Had an email through earlier, always fancied giving a dropper type seat post a go, for £60 I reckon it might be worth a punt. Anyone have any thoughts on them?
I got that too. Quite fancy it but it implies it also acts as a suspension seatpost which I really don't want!
It appears to be the same as the one from America for 30 dollars or something. Was mentioned here a while back, but didn't have very good reviews. Can't remember it's name, will have to have a look.
i take it that 27.2 is the only size?
Is it the same as this?
http://www.mtbr.com/cat/controls/Seatpost/sette/ryde-st-850/PRD_418242_141crx.aspx
I've got one of the Sette ones and it works fine. It looks a ringer for the i850.
You don't notice the suspension in the post as the action is pretty stiff. They do feel a little heavy and they do seem to have a running in period but otherwise very good.
Stuart
Yeah I believe 27.2 is the only size at the moment.
Well I've ordered one, worth a go. Will report back on how I get on with it...
DrP has one, used in the Alps recently. Seems like a very good bit of kit for the money.
It really only gives a 'suspension seatpost' effect of you sit on the nose of the saddle. Sitting nearer the back usually locks it out (Flex I guess)
For the money it's as good or better then a Gravity Dropper, IMO and if they did a 30.9 I'd have one. (I don't like shimmed posts after cracking a Ti frame because of one)
You can get them from Europe for something around £50 delivered I think.
Seriously, can we get some link action here please!
i would link but I'm aware that most have just had breakfast and would probably like to keep it down....
Nevermind, found on leisure lakes and ordered.
You can get it for 45 euros if you look about
[url= http://www.heli-bikes.com/Shop/product_info.php?info=p2867_Kind-Shock-KSP-850-Adjustable-Height-Seat-Post-27-2mm-365mm.html ]http://www.heli-bikes.com/Shop/product_info.php?info=p2867_Kind-Shock-KSP-850-Adjustable-Height-Seat-Post-27-2mm-365mm.html[/url]
shims are fine, as long as you get good 100mm long ones.
I had a bounce on one at leisure lakes and it looked awesome for the money
Both my bikes are 27.2 so I might stick a spare saddle on it and a) swap it between bikes and b) save it for nice days as it'll no doubt keel over in one wet ride like most do...
As PP states, I beasted mine around the alps for a week, with little problem.
It's a pretty device (as they should be i suppose) as it just needs to go up and down when I want it to!
Good points are:
It's dirt cheap compared to the others - there's no ignoring that fact
It's one of the only ones that fit my 27.2 bike
It's got the lever under the seat - i still think it's the neatest and a very user friendly design.
It's infinitely adjustable (i.e. can be stopped anywhere along it's uppy downy length
Bad points:
Not as light as others
Does have a bit of play, perhaps more than Andy's gravity dropper, but un-noticeable when riding.
Is like an adjustable suspension seatpost i.e. it can bounce up and down about 20mm, but this only happens if you sit on it in the 'line of travel'. As my seatpost is quite layback, you have to sit abnormally on the nose for the seat to squich down - in normal riding it just doesn't happen.
Would I reccommend it to a friend - definitely, It's dirt cheap compared to others and does it's job well.
I'm gonna attempt to take it apart for a grease and polish, so hopefully no high pressure bolts will burst through my face....
DrP
Thanks for the review DrP, I look forward to trying mine out when it arrives, of to Afan next weekend also so that'll be a good test for it...
I'd rather have a piece of dogshit flick up off my front wheel than attach this to my bike.
[img] 
[/img]
Good. Let's all hope that happens then....
DrP
It'll last 6 months. Wish I had £60 to blow on cheap toss.
[b]rolfharris [/b]- Member
It'll last 6 months. Wish I had £60 to blow on cheap to.
Just like the £250 posts then. I know what I'd rather spend. Might give it a go a some point.
Got one from xxcycles about 3, 4 months ago. Not super plush but serviceable. Does what it says, but it can get a little sticky on the way down and take a couple of goes to drop - probably off centre weight. Comes up every time. Easily worth £60 but not a £150 plus job - good job their only charging £60 then.
IGM - did you find service details on the web?
If not, could you briefly let me know of any pitfalls to avoid when unscrewing the post.
Also, how do you 're-pressurise' it on putting it back together?
Cheers
DrP
DrP - Member
Good. Let's all hope that happens then....DrP
Thankfully you won't be there to see it - and as a bonus I wont have to look at your ugly seatpost whilst I have crap on my face, or at any other time, ever!
The artist - wtf does it matter what your bike looks like? its a machine for riding not a fashion statement. I bet you'd rather be covered in dog poop than have mudguards as well
here here TJ....
as for a rack?
it would end in a ban i reckon....
TandemJeremy - Member
The artist - wtf does it matter what your bike looks like? its a machine for riding not a fashion statement. I bet you'd rather be covered in dog poop than have mudguards as well
Here's my last bike.
[img] 
[/img]
It's cheap crap - I wouldn't put it on any bike even my 12 year old mishmash hardtail. Oh, and it's fugly.
Bargain, does it work on air or spring?
It's air then it's probably a poor lockout that gives it the 'suspension post' action, rather than it being intentional!
I actually made my own adjustable post for the sum of £3 from parts from my local tip! It worked very well, untill it bent!
It's about time someone built one for a reasonable price! Specialized's one is £250!
apologies then artist
No worries teej
Wow, mine's arrived already! Nice one Leisure Lakes! I had a parcel turn up at work and I couldn't figure out what it was, only expecting a Macbook and some tees at the moment - it just seemed too early to be the seatpost already esp as it was listed as coming soon!
Ok, out of the box, it's heavy, let's not pretend otherwise!
Looks - not bad actually, remains to be seen how it looks on the bike but it's a country mile better looking the the GD posts and it's fairly discreet (red handle aside).
I have no idea what the action is like purely because there's now way I could compress it on arm strength alone anyway!
Sadly all my bikes are dead right now awaiting some part or another but will feed back and include pics once I finally get it fitted! AT this rate it'll be going on the singlespeed first as the Five needs a new bearing kit...
Drop it round mine Gary and I'll test it for you 🙂
[img] 
[/img]
RAD.
>It's cheap crap - I wouldn't put it on any bike<
LOL - said the man with the green bike, brown forks and gairish black fenders
The post isn't exactly a work of great beauty either but then any black post is going to be fairly indiscreet. If it works and its cheap I can't really the see the problem
Discreet that is 😉
i wish you could still buy those bd
Judging by how battered and scraped the post is on that green spesh, the i850 would be a visual upgrade!
From what I saw of DrP's post recently, they are anything BUT crap!
Cheap? Oh certainly. But they are well made and work well too.
How other compaines can get away with charging £150-£200 for 2 tubes and a spring is beyond me, frankly.....
maybe the extra money goes into removing the bonus inch of sus travel?
Or into marketing BS?
😛
still dont really understand these things. £60-£250 to save you the hassle of getting off your bike for a sec, undoing the QR dropping your seat and then tightening you QR again.
balmy!
or making things look pretty
But even the £250 ones don't look "pretty".
still dont really understand these things. £60-£250 to save you the hassle of getting off your bike for a sec, undoing the QR dropping your seat and then tightening you QR again.
balmy!
God forbid any of us want to actually ride nonstop!!!!
God forbid any of us want to actually ride nonstop [i]and can't do that without endless changes to position on the bike.[/i] 🙂
i wouldn't mind one for riding in the pyrennees/alps when you don't know how long the downhill is or what it will be like. It's an arse stopping to drop your saddle only to find the track just goes round the corner then uphill again!
God forbid any of us want to actually ride nonstop and can't do that without endless changes to position on the bike.
God forbid any of us want to ride a trail difficult, steep enough or fast enough to actually warrant dropping the post.
God forbid any of us have preferences different to others.
god forbid this thread descend into willy waving 😀
*waves willy*
*s****s at Gary*
I got one today, giving it a go. If nothing else, it will make me fitter riding with this extra weight on the bike....
still dont really understand these things. £60-£250 to save you the hassle of getting off your bike for a sec, undoing the QR dropping your seat and then tightening you QR again.
In the Alps it has to be said they are a good idea. Of the 4 of us that went recently, 2 had them, 2 didn't. And the 2 that didn't wished they did.
But in the UK I doubt I'd ever need one. You just don't spend as much time with your seat down. Just not necessary.
It seems to be something people 'get' or just don't.
I fail to see why each camp needs to argue so vociferously over it though
I reckon they are great.
I'm with BD luckily I have long enough legs not to really have to worry about this sort of stuff, but it does seem like a solution to a problem that didn't exist a while back.
Whatever, if it makes you happy, get one...
Oh quite. And a £60 heavy, ug-tastic seatpost that solves the problem for a while before breaking is clearly about four times as good as a £250 heavy ug-tastic seatpost that solves the problem for a while before breaking.
Basically, I am jealous of anyone who [i]gets[/i] to ride non-stop without being surrounded by faffers. 😀
[b]because,[/b] thebikechain, this forum is founded on a tradition of arguing, if we wernt arguing, it would be silence!!
Somewhere like Llandegla or Lee Quarry they are brilliant, where the trail changes gradient constantly.
But somewhere like the Peaks where you are either going up or down for a minimum of 20 minutes (uphill) then they're not that essential.
As a rider in the Peak - i find it a great system. If you could show mea 20 minute downhill i would be grateful also rampage!!
I love mine - multi drop gravity dropper, drop it 2" on singletrack and down descents like lockerbrook, and the full 4" in stanage plantation etc when i want the seat out the way.
Those who slate them have not used them (or used them fro a prolonged period) imo.
On a ride a few months back 8/12 had gravity droppers, all agreed that they were the best "upgrade" they had purchased that improved their riding.
I thought they were a stupid idea til I rode at innerleithen and discovered plummets of doom immediately followed by short traverses followed by plummets. Much the same applied at Drumlanrig, lots of pedalling with occasional steep stuff. You'd never need one at, say, glentress I reckon but stopping and starting can really knacker your flow.
What I don't get is why the expensive ones are so bloody expensive!
A very comfy office chair with the same "technology" can be had for less than £50, not that it would fit on your bike mind...
Yeah, but they stamp out millions of office chairs vs a few thousand seatposts
DrP - Member
IGM - did you find service details on the web?
If not, could you briefly let me know of any pitfalls to avoid when unscrewing the post.
Also, how do you 're-pressurise' it on putting it back together?Cheers
DrP
No, no, no, don't do it - at least not on my recommendation. By "serviceable" I mean suitable for putting into service, ie useable, not that it is maintainable.
Sorry and all, just an old school engineer of the asset owning and operating variety.
Incidentally I think this seat post is ace because it lets me lift my son onto his LOCT bike seat while I keep my feet on the ground, themn set off and lift the seat to riding height. on stopping I drop the saddle before I stop so I get my feet back on the ground while still stable.
That said between 3 year old son, Loct seat and KS seatpost my bike isn't exactly racing weight at the moment. Excellent for training on long draggy climbs though.
LOL - said the man with the green bike, brown forks and gairish black fenders
Nowt wrong with the aesthetics of my old Enduro......
[img] 
[/img]
Even looked ok with mudguards sometimes.....
[img] 
[/img]
I have no problem with putting mudguards on my bike, or having a shitty scratched seatpost. Sometimes I want my bike to be functional, sometimes I want it to look really nice too. One thing I won't do, from my 12 yr old Kona, to my new Enduro is hang cheap crap off it.
I'm not a bike snob, but when I wanted a suspension seatpost, I waited until I could afford a USE XCR. I didn't buy a Post Moderne because it was cheap and I could afford it, as it was quite obviously a load off toss.
The only dropper post I would buy is arguably the ugliest - simply because it's seems to justify it's cost with it's functionality and durability over everything else out there - Gravity Dropper.
Ok, just some initial feedback - I've onyl taken it for a spin in the street...
The Good:
It looks quite reasonable - it's no Joplin but on the other end of the spectrum, it's not Gravity Dropper! 😉
Rotational play is as good as non-existant.
Those worried about the 20mm of 'suspension', this only works when it's dropped - if it's at full height it is totally locked out. I don't intend to be sitting on the saddle in situations when it warrants dropping anyway.
Now the not so good. Yeah it's heavy. Although once on the bike it wasn't actually that noticeable.
I actually thought mine was faulty at first, it just wouldn't go down when I sat on it! If I removed it and put it on the floor it would compress easily. I left it compressed over night and then tried again, still no joy, emailed Leisure lakes to complain. In the mean time, faffed some more and realised you do need to shimmy forward slightly and it just works. An odd quirk but given the price and/or availability of other 27.2 posts, I can live with it.
Which so far, kinda sums the post up - I don't intend to run it full time, and for the money, I can live with the downsides.
I don't know how it'll hold up in the wet because I don't intend to use it in the wet. When we get some dry weather, I'll have a play in the woods and report back.
jeez so wet wetaher means swapping seatpost, enjoy both rides of the year with it then - lol
Well I've got a spare saddle kicking around and both bikes take 27.2 so it's kind of ok with me... It'll probably go to trail centres regardless of weather anyway...
I'm just thinking Bristol local trails and questionably reliable posts from other brands to date = bad idea...
Sorry for dragging up an old post (pun not intended 🙂 ) but any idea of the actual weight of this thing? As opposed to just heavy 😉
Sorry for resurrecting an old one, and sorry for what is probably a stupid question, but which side does the lever sit - under the front of the saddle or the back?
If it's the front, how the frickittyfrick so you get the saddle in the right place with the clamp design?! It's driving me mad!
It sits under the nose of the saddle 8)
righto, cheers. back out into the sun with an allen key then!