I like the idea of a remotely droppable seatpost. I can see how useful it would be. I have been considering getting one for a long time but still haven't taken the plunge. The reasons for this are as follows:
1) Price - they are ****ing expensive for what they are
2) My bikes take a 30 seatpost. Most makes of post are 30.9!
3) Play - I don't want any play in the saddle. I know people say you don't notice it but I will know it is there and I will notice it. Besides for the dollars they are asking I expect no play.
Now I am about to get a redundancy cheque so I can overcome point 1. Is there anything out there that overcomes points 2 and 3?
The only post I can find in 30 is the Rase one - but that definitely has play and seems pretty primitive in looks and functionality especially for the price?
What about the new KS 27.2 with a shim? Anyone any experience? And where would I get a shim to take it to 30?
Any suggestions or am I stuck with a quick release for the time being?
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cynical thats the best bit of kit they no longer sell ;-(
I gont one on US ebay a while ago.
I live in the alps & have been guiding for several seasons. I'm gutted that I chucked my hiterite away. Desperate for one now if anybody has one or where I can buy one. Will check us ebay.
This forum really is rubbish these days. No useful thoughts and even the irrelevant replies aren't funny or interesting!
Ooooh get you.
The rockshox one is out soon, at least it has a decent clamp. Who knows how reliable it will be especially the first batch, or whether it wobbles about.
The ks i900 seems pretty good my partner has is, no noticeable play compared to the crank bros one I have. So I imagine that's our best option with a shim. She hasn't had it long so can't really comment much on it.
There's only the smallest amount of play in a gravity dropper, if set up right, not so different from what you'd get with a flexible saddle. And it'll fit your 30 with a shim of course. And also, they just work.
+1 for the gravity dropper.
Bought one in 2007, ultra reliable, serviced it just twice in that time.
Mine is the one with the remote lever, & up until earlier this year, when I bought a new frame, I was on the original cable. Replaced the inner & outer cable, as I was routeing it differently, & it made a world of difference to the lever action.
A bit like new mech cables, you never notice how they deteriorate, until you fit new ones!
I'm quite happy with my Rase post, there is a little bit of play but it's not as bad as the maverick that broke!
i was given a speccy one but i dont ride a speccy. im looking at the crank bros one or maybe the rock shox when it coems out. 27.2 and 30.9
I am very particular about things being right, going against my better judgement I bought a Joplin, and yes the saddle does move in a yaw type action but I can honestly say you do not notice in the slightest actually is more comfortable as the Wadlow moves with you! Weird I know but I really was happy with it.
Finally some replies!
The Rockshox one is gonna be 30.9 only I believe - might be worth waiting if that's wrong?
A mate had the gravity dropper and I fixed it for him when it stopped working. I wasn't impressed with it and he has swapped it for a KS900 now too.
I have ridden a Joplin and it had more slop than a whores draws at knocking off time! I definitely noticed it and again the mate that had it has now got rid.
The two current favourites would have to be the Rase or the new KS i7.....
So where would I get a shim for 27.2 to 30?
I have had a GD for about 3 years and its been flawless, but it is damn ugly !!!
I have just bought a Hustler frame to build up and noticed this morning that the seat post is a rather daft 30mm too.
I am trying to decide what post to go for, looks like it will deffo need a shim as no one seems to do a 30mm upy downy post.
Half of my says to try somthing different, but the other half just says get another GD as they do exactly what they say on the tin.
Yes there is a little bit of movement on the saddle, but as others have pointed out, you do not notice it at all when sat on it.
The KS ones do look nice and I like the idea of the control build into the lock on clamp.
Bazzer
Bazzer
I have used the KS one for 9 months guiding in Italy so used on a daily basis...I havent touched it and works faultlessy.
BUT
This is an aera where there is virtually no bad weather... when I went to the UK for a couple of weeks in august the cable just constantly seized up with grit.... even with anew cable in it.
MP- you can get shims [url= http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/SearchResults.aspx?Search=seatpost+shim ]from CRC[/url]. Alternatively i've got one of the USE thermoplastic ones 27.2-30.0 you can have for a few quid.
stop being a poof and get a gravity dropper
My 3 year old GD has almost no play after extensive use and still works faultlessly. Lifetime guaranteee that they do actually honour. If relaibaility was the main concern I would go GD. Used a amaverick without issue if yoiu are willing ot serve it often nad replace guideblocks
I'd probably get a gravity dropper if it didn't look like it had been designed and built by the A-Team whilst they'd been locked in a shed with limited resources.
got a joplin3 had no problems yet, and it gets plenty of use, slightest of play left to right in the nose but nothing that is noticable once riding, suspect all the people who trash them dont look after them, but hey thats just my opinion
I have a feeling that the remote cable's, whilst nice, do add to the problems. It certainly didn't help my specialized command post at all.
Now have a joplin (3" drop) with the under saddle lever and seems to be holding up well.
I now find them utterly indispensible, but unfortunately for this priece of kit, do treat them as a little expendable.
As long as you go into it fully appreciating the benefits, and that it will break and will ahve to be fixed and then replaced, your laguhing.
FWIW, i think the i900/950 are about the best out there.
Kev
Neil from Pure has seen this thread and been in touch directly. Only trouble is no i7 in stock for a month..... although another month without one won't hurt.
2Pure just replaced my troublesome Joplin 1 with a Joplin 4 - far less play. I did notice the movement previously, but cant say it was a problem.
I rate the remote kits, I wasnt really happy reaching down between my legs and taking a hand off the bars at points in trails that really needed 2 hands and a good look ahead. But, I have ripped it out a couple of times on crashing. There's a little grub screw that pinches the gear cable underneath the saddle, I dont think it's really man enough for the job.
If you get one, consider using a boot or old piece of inner tube in the winter, the seals arent all that.
I have had a GD since early 2008, and recently got a KS i7. The GD has been very reliable in operation, but the inner post has snapped twice at the bolt hole. That said GD have replace the inner section and serviced the post on both occasions with a very quick turnaround.
The i7 was for one of my other bikes, and had it's first outing on my recent trip to Scotland. After the second day it had 1/2" downward movement when locked up - so it's already gone back for repair/replacement- I'm waiting for it now.
The GD has a remote, the i7 doesn't and I missed it - having the control on the bar is much better if you plan to get the most from the post on rapidly changing terrain - I plan to get the remote kit for the i7 asap.
The GD is very easy to service, BTW - don't know about the i7 yet.
Alaric.
nag Fox to make their new post in 30.0mm..
Fox are making a post now too?? 😕
I dread to think of the price of one with Fox written on it!
i900 R here, Post has been no problem for about 10months now, remote control has been a pain though, i have the 10MY red version. The problem is the little red lever under the saddle getting mud under it, there is then not enough return spring force to retract the cable. There is a gap under the lever, i now fill this area with grease and have had no problems since, come mud or shine
New Rock Shox Reverb looks good.
Hydraulic like their forks.
[url= http://www.bikeradar.com/news/article/rockshox-reverb-seatpost-first-look-26171 ]Linky[/url]
I wonder how long it will be before this type of technology becomes affordable to the common man?
rudedog - Member
"I'd probably get a gravity dropper if it didn't look like it had been designed and built by the A-Team whilst they'd been locked in a shed with limited resources."
Yup, instead you should buy one of the ones that looks nice but doesn't work as well and seizes up if you show it a photo of some mud 
I've got a spesh command post, so far so good. Bin the stock cable, i made one up from used XTR much better. Its worth noting that most remote cables on seatposts form a U bend. So once the water gets in it can't get out.
hmmm I just sent my gravity dropper back to the retailer coz it went pretty wobbly after only 6 weeks, did I just get a duffer?
@RestlessNative I've not had that problem at all, so you may just have been unlucky...
Ah now to be fair... I just bought a new inner post for my gravity dropper, with the 2 inch multi drop- they're not expensive and they come with new shims fitted so I thought why not? Fitted it, and it had absolutely tons of play- it turned out the shims were fitted wrongly. They offered to take it back and fix it, but I got them to send new shims instead rather than post it back to the states, but if they can screw it up in a seperate inner post they can certainly screw it up in a whole post.
So... Gravity Droppers do work but there's space there for them to not work. But they're good at sorting it should it happen.
Gravity dropper turbo multis on both my bikes, mainly due to reliability and service should things go wrong. You can adjust out most of the play with the lockring at the top of the outer post, but I think there will always be a bit of play. The play really doesn't bother me one bit.
GDs are great.
we've got the 27.2 pure post in stock, if OP (or anyone!) is interested....
mines gone back to wiggle so will see what they say
i think the 27.2 pure post actually looks worse than a GD!
"Its worth noting that most remote cables on seatposts form a U bend. So once the water gets in it can't get"
"I have a feeling that the remote cable's, whilst nice, do add to the problems"
You need to a middleburn cable oiler or two into the cable, if it gets sticky you sI have a feeling that the remote cable's, whilst nice, do add to the problemsimply push the dirt back out with WD40/GT85 etc. Plus if you position them along the cable outer just right, then the rubber O-ring on them acts can help stop cable rub too
I went for a KS i900R as I wanted to be able to set it anywhere along its height (not just set drop points decided by the manufacturer), and as I was after a dropper post to increase the amount of saddle drop on my frame (around 80mm drop) where the shock interupts the seattube I wanted more than 4" of drop to partially warrant the outlay
There is quite a lot of play in it now, though as above you don't notice it whilst riding and if anything must help when the bike pings its way through rocks seated climbing or moving weight into corners
The 'patented no slop' guides inside are worn
Theres some quite deep scratching in the inner shaft too and probably connected there is some play fore-aft (ie when you sit on it, it must move) though again its not noticable when riding and still works fine
The older lever on i900Rs although a bit easier to use (when positioned below the bar rather than above)I reckon than the new style was a bit flimsy, I broke 2
The new style ODI lock ring compatible one is a bit pointless though as if you were to mount it on the inner edge of your grip replacing a grip lock ring then you have reposition your whole hand to use the lever which is effectively much further back. I've got mine inboard of the brake and shifter though because its ODI lock ring compatible you need to have something under the clamp (I've got the 'clip' ends of an old locking grip middle sawn off) else it will score your bars as its only clamping around half of the way round the bar
Servicing its pretty simple, basically remove the lower nut and threaded cap, degrease/clean out and bung suspension grease back in
Probably the worst thing about i900's though is the (single bolt) clamp. To get it tight enough so the saddle won't move I need a ball ended style (6mm) allen key with an extension. More of a problem though are the notches in 'splines' of the clamp which means that my saddle has to point slightly too back (freeride) or slightly too forward (uphill). I could get it pretty much flat with my last saddle though I think it had slightly bent rails
i950's look like they have similar 'splined' type notches to grip with too
I have put down a deposit for an i7 and remote kit. Shim ordered from CR.
We'll see how it works out....?
KS850 27.2 with a shim? Heavy, only about £55 and works. Its a seatpost. You don't need these things all the time surely?
Well, my i7+remote kit arrived from the nice peeps at 18bikes today (cheers chaps),,the remote lever went together easy enough and set to the inside coller on the lockon grip feels easy to use and tucked away from damage, it's nice and smooth going up and down with no play at all, it's getting sloppy round here now so I'll see how the seals hold up
i7 with (orange to match bike!) remote kit fitted in time for trip to Spain. We'll see how it fairs.....
This looks ok hopefully cheaper than the Rock shox post
http://www.x-fusion-shox.com/product.php?pa=15&pb=ce70776232933ba4c6e45ba7da48c161