My Maverick Speedball is Dead and 3″ was never enough so looking at getting either a 5″ Kobra or whopping 9″ Travel Black Mamba for Xmas.

9 inches is exactly what I need which is nice but has anyone used one with a Giant Reign? The reason I ask is that the seat-post on the Reign has a kink. A 30.9 seatpost gets stopped about half way down although narrower seatposts (27.2) go way further past the kink.

Is the Black Mamba 27.2 and does it work?

J

I had a 27.2 Black Mamba. It was a bit shit. Felt very much like a prototype, which with some thinking about could have been quite good.

Biggest problem was that clamping it up tight enough in the frame to stop it twisting would jam the release mechanism. Leaving it loose enough to do the uppy-downy bit meant that it would jump out of the frame a bit every time you raised it – it’s completely undamped and extends at a good rate of knots.

A dedicated 30.9 version may be better as the collar that clamps in the frame will be much stiffer.

Pony seatclamp too.

Why on earth would you ever need 9″ of black mamba 😆

It was a bit shit.

That the one you sold me guv? 😉

I lower and raise my seatpost exctly 9″, that’s why. Being tall kinda necesitates (sp) that.

It was a bit shit.

That the one you sold me guv?

That the one you were trying to resell on for an extra tenner 😉

That the one you sold me guv?

Yup. Only a bit shit.

That the one you were trying to resell on for an extra tenner

LOL!

jeez, there are some real detectives on here aren’t there! 😆

FYI, sold it for £100 posted, I always quote a wee bit higher to allow for the inevitable negotiation 😉

lol +1: you really do bring it on yourself don’t you? 😆

£100 posted? you just told me it was £105 posted 😯

I’ve got a rase post

seems pretty good to me
had it about 2ansd a half yr now; still only the same tiny rotational play as when new (I don’t really do maintenance)

As JE says the spring is pretty strong. I sprayed the workings of mine with chainsaw oil for protection which slowed it down A LOT (to be fair to Rase, they do say you should sit on it and allow it to rise with you rather than let it smash it’s way up – mind yer bollocks if you do !).

Be really careful if you get one not to pull the trigger while holding the post – reckon it’d make a mess of your hand

worst aspect is the saddle clamp. Wasn’t splined or owt, and could rotate forwards a bit; also didn’t tip back very far (my bike’s a trance so not mega-slack and can only just get the nose up a tiny bit beyond dead-flat)

I wrote to ’em about this and they suggested some mods were on the way, so may be better now

The inner shaft is quite thin so might well fit if your seat tube’s only a bit bendy (I reckon it’s under 27.2 by quite a bit). I think all “sizes” have the same innards and just a bigger or smaller bore where they meet the tube (if I’d realised that I’d have gone a bit narrower for flexibility and used a shim where needed)

Summary – a bit heavy, VERY adjustable (every half-inch for up to nine), seems fairly robust despite narrow inner shaft

Err, does a tall guy really need to have more seatpost drop than a small guy? Im not so sure!

tall guys have more ‘travel’ available in their legs so needs to move the saddle further to make use of their legs? I’m 6’3 and feel uncomfortable riding down trails on anything bigger than 18″

I cant ride with the seat slamed down intot he trail, feels wierd, must rely on more trail feedback from the saddle to my legs than I’d first imagine. Usualy have it about 3″ lower than all out XC height for downhill stuff and only slam it right into the frame for dirtjumping.