Current Dropper Post of Choice?

One Up for me.

One up or the new ascend components one 

Brand x are now Ascend Components.

I've just put their flight SL on my cotic Rocket Max and it's great. As much as a dropper is great anyway.

Personally, I don't like the way their levers clamp the cable (no need for the little fiddly bolt thing that falls out, others don't need it and they should stop using it) so would buy a Bountrager line elite lever instead.

I have a One Up V2 (180mm) that's been great and a Brand X (200/210? and not that old) that sags, a KS Lev (150mm) which is pretty old and has been faultless and a Reverb AXS (170mm), which I've only been using a couple of weeks, but seems good so far.

I'd go One Up probably

I felt like I was late to the dropper party but when I think back, I've had quite a few and I remember when reliability was a real issue. Things have certainly improved.

Thomson - couldn't even service sliding parts at home. Had several under warranty.

KS Lev - it was a 27.2. could service sliding parts but not easy way to service the cartridge.

Reverb - frequency going saggy but as least with a few tools it could be fully fixed at home.

For a while, this meant that the reverb was my go to although the top bushing only being supplied with the collar made parts expensive.

Then I looked at the BikeYoke Revive. Easy to fully strip and rebuild and the rebuild kit costs buttons. Ironically, I bought that post because it's easy to service but it turns out it needs less servicing than any other. It also has the lightest action of any dropper.

There's 5 in use in our house currently. Even have one on the gravel bike.

There's some that I've taken off previous bikes that I really must get around to putting on the classifieds as well.

Depends on budget but the general consensus is usually (in descending price order)

Bikeyoke

OneUp

BrandX (Ascend)

All covered above. take your pick

I've only had two. First was a brand-x which got greased once in about 6 years of riding. Needed a longer drop for a new frame and got a one up V2 cheap. Only had it for 6 months but had to grease it twice. An easy job but I feel like the sealing isn't the best.

So although I've not used one if it was my own money I'd go for the Ascend components one.

My first was a T-mars, 3 fixed positions. Up, down and nearly down. Look at that beauty!

Yeah, OneUp posts are decent, but far from being maintenance-free.

If you don't need the absolute lowest stack height, the Ascend post would be an easy choice for me, given the price.

+1 for the Bonty lever suggested above.

just replaced 2 x AXS Reverbs with Oneup V3 posts. Whilst nowhere near as fast to actuate, they seem really good otherwise.

Allegedly long service intervals too.

One Up V3 is working well for me although only about 6 months old and hasn’t had as much use as I’d like 😤

2 Brand X have been great, I have had to rebuild one with new seals and give it a good clean out / regrease but it survived at least 2 really mucky winters before that point.

My Rise post got swapped after the first ride but my wife used hers for a bit, lasted a couple of months in between needing cleaning / greasing. When it got bad again she swapped it for a Fox Transfer, which went back under warranty after 3 rides. After that it’s been fine.

I've been using Thomsons, got four, but won't be buying any more because they're American. As are fox and RS.

OneUp are Canadian so they're a good option, appear pretty decent too. Not tried a Magura

Bike Yoke if funds allow / justifiable

The YT Postman is pretty good and reliable.  No idea if they’re including in YT’a current sale or not, but they have a range of lengths available. 

OneUp are owned by PON so strictly speaking they're Dutch via Taiwan. 

 +1 For Bikeyoke, very high quality, German made and designed with long term ease of service and repair in mind, not cheap but I they're a 'buy it once and you're sorted' purchase as they can almost always be repaired. 

Posted by: FunkyDunc

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My 4 month old dropper post is failing fast that came with my Rise LT, having taken it apart as much as you can it’s doesn’t appear you can fully dismantle and clean

That doesn't sound right - how many miles have you put on it?  The one on my old Rise was good for years and they're completely rebuildable - the top cap/bushing/guides are £14, which is all I've ever needed to use.  They have a sealed uppy/downy cartridge, but they're under £50.  If it's failed after 4 months it's surely a warranty job.

https://www.orbea.com/gb-en/search-results/?s=oc2+seatpost

as far as others go, my original Fox Transfer was trouble free for years.  a more recent one was sticky and needed frequent sprays of silicon.  they're not user serviceable.

K's had a few OneUps as she needs the low stack.  That needed stripping and greasing more often than the Orbea post it followed.  The newest OneUP has got some reverb style bounce at full extension.  

(Brand X I've got has been faultless but hasn't had a lot of use compared to the others)

Nb - I do use a rear mudguard all year so my posts have a much easier time than some 

Bikeyoke are brilliant and the company are great to deal with (I lost a part mid-service, somehow, emailed them and it turned out they were at a trade show, they pulled a part out of a seatpost they had with them and nipped out to the post office mid-show, and almost forgot to ask me for money) But they're just too expensive imo. I got mine when they were the longest on the block and it was worth it then but it wasn't long before you could basically get 2 competitor posts for the same price. But money no object I'd have another for sure.

Oneup have lost some of their edge now, other companies have got a bit smarter and started doing stuff like the low stack heads but considering the entire point of a dropper post is to drop and Oneup will usually drop more than anyone else,and if not 100% reliably and troublefree then at least decent, that all adds up to me having two Oneups. The 240mm one in my hardtail is pretty hilarious (though you get a wetter arse!)

But there's a lot to be said for the inexpensive options too.

Bike yoke, PNW, or one up V3, probably in that order as well 

Both of mine are pnw's. Been used all winter in all conditions, just the usual post ride hosing and a squirt of fork lube has kept them both operating perfectly. 

One Up V2 is my favourite post... even I can maintain, service and change the travel on it. Much of it without even taking the fork out of the frame.

Have some other decent posts, but working on them is well beyond me. Harder than working on forks... why?!?

Bikeyoke are very good posts but very pricey when the usability of many many posts is not too far behind now.

Oneup is the all rounder for me but their V3 did seem to jump a bit in price. TBF the weight came down a chunk too which is important to me.

So many cheaper posts that work well nowadays.

 Another vote for Bikeyoke. I've one on each bike. East to service, long interval, very light action. The one on my Enduro is 5 years old and serviced maybe twice. still runs perfectly. Try not to look at the price too often when buying one, use a credit card, try not to think about it afterwards. 

For me the frequent requirement to grease or generally service the oneups have them as my ‘only if I’m desperate’ camp. Had a reverb, Thomson. Currently have a wolftooth and a bikeyoke. I like the air removal on the bikeyoke but for me even with a LA wolftooth remote the actuation is still stiff and the throw on it is quite far before it actuates. I’ve not need to service it yet so time will tell as to how easy it is. My wolftooth with another LA remote is ridiculously easy to actuate, like my little finger can do it and a mm later and it actuates. I serviced it at the stated hours riding but it was purely preventative rather than required. It was simple and you could tell from the parts that it was top notch. I’d have another in a heartbeat but I know other people won’t see the benefit for the price. 

@golfchick is that the Revive or the Devine? Something doesn't sound right there though.  The light action is one of the most noticeable things about the BikeYoke 

@onzadog it’s the revive, there’s nothing wrong with it but when you have something else which a four year old could move anything else is noticeably stiffer. 

You can get a 170mm dropper from Bird for £125.  I've had one for 6 years on my Zero and all it's had is a couple of clean and regresses.

I was given a OneUp V3 as a (really quick) warranty replacement for a V2 that had a factory error; it's one of two in the household currently. Normally I'd pop the V2 I had open in the bike (undo the top seal and re-extend the fork) to top up the grease a couple of times a year. I've not yet had to do that on the V3, which seems far better sealed. I was expecting a bit more hassle going to a 210mm drop, but in the end (manufacturing defect aside on the V2) the V3 has been absolutely trouble free. 
Also: the bonty levers are cool. Got one with my Fuel EX and got one for the hardtail shortly after. The ZTTO ones seize after a while.

That doesn't sound right - how many miles have you put on it?  The one on my old Rise was good for years and they're completely rebuildable - the top cap/bushing/guides are £14, which is all I've ever needed to use.  They have a sealed uppy/downy cartridge, but they're under £50.  If it's failed after 4 months it's surely a warranty job.

Interesting you say that, Ive read a few comments that the Rise droppers were not great, but thats the web for you.

So a number of issues, mainly it isnt the post that Orbea says it should be. It should be an Orbea MC22. Its actually a LIMOTEC A4L-150

https://drive.usercontent.google.com/download?id=14iEpKsVXyN235V_3799zcfAQgG6g5gJJ&authuser=0&acrobatPromotionSource=GoogleDriveNativeVie w" target="_blank" rel="noopener">chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/ https://drive.usercontent.google.com/download?id=14iEpKsVXyN235V_3799zcfAQgG6g5gJJ&authuser=0&acrobatPromotionSource=GoogleDriveNativeView

Which looking at the instructions isnt serviceable!

Thanks for all the advice so far. It would appear there are limited options currently in terms of whats available. I would go for the OneUp v2 but there appear to be none left. 

Everything else is very pricy currently !

I think I am going to take the current dropper issue up with Orbea and the shop I bout the bike from.

Sorry not sure why the pics are so big!

There is no way on earth that dust cap is coming off. I used molegrips to try and get it off and it wouldnt budge. The manual has not mention of that being a dust cap that comes off to separate the dropper.

Thanks

Everything else is very pricy currently !

Erm, they seem to have 31.6mm & 150mm drop in their Adapt post for £99:
Dropper Seatposts 150 170 200 230 Dropper Levers Dropper Service Kits – Ascend Components

But why not get Orbea to supply a replacement in the first instance, should clearly be under warranty and covered by your general consumer rights.

Just had a phone call from Leisure Lakes and they are going to replace the dropper with a OneUp v3 FOC !

2 x OneUp posts here too.  Have used Brand X, 3 x Reverb (saggy warranty replacements) and a Cane Creek.

I service the OneUps myself and they seem to work well despite my limited post ride maintenance.

Posted by: FunkyDunc

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So a number of issues, mainly it isnt the post that Orbea says it should be. It should be an Orbea MC22. Its actually a LIMOTEC A4L-150 

That's odd, our bikes turned up at a similar time to yours and both had the correct post.  And it doesn't  look like it's the unbranded version of the Orbea post. It's clear they'd got some component supply issues at the time that were holding up shipments but thats a crap substitution. 

Back to shop - not part specified, has failed, not serviceable.  

I appreciate OneUp are popular and they are light (does that matter?). But the 3 I have had have been problematic and needed maintenance.

And when working were never as smooth or functionally as good as Brand X / Trans X / Ascend.

But more expensive so I don't really get it.

Although CS was good, they probably know their products are ultimately flawed in terms of reliability so they invest in that, understandably.