G'day!
Looking at getting a dropper for an upcoming trip north of the border, anything worth looking at over the KS eTen?
Stif have them for £125 but Jensons work out at £95 inc shipping, anyone have any experience of dealing with them? Am I likely to be stung for tax/handling fees? Is it worth the risk for £30?
Had a TMARS but it was too long overall, think the only other options are the eTen or a reverb, but while I'm still running a front mech I'm not keen on running a hydraulic remote over the bars and going 1x9 and a dropper is over budget before the trip. TBF the dropper is over budget but what the heck! 8)
All advice welcome, cheers!!!
Is it worth the risk for £30?
How much will it cost to send it back to the US for warranty?
You are liable for duty & vat on that which will be about 30-35.
Second hand Gravity Dropper. Can be had for under £100, easily serviced, fully rebuildable, and pretty much indestructible.
Had an eten a good few months now and it's taken a beating without any problems, heavy but "heavy is good, heavy is reliable If it doesn't work you can always hit them with it". (it's not that heavy!)
Can recommend. Got mine from Germany 100 quid here http://www.bike-discount.de/en/buy/eten-remote-hydraulic-drop-post-30%2C9mm-44685
Have you checked the Germans? For the sake of £30 I wouldn't order it from the US.
Edit: beaten to it.
Nice! Do you not have to pay VAT or owt from Ze Germans? Not gone down that route before? Although, for £25 quid, if it goes wrong...
Nope you don't. It will go wrong BTW, well the cable will as soon as it gets even remotely damp. Use a better cable from the off and you'll be alright.
Cheers - is it just a normal brake cable? Or Gear? Will I need to change to outer too or is it just a dodgy inner? Think I'm going to get one from leisure lakes, I can get a discount through work so not worth going foreign
You do pay VAT on items bought from Germany, but it's at their rate (at source) of 19%, not UK 20% rate, with no additions, import duty etc being as it's a EU country.
RSP/satori.
Fit a RH handed reverb under the left, works a treat and far better position. Reverb is still the best
The RSP is the same as the TMARS AFAIK so I would have the same length issues. The older style ones might be ok, with the cable coming staigh out, but I like the idea of infinite adjustment too, I did run a TMARS for a couple of weeks and would have liked something between the top two settings, for techy bumpy climbs
For most big online stores within the EU you actually pay the UK's VAT rate. Once they sell over a certain amount to another nation they have to start charging that nation's rate. Prices still work out different for other reasons though.
prawny - Member
The RSP is the same as the TMARS AFAIK so I would have the same length issues. The older style ones might be ok, with the cable coming staigh out, but I like the idea of infinite adjustment too, I did run a TMARS for a couple of weeks and would have liked something between the top two settings, for techy bumpy climbs
No I've got both, and they're different. The RSP is a little shorter, whilst it's based on the same principles as the TMARS is better built with a different release mechanism
Drofluf - Interesting, would you be able to measure the minimum height to the seat clamp for me? I think I need about 185mm maximum the TMARs was about 195mm
was tempted by the exaform at that price --- but that websites horrendous....
whatoptions did you select to get uk postage.
it just keeps referring to german ground post only - nothing about european/international - even on the pay options.
Also tempted by the eTen from the German site.
Would be a regular swap for my usual lightweight post on the XC bike depending on the ride plan, so I'm considering the non-remote lever under the saddle version so I don't have to faff with removing the cable and lever...would not getting the remote be a mistake?
Drofluf - Interesting, would you be able to measure the minimum height to the seat clamp for me? I think I need about 185mm maximum the TMARs was about 195mm
190mm from the top of the bottom rail (if that makes sense) of the seat clamp to the bottom of the lock mechanism. That would put the post fully into the frame. For me the RSP is slightly out of the frame whereas I had the TMARS fully in.
http://www.pinkbike.com/news/Tested-KS-ETen-Seatpost-2013.html
enough to put me off that post anyway.
Really? For £100-125 it seems like a decent review.
it does - but it also seems like throwing 100-125 quid down the drain when it fails .....
Rsp would be my choice. Assuming you are happy with the length. Mine is still going strong after covering lots of miles. See a thread I started here :
http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/rsp-dropper-anyone-got-one
If you buy the KS from the UK at least you get a two year warranty, so not down the drain really, what's the warranty like on a reverb?
RSP would be ok, but I think it'd be marginal on the length and I reckon I'd struggle to return it after it'd been fitted. I think the minimum height of the eten is 135mm
My initial thoughts were that looked a really sweet deal. The non serviceable damper is a bit of an issue but this is not a high frequency service part. if it comes with a decent guarantee I'd not be too put off for that price.
In 2 years time (if that is the warranty) there may be a mod to replace the internals with one of the other models and have it entirely home serviceable.
You can service the seal and change the guide bushings thingys easily on the Eten with basic tools. The damper/spring whatever is completely sealed (I chucked a bit of grease in around the actuator arm to be on the safe side).
I used mine in the mud all spring and it's still like new.
It's cheap because it's a little heavier and drops a little less than the others but in terms of function it's the same. It's just down to how much you want to spend and my budget was 100. Also the infinite instead of stepped adjustment seems like a good idea as was a post that fits my frame without a shim
Giant contact switch. Utterly brilliant
I've had an eten which I got from leisure lakes a few months now. Been fantastic. Really smooth but as said above the original cable is crap! Have been really impressed with how smooth it has been.
Jenson use FedEx, u will pay import & vat via a bill u get about a week after delivery so figure that in + warranty issue
Ice lift V8, bit like a GD but £150.
Nukeproof?
+1 for the RSP / Satori one!
I really rate it and its been faultless and well used!
+3 for RSP, I bought one for both my bikes as I was so impressed 🙂
well on the strength of joolsburger i went for an Eten on the basis that its the right size for my frame and infinate adjustment.
if i like it/find it useful ill keep it(im still on the fence - ive not dropped my saddle for owt in 15 years) - if i dont ill pass it on to mrs T-r as she will benifit from one.