[Closed] Just seen Thompson dropper at merlin. Stunning !!!

I've been running one for a few weeks now....

Hmmm.... 😐

I better start saving [s]again[/s] for a Reverb

🙂

It may look pretty, but....

...but what?

Cable is in the wrong place, so I'm out.

Hmmm.... 😐

First rule of dropper posts - don't be the first (1000) to buy one

Apart from that the cable is in the wrong place as said above. Having got the Lev the fixed cable is great.

thomson posts, the cream of the crop!

the cable is always the week spot of any dropper no matter who makes it, cables and dropper posts should never ever collide in the same sentance.
the reverb is the only reliable remotely operated dropper post i've seen.

cruzcampo - Member - Quote
thomson posts, the cream of the crop!

Custom made Norglide bearing bushings custom made Trelleborg O-Rings and seals

b45sher - funny...i ditched a reverb and now have two LEVs..been far better IMO.

b45her - Member

the cable is always the week spot of any dropper no matter who makes it, cables and dropper posts should never ever collide in the same sentance.

I don't understand this at all, what is it about seatposts that you think is incompatible with cables, when they work so well on gears?

I've got 3 cable-operated droppers, fitted with quality cables... they need a little cable tlc from time to time- about once a year, on average. Otherwise, no issues, and infrequent servicing.

I did break a cable mount in the alps, and you know what? If it'd been a reverb, I'd have been screwed. But with the cable operated post, I could still operate it manually. Fixing it used parts available for pennies from every bike shop in the world, to fix equivalent on a reverb would cost somewhere over £40 to fix, with parts you have to special order. That really sounds like progress.

b45her : Coming from a bikeshop perspective where i fit all the dropper posts the reverb is a pain in the arse, on the other hand the KS Lev which i paid full retail or online price (£260) from Germany has been utterly faultless in operation, i could have bought any of the others at trade price but thought "nah....." I'd rather have something that works.

The cable operation on the Thomson works extremely well. It's genuinely pleasing to use. The cable doesn't kink or interfere with the bike or my riding style. If you've got concerns about it then put them aside...unless you object to cable operation in principle. In that case I won't waste my breath.

Early experiences with the post were very good. The finish and external build quality appear to be high. Doubt I've seen higher in fact. The surface finish in the post is extremely durable. When I [i]removed[/i] the post a couple of days ago, it cleaned up to look brand new. That's after 70 or so miles on it...

The cable doesn't kink or interfere with the bike or my riding style. If you've got concerns about it then put them aside...unless you object to cable operation in principle. In that case I won't waste my breath

The surface finish in the post is extremely durable. When I removed the post a couple of days ago, it cleaned up to look brand new. That's after 70 or so miles on it...

i could have bought any of the others at trade price but thought "nah....." I'd rather have something that works.

you had to buy it retail from Germany because the UK distributor dropped them because all the warranties were such a massive pain.

I had ks 950i supernatural with bar remote after about 6 months use it did not last a ride in the mud/rain without not working properly. I have a reverb on for 14 months and not touched it and it still works like new . The cable system on the Thomson does look a lot better than the ks though

Bigrich - I'd take SS's version of events with a very big pinch of salt....

The finish and external build quality appear to be high. Doubt I've seen higher in fact. The surface finish in the post is extremely durable. When I removed the post a couple of days ago, it cleaned up to look brand new. That's after 70 or so miles on it...

So a weekends worth of riding?

My Gravity dropper still looks like new and I bought it in 2005. It's done thousands of miles. Only opened it up once and that was only because I was curious. Still on the original cable as well.

I have the KS Supernatural - best post ever if you dont like cables, Trying to find another for my new build

@mikewsmith i'm meaning Thomson posts in general, more 5* reviews than any other brand, regarded as the best money can buy. I've got a Thomson Elite straight post, still as new as the day I bought after 5 years use, not one scratch.

Replaced it with a Truvativ Elite layback post, and after one ride theres marks from the seatclamp!

I hope the Thomson proves reliable. However I bought another Gravity Dropper for my new bike because they're incredibly reliable and easy/cheap to maintain/repair should anything untoward happen.

I've got a KS dropzone. Where the cable extends is out of the way. Never been an issue. It's been faultless in the 6 months i've had it.

i'm meaning Thomson posts in general, more 5* reviews than any other brand, regarded as the best money can buy

totally irrelevant. They can make a good tube with a clamp on the end, but have no experience with seals, bushes, valves etc. Their dropper may turn out to be the dogs danglies and its been a long time in development but I for one would never buy a first-run product, especially from someone with no history in the field. Rockshox had (relatively minor) issues with their first Reverbs and they had 20+years for fork manufacture to fall back on.

I did break a cable mount in the alps, and you know what? If it'd been a reverb, I'd have been screwed. But with the cable operated post, I could still operate it manually. Fixing it used parts available for pennies from every bike shop in the world, to fix equivalent on a reverb would cost somewhere over £40 to fix, with parts you have to special order. That really sounds like progress.

Unless the internal cable snaps, at which point you're screwed. I have a Lev and I think that it's a good bit of kit but the internal cable is a piece of design that irks me. Especially as mine did snap and no, it isn't just normal cable!

I had ks 950i supernatural with bar remote after about 6 months use it did not last a ride in the mud/rain without not working properly.

Never had any problem with mine. I do strip it down for a clean and lube every few months though.

I did break a cable mount in the alps, and you know what? If it'd been a reverb, I'd have been screwed. But with the cable operated post, I could still operate it manually. Fixing it used parts available for pennies from every bike shop in the world, to fix equivalent on a reverb would cost somewhere over £40 to fix, with parts you have to special order. That really sounds like progress.

Do you have hydraulic discs? If so, please consider your point above to be fully pointless. 🙂

but you need a bleed kit for the Reverb - My hope brakes don't need a bleed kit.

Not being funny but do people use their droppers much in the Alps? My experience there is that days are typically made up of massive climbs (seat right up) and massive descents (seat right down) so not much call for an on-the-fly adjustment, unlike UK trail riding (apart from Lakes etc) where it tends to be undulating, with quick and frequent changes in incline. I'm fitting my new dropper to my UK trail bike - not bothering on the bigger Alps bike where it's less likely to be useful, more likely to get smashed to bits.

totally irrelevant. They can make a good tube with a clamp on the end, but have no experience with seals, bushes, valves etc.

This might indeed be the case in fact.

So a weekends worth of riding?

Ooh, get you.

Is it now next year for the 27.2mm version?

you had to buy it retail from Germany because the UK distributor dropped them because all the warranties were such a massive pain.

Bigrich - I'd take SS's version of events with a very big pinch of salt....

haven't KS been picked up by Jungle/Stif?

Not being funny but do people use their droppers much in the Alps?

Yes, quite a lot.

but you need a bleed kit for the Reverb - My hope brakes don't need a bleed kit.

You hardly ever have to use it tbh, and when you do it's way easier than any brake I've bled.

[quote=cruzcampo ]@mikewsmith i'm meaning Thomson posts in general, more 5* reviews than any other brand, regarded as the best money can buy. I've got a Thomson Elite straight post, still as new as the day I bought after 5 years use, not one scratch.
Replaced it with a Truvativ Elite layback post, and after one ride theres marks from the seatclamp!

Yep and as I checked the only other moving part they have ever made was a seat clamp.

the reverb is the only reliable remotely operated dropper post i've seen.

Are people not having problems & losing their posts for weeks with warranty work anymore?

I have two reverbs and they work perfectly with zero maintenance other than the obligatory squirt with fork juice. I just wished they'd make the remote levers more crash friendly- there must be a way of making the levers less fragile / vulnerable, or at least make the breakable parts more affordable... or maybe I should crash less often

If people were losing their Reverbs for weeks I'd be looking towards the shop rather than the importer - Fishers tend to be very quick at turning things around

I just wished they'd make the remote levers more crash friendly- there must be a way of making the levers less fragile / vulnerable

Are you using it under the bar or above?

Had numerous heavy crashes and haven't broken it since I moved mine under.

I had a first gen reverb which was tempramental. My newer one has been faultless. I'm not a big fan of RS/SRAM/etc (stemming from abysmal Avid brakes) but I'd buy another without hesitation.
MOst modern droppers are good, just remember MTB rule#4; never buy crank bros.

Are you using it under the bar or above?

One bike on top, one bike under. Both have been damaged during a crash

So a weekends worth of riding?
Ooh, get you.

regardless of whether you think that's willy waving or not the point is valid, 70 odd miles is not much of a test, that is only 1 or 2 rides to some people, and gives no idea of actual longevity or reliability, all it really does is confirm that that one example didn't explode straight out of the box...

regardless of whether you think that's willy waving or not the point is valid, 70 odd miles is not much of a test, that is only 1 or 2 rides to some people, and gives no idea of actual longevity or reliability, all it really does is confirm that that one example didn't explode straight out of the box...

Sigh. 😐

Have I, for one moment, given any indication as to the current operational state of my Thomson dropper? Have I yet mentioned that I've had multiple problems with it in the space of 70 short miles, rendering it inoperable?

No.

mangatank - Member
I've been running one for a few weeks now....

Hmmm.... 😐

Have I yet mentioned that I've had multiple problems with it in the space of 70 short miles, rendering it inoperable?

So are you going to tell us what's happened?

Nope. Not until it's all sorted out. Suffice to say that it's been....interesting, and not confined to mechanical issues.

More next week.