Hi – off to Wales soon and looking for a budget dropper. The KS Dropzone seems good value, keen to know if this is any good? My frame hasn’t routing for remote so not bothered that it has a head mounted lever.
Or is the Rockshox Reverb (non stealth) worth paying and extra £50?

Cheers

Mine failed this w/e after not a lot of use (okay a few miles on the bike but not a lot of up and down). I am not feeling the love for a dropper post at the moment and am seriously thinking of abandoning it for a normal seat post…. they move up and down easily ….

Had a Reverb, wouldn’t have another. Just swopped to a TranzX – £87 from Bike-Discount after a mate recommended it to me, very happy with it.

bike-discount

There are some KS eTens on eBay for £50 currently. Cheap but good quality.

Since when did a budget dropper = £170?
Surely you should be looking at Brand-X, TanzX*, RSP posts

* Those Bike discount one are only a 100mm drop, may not a major issue, but just so long as you know first.

I’ve got an RSP one and have no complaints to far, was about £90. Have used it about 10 times or so so not too much just yet but happy enough as of current

+1 for Brand-X.

I have a Dropzone and 2 reverbs. The Dropzone is ancient, 5 years old I think, it’s properly failed once in all that time (£75 fix, basically poured out all the internals into the bin and replaced them) and otherwise has just had basic services (which aren’t exactly simple, but not brain surgery either) Great kit.

(it’s slightly different from the current model but still fundamentally the same design)

The 2 Reverbs, not so much. The 150mm one’s gone saggy once, the 170mm’s been replaced on warranty and is about to go back again. They’re great in use, the 170mm drop is awesome tbh, so it’s not all bad but they’re annoying. (I can actually fix the sag myself, it’s only about as hard as a fork service, but it’s still inconvenient)

In all honesty if I was buying another dropper tomorrow, it’d be a 170mm reverb despite all that, the long drop is superb and tehy don’t really have any rivals there (KS and 9point8 are doing the same or longer, but they’re way more expensive, £500+)

The KS Exaform is interesting too though. Basically an accurate Hite Rite so it’s all manual raise and drop, 175mm drop, pretty cool. You can’t use an under-the-seat dropper the same way, it’s a bigger difference than you might think but immediate convenient drop and raise is still handy, and that’s a lot of drop.

Brand X here too.
125mm job.
4 months, at least 3 rides per week.
No problems.

How soon are you going? Is there time to learn how to ride a bike? That way you won’t need a dropper… 😈

Cheers all

Lustyd – good point! Never had one or missed one before but everyone seems to rave about them.. As I only venue to Wales once a year maybe money better spent elsewhere.

I’ve had a Dropzone on my bike for 3 years and it’s never put a foot wrong. It occasionally sticks in position if I’ve not used the bike for 3 or 4 weeks but a quick bounce and it’s fine again.

2 Dropzones here, one bought new & other second hand…had them at least a couple of years and barely touched them yet so far no issues

Haha I was kidding, someone always says it so may as well have been me 🙂 . I’ve been to Cwmcarn and Afan and despite all the signs telling me to “drop my saddle now” I never have, never had an issue with the saddle up, never put in a bad time. If it makes you feel safer somehow go for it but they are far from necessary or even helpful. If your saddle is causing issues in the raised position it’s because you’re riding badly, not because your saddle is up.
Maybe there’s something at BPW I’ve never seen before though, and I’ll end up with a saddle related injury. You don’t have to get uplifts either if you don’t want to…

Hmmm, thing is I rode MTB for 20 years without a dropper. I’m not too bad a rider and used to ride most things with the saddle up.
So I suppose you are right in saying that you don’t need to drop your saddle.

However, being able to drop and then raise it quickly makes a lot of steeper stuff nicer (not necessarily easier!) to ride. You can move around more on the bike, get your weight back more easily, and your crew jewels are that little bit safer too!

they are far from necessary or even helpful.

oh dear. i just can’t be bothered. 😆

It also removes the saddle from where I need it for steadying the bike and means I can’t feel the bike position as easily. I’ve tried them and definitely happier with the saddle up. It’s not just droppers though, I can’t stand dropping with a QR either! I’ve not found anything all that steep yet, certainly nothing at Afan or Cwmcarn that’s out of the ordinary slope-wise

lustyd – Member

certainly nothing at Afan or Cwmcarn that’s out of the ordinary slope-wise

Done the black down from the bikepark? (the alternative descent to the final part of the wall)

It is interesting though- if you’ve got the skillset needed to ride a bike well with the seat up, but not the skillset to make the most of having the saddle down, then seat up will still feel better. Most folks don’t even realise you have to learn how to use the extra room- you see a lot of people still standing up tall on the pedals, basically doing the same moves you would with seat up. Or people saying “it makes it easier to get your weight back”, in fact the whole “weight back” thing in general.

i’ve some ginger nuts if anyone wants one?

I’ve never felt a desire to get my weight back, that would just unbalance the bike. If I ever feel a need to move around I’ll be sure and give it a go again. Not yet had that need though. Each to their own, just adding another side to the story, it is a chat forum after all 🙂

I’ve ridden majority of Wales trail centres, BPW has been the only one I felt the need to drop.. I did have a ‘moment’ at Llandegla at the end of the decking which might have been avoided if I were lower. I agree maybe not necessary but if it improves the riding it’s got to be worth the purchase. Back in the day I thought disc brakes were too heavy and not required… same for suspension… how times change!

I was an early adopter on both disc brakes and suspension ….
Early cantis lead to too many near brushes with death in not being able to stop. I had Onza ones which were meant to be the bees knees. V brakes were load better … but discs were brilliant.
Dropper posts … if you are coming to a really steep bit, you just lower you seat post, right?
or is everyone racing?

I’ve never felt a desire to get my weight back, that would just unbalance the bike.

You misunderstand. The whole point and purpose of getting your weight back is to balance the bike. A dropper does two things – allows you to balance the bike on the steep stuff and lower your centre of gravity on the fast flowy stuff giving you more grip and making the bike much more manoeuvrable.

We had a riding buddy in our group once who refused to get a dropper. Ended up going over the bars on a steep rock garden, broke his collar bone and we’ve not seen him since, and he’s retreated back onto his road bike. If he had a dropper and was able to get his weight further back not being restricted with the saddle in his chest he’d have skipped over the rock garden like the rest of us did and had a blast. The irony is that he had just splashed out many thousands of pounds on a nice carbon bike, but refused to spend a couple more hundred on a dropper. False economies.

lustyd – Member

I’ve never felt a desire to get my weight back

So what do you do? You can’t get your weight down, you’re not moving it back…

Weight should be pretty central when riding normally, even down hills. When going over a feature I occasionally use a manual to keep the bike level, but this doesn’t need me lower to achieve. I don’t need a low CG unless cornering, but then I’m cornering so the CG lowers because I’m to the side of the bike, getting closer to the bike isn’t helpful there either.
I’m pleased you are all happier with your droppers, but my choice not to have one doesn’t come from a place of lack of skill or understanding, Justin like my choice to use SPD pedals instead of flats and shin pads!

Droppers are much better, no problems with my ks lev

lustyd – Member

Weight should be pretty central

Yes, that’s why you move around. But you said you don’t move your weight back and you don’t feel any need to move around so how do you stay centred?

Sorry really didn’t mean to hijack the thread.

Yes, I move my weight back during a manual, this does not require more room. At other times weight should be even so no need to move back. It’s similar in many sports, snowboarding being a great example. Lean too far back and you’ll come off.

Don’t be jealous of our dropper posts bro

lustyd – Member

At other times weight should be even so no need to move back

If you don’t move on the bike your weight isn’t even, it ends up moving forward as the bike rotates. Maybe it’s just the way you’re explaining it?

Hob nobs anyone ?

Nobody move! I’m going to fetch the chocolate hob nobs 😉

I’m currently without a dropper and can’t wait to get another one. I don’t “need” suspension or disc brakes, but as with droppers, they just add another dimension and allow you to push past your comfort zone more

Edit: plus one – I’ll put the kettle on.

Just wanted to clarify on one of the earlier comments re. 9point8.
The Fall Line is not £500+
The 125-150mm drop posts are £379 and the 170mm and 200mm drop posts are £419

Cheers

Just ordered a Brand X Ascend for a whopping £105 delivered.
Gets good reviews so gotta be worth a punt at that price.

I’ve been fantasising with the idea of getting a dropper post for my commuter mtb for well over a year now just not sure where to get a budget dropper. Was looking at the RSP one.

Quite like the sound of that mechanical e*thirteen one but far from my budget currently.

Let us know how you get on with the dropper post.

I had a Reverb for a few years and couldn’t fault it tbh. I even got another reverb after changing frames, again it’s been fine.
But I’ll never go back to a regular seatpost, even on my old xc bike, I had to find a 27.2 dropper post for it and ended up with a budget KS one, which works very well (although the bike foesnt see as much action as it should).

Just ordered a Brand-X, can’t justify spending another £145 for the extra 30mm drop from a reverb.

Anyone know if the Brand X lever (apparently piss-weak and will break) can be swapped for a front shifter? Is the cable actuation the same? Good or daft idea, and if so does it matter what it is? (Rear shifter is 2015 SLX FWIW). Love the look and quality of the RaceFace Turbine lever but that’s half the cost of the Brand X post! Cheers

Apparently piss weak… why not wait to see if it is? And if it is warranty it. I’ve only seen 1 or 2 people complain about it in fairness.