bits / grease it / reset the air pressure etc

I’ve got a Joplin4 on my Zesty and it’s awesome I wouldn’t ride without it, been using it for over 8 months and as long as you do as above you’ll have no issues.

valleydaddy – Member

been using it for over 8 months and as long as you do as above you’ll have no issues.

Sounds pretty awful tbh. Would you buy forks that need constantly rebuilt?

Good mixed bag of reviews. From the sounds of it none of them are a perfect system and all require a bit of love and attention. Think it may come down to price and which looks the coolest. 8)

Sounds pretty awful tbh. Would you buy forks that need constantly rebuilt?

it takes less than 5 mins, remove seat post, undo gold collar, remove screw and 10mm bolt on bottom, seperate, clean, re-grease and re-assemble – simples 😉

seatpost and qr seat clamp..really adjustable and quick….still to fail on me yet, little bit of grease thats it!

seatpost and qr seat clamp..really adjustable and quick.

Let’s see you do it while you’re riding eh? 🙄

Sounds pretty awful tbh. Would you buy forks that need constantly rebuilt?

I tend to strip, clean and regrease my forks more than once every 8 months anyway. 😉

my mind was really changed on a skills day, was going to buy a uppy downy post but reassed what i could and could not ride with seat post up…………..been fine since!

original sealed KS i900r with new style ODI compatible remote here, over 2 years now

The grouptest in the magazine (issue 64? the gold one with foldout cover – the grouptest with about 7 in) seems to suggest newer sealed KS i900/950/i7s are much much better with not developing play

Mine has about 1″ side-to-side play ast the saddle nose, which can sometimes help in moving as I pedal, is a hinderance when I need a side-to-side reference point in slowmo technical terrain, eg stainburn
The fore-aft play is pretty bad now too and I think the big creak as I pedal has something to do with it
The clamp on the i900 is very poor. The knotched clamp mean I can choose between too far forward or too far back, flat is not an option
The spacers in the bolt assembly have to bend a lot anywhere near before the clamp is tight enough for the saddle not to slide along the rails over a ride

The newer ODI grip compatible remote is absolutely pointless. If you use it as a grip end the lever is so far extruded from the clamp you have to remove you entire hand from the grip to use the lever. Mine is inboard of the brake/shifter. Because of the ODI compatible bit, the clamp will score you bars so you’ll need something to stop this, I chopped off the ends of a worn out lock on grip to stop this

The ease of setting height is excellent, I can set mine pretty much where I want it while riding so the range gets used, 0.5/1/2″ down to retain some pedalability, 3/4/5″ down depending on how much/where I want a reference point for my knees
5″ drop though still isn’t that much. I’m finding I’m dropping the seatpost itself in the frame more and more to get more drop. I realise many frames with seattube braces/etc mean you can’t run 8″ saddle drop or more, but in certain situations I’ve felt it useful

If I’m to believe the ST review (in the magazine) then a KS i950 would/will be my next choice, I’m trying to hold off on the offchance I get a frame with 31.6mm, as If I get another 30.9mm I don’t believe you can get a 30.9-31.6mm shim?

“really adjustable and quick”
Its not about the lazy element, If you get a chance to use one for a decent period of time you’ll realise quite how useful/usable they are and why many really don’t want to go back to not having one, on at least there main bike? I know I wouldn’t, I’m fairly certain it would step me back in terms of riding

Well I bought a Rase ‘Black Mamba’ some months ago. (from USA)

30.9 with a whopping 9″ of drop.

Trouble is is kinda got lost in the post.

I have no idea how good it is I’m afraid.

Had a KS, it was crap , failed badly,sent back twice. Updated to new version still failed. Swapped by the shop, who were a little embarrassed by the whole thing, for a Specialized Command(free upgrade). It’s good, it works.

Still a lot of brass for what you get! But I like…………

valleydaddy – Member

it takes less than 5 mins, remove seat post, undo gold collar, remove screw and 10mm bolt on bottom, seperate, clean, re-grease and re-assemble – simples

And how often do you need to do it?

2010+ KSi900 has been fine used it 3-4 times a week for about 18 months, a bit slow when its really cold otherwise it has been fine.

Its not about the lazy element

I second that. Just seems to me like it would make the trail flow far better. No stopping before each descent to lower the saddle etc. If i’m short on time I tend to ride everything with the saddle all the way up anyway, its just not as fun. With an uppy/downy post you wouldn’t have to stop riding until you finished/got knackered.

These seat-droppers have got to be the most unreliable component ever, in the history of unreliable components.

I’d love one but to me they really are a luxury item that I just can’t justify shelling out £200 for (yet).

Reverb seems ok after 5 rides so far and one months ownership. There is a bit of movement front/back and in the clamp area if I twist the saddle so a bit nervous about longevity.

I was going to get a chepa Hilo post without remote but very happy that I decide on the reverb with remote. You find you adjust the height all the time on the fly.

Reverb remote is rubbish on the right hand side above the bars, much prefer it under the bars on the left. This has meant I’ve had to go 9 speed as there isn’t enough space for a front shifter and the lever under the bar on the left hand side.

All in, if it is still good after 6months riding I’ll probably invest in a second one.

And how often do you need to do it?

I clean it every month when I give the bike a proper spruce up, sometimes longer. So far I have had no problems with it so in my opinion it is time worth spent.

Still sounds rubbish to me but if you’re happy then fair enough (total servicing time in 2 years of owning gravity dropper, 1 minute when it needed slightly adjusted in france)