I have 3 KS posts. They are reasonably easy to strip down and service. I have only done it on a couple of occasions when a bit of vertical play has developed. Sorting the oil level is a lot easier than a Speedball/Joplin.

+1 for annoying grit in actuator on top of post.
+1 for simple innertube mudguard.

Tell me more about the inner tube mudguard.

My gravity dropper seems pretty good. People say they are ugly but I can’t see out of my arse so it doesn’t bother me.

Tell me more about the inner tube mudguard.

I would guess that means zip tie an inner tube sheath at the top of the stanchion under the saddle, long enough to drop to the seals.

I thought of that on my HiLo, wish I’d done it.

The advantage over a boot type thing is the crap doesn’t get trapped in there

Ok that looks pretty straightforward.

It is and it works

Hmmm, I’ve just ordered a mudhugger to try and keep the seatpost area clean, but wonder if this will do just as well…

IME the seals on Reverbs and KSs are more than up to the job. KS depending on the design can clog up around the lever but there’s easier ways to deal with that than this.

Ks i950 for years, bought s/h on here and then used by me for about 4 years. It fell in once. Sort of dropped, the nut at the bottom had come off. I put it back in ( trail side repair) and it was fine again. Took it apart once to inspect inside, it was clean as a whistle.

Sold it to a mate, he used it for about 6 months before selling it with his bike.

I was that impressed with the KS that I bought a KS dropzone ( wider tube though for my next frame) and have had no issues with it over the last two years.

Ok that looks pretty straightforward.

It’s utterly hideous and probably very effective.

Two Thomson’s since last Sept both good as the day they were fitted. Had a Reverb previously which was fine but didn’t like the movement! Brother and friends reverend both sink down about 10mm now even with correct pressure and a lever bleed.

Hi_lo SL for a year, i had to sort out a crushed outer cable housing where it enters the mechanism, probably user error, other than that it’s been faultless

It’s utterly hideous and probably very effective.

+1 I’d struggle to come to terms with running that. Think I’d prefer a tyre mudguard to be honest. Or what about one of those elasitcated fork guards like this:-

http://www.rapidracerproducts.com/NeoGuard.htm

One point for the first time prospective dropper buyer: don’t worry about a few mm of sideways movement, you don’t notice when riding.

+1

I was alarmed at the lateral movement in my original Gravity Dropper, but you really don’t notice it at all when riding. I have to say I was surprised as you can easily notice a worn shock bushing, which probably moves less than a mm. I guess the difference is lateral v vertical play. I’m sure you’d notice if your post was clunking up and down a few mm, but sideways play seems fine.

Edit: My new Spesh Command Post IR also has a small amount of lateral play (much less than the Gravity Dropper, but still quite noticeable off the bike. Certainly not a problem at all while riding. I would imagine all droppers have some degree of lateral free play.

Anyone have a Giant contact switch that developed a lot of play ? Mine has and I dont know if that side of things is serviceable ? Otherwise in terms of its reliable up and downyness its been 100% but has developed huge rotational play.
If its not servicable I need to replace it, but dont know whether to go for another Giant one (as I said the actual dropping, raising and importantly staying raised side of things is perfect) and I just got unlucky with getting a lot of play develop, or whether they are just rubbish and I should be looking elsewhere

If you bought a bike with a Spesh Command post on it then fair enough but if you were buying aftermarket would anybody really spend £250 or £300 on a Spesh post when a Reverb can be had for well under £200 . Those that don’t get the infinate adjustability concept must have never tried it . The Reverb is in a different class to the Spesh Command post and I have owned both . As for reliability there probably is little to choose , all can have issues , Reverb appears to have more because loads more are sold than any other dropper post and there must be a reason for that .

I wasn’t aware of the price difference and yes that is quite a premium for the Spesh. Mine did come on my new bike, so no brainer there.

I disagree on the infinite travel adjust, but that’s really just personal preference. I can see the point, but I find simple up/down dropper posts enough of a distraction while riding without the added complication of continually fine tuning your seat position. It’s a feature I know I can easily live without. Especially if it compromises reliability as it may well do with the Reverb – sinking post while riding seems to be a feature, which is not usually a problem with the locking type posts. I happen to think the Spesh 3 position dropper is a good solution. Even before I had one I thought it sounded like a good idea, but I was never convinced about the infinite adjust type. Maybe if I rode one I’d change my mind as you say, but I won’t be swapping out the Spesh post for a Reverb at this point.

When you say the Reverb is in a different class, are you referring to the infinite adjustment or general quality? That’s a genuine question as I’m curious. The Spesh IR post seems like a high quality piece and the new lever adjuster is excellent and certainly more ergonomic than the Reverb adjuster – which I have tried in the shop. My wife’s new bike is likely to come with a Reverb, so I might be in a position to compare them shortly.

As for reliability, I think user reviews speak for themselves. I don’t care how good the Reverb is (and everyone says they are great when working properly), it clearly has inherent reliability problems. It’s good that their warranty is solid, but I want my dropper post on the bike, not in a box! That was the good thing about the Gravity Dropper. It just worked and continued working without any hassle. I’m just hoping the Spesh post will be as reliable.

moshimonster – Member

I disagree on the infinite travel adjust, but that’s really just personal preference. I can see the point, but I find simple up/down dropper posts enough of a distraction while riding without the added complication of continually fine tuning your seat position.

You don’t really do that (or at least, I don’t- I doubt many people do and certainly nobody that considers it a complication). You just whack it where you want it, pretty much the same as you do with a 3-position post, you just get a bit of choice as to where.

(for me, it’s almost always up or down really)

You don’t really do that (or at least, I don’t- I doubt many people do and certainly nobody that considers it a complication). You just whack it where you want it, pretty much the same as you do with a 3-position post, you just get a bit of choice as to where.

(for me, it’s almost always up or down really)

That’s how I thought it would be to be honest. So infinite adjust is no big selling point for me anyway.

I find I do fiddle with post height a bit, it would probably be simpler to have a fixed drop at 25mm stages. Or stop fiddling with it.

Brother and friends reverend both sink down about 10mm now even with correct pressure and a lever bleed.

I had this and got a warranty replacement. Worth checking.

@ moshimonster In terms of quality of construction I think The Command post seems just as well put together as the Reverb , it is also pretty much the only dropper post that has layback . I have read of the colette ( I think it’s called ) breaking on the Command post so reliability is probably similar . The Reverb is just so much more user friendly IMO as you dont have to search for the correct drop position where the post will stay at like you do with the Command post . An analogy that comes to mind is that years ago I owned a Lada which I thought was OK , when I bought an Astra I realised how much better it was .

Nice to be able to have differing views to somebody without resorting to name calling , thank you for that .

moshimonster – Member

That’s how I thought it would be to be honest. So infinite adjust is no big selling point for me anyway.

If you only use up or down, then definitely not. But if you actually use an intermediate setting I reckon infinite is actually better. Counterintuitive that, but I had a 3-position Gravity Dropper and found that sometimes I’d miss the middle position, which never happens with an infinite adjust- no matter where you put it, there it is.

If you actually want a really specific 1-inch-drop (or whatever) that’s the only time a 3-position’s better I reckon. But I’m not sure why that’s really desirable?

Thomson droppers on Wiggle for 235 quid at the moment.

if that makes any difference to your decision. (GD’s are 225 on CRC)

@ moshimonster In terms of quality of construction I think The Command post seems just as well put together as the Reverb , it is also pretty much the only dropper post that has layback . I have read of the colette ( I think it’s called ) breaking on the Command post so reliability is probably similar . The Reverb is just so much more user friendly IMO as you dont have to search for the correct drop position where the post will stay at like you do with the Command post . An analogy that comes to mind is that years ago I owned a Lada which I thought was OK , when I bought an Astra I realised how much better it was .

Nice to be able to have differing views to somebody without resorting to name calling , thank you for that .

Thanks for that and I’m not trying to argue like some sort of Spesh fanboy! I just happen to like this post, but am particularly curious about the Reverb because we probably will have one in the family shortly. I’m actually quite concerned about its reliability record to be honest.

I know what you mean about finding the intermediate position on the Spesh post. It’s taken me a good couple of weeks to work out how to get to it reliably every time but think I’m there now. I can certainly see why some people don’t get on with this. It would actually be better if you had to release the lever twice to get to the bottom position – like a gear change lever. You can sort of simulate that by a very quick press and release of the lever – which is what I now do to get the intermediate position. You don’t have to actually find it exactly, it does automatically click into place as long as the lever has been released and the post has been moved slightly. Even if you move it below the intermediate position it still pops back up to it as long as you don’t hit the bottom lock first.

Thomson droppers on Wiggle for 235 quid at the moment.

At that price I’d have one over a Reverb all day long.

Still no one admitting to having a Fox?

Im looking at getting a Thompson, the reverb has proved to be a bit unreliable. Its failed twice in a year, frustratingly it is only ever used in dry conditions so its not had a hard life. And the hydraulic actuation seems to be more hassle than its worth IMO.

Thompson and a Reverb here, Thompson is fab in use and a pleasure in operation. 3 months use and bought secondhand, and plenty of mud lately. Brill. reverb is ageing and have needed to bleed it quite a bit. A bit better since new cable and barbs, but sinks down a little.

Thomson droppers on Wiggle for 235 quid at the moment.

£230 at CRC if you use the current £15 off code.

Hi, I’ve had a reverb for about 3 years and its just failed on me; stuck in position. I’ve bled a few times but to no avail. I may send it to Loco for a full service.

what’s put me off servicing the reverb is the specialist tools you need (IFB etc)

Anyway, im seriously looking at just getting a Thomson now. What is the servicing like with them? I like to home service as much as I can.

Thomson £230 at CRC

I think that’s where I would put my money if I was in the market for a new dropper today. I remember wishing Thomson made a dropper when I first replaced my lovely Thomson fixed post with a Gravity Dropper! I also remember people thinking I was mad spending £150 on a seat post back then, but hey ho.

Sending my reverb back for the third time in 18 months, with very little muddy or winter riding in that time. Had enough, so will be swapping to either a Gravity Dropper or Thomson. Are they both ok with internal cabling (specifically a Meta AM)? I think the GD needs a shim too.

My mate’s Thomson’s gone very sloppy pretty quickly, the response from them has been decent but definitely along the “known issue” lines. He’s not returned it on warranty yet as it’s still working.

I think the GD needs a shim too.

They sell most seat tube diameters if you buy direct from them but there are so many variants I don’t think they’re all stocked in the UK.

By the way, those with “issues” with their Reverbs, make sure you are not clamping the post too tight. It’s not a fault, just people overtighten and it causes problems with the mechanism, then people think it’s faulty so send it back.

Used two KSs, a mk2 Reverb and a Dropper.

The Reverb is my favourite as a functioning item, but I sold it needing a new bush (buyer was aware).

First KS (i900) needed love a’plenty to stay working.

New KS (LEV) is starting to show signs it needs love after six months – to be expected, but not as long as the Reverb went.

Dropper seized on a particularly filthy ride, but could be serviced then and there with minimal tools. For that reason alone, the GD takes the win for me.

That KS with the mudguard is sooooo ugly! I wish I took a photo of mine – unfortunately I can’t find one, however, I essentially put a small part of inner tube over the top of the seat clamp, cable tying it just beneath & around the cable stop & pulled it over the top of seat clamp & cable tied again.

You didn’t see it at all & it worked perfectly.

Reverbs are good and generally reliable, but I have a couple which drop a couple of mm when you first sit on them. I’ve been lucky – have an early Command Post which has (crosses fingers and self)……never failed! Thomson seems rock solid ad probably best overall quality.

Here’s what I wrote about the DOSS post last year…

“I like my Fox DOSS dropper – I’ve been using it about twice a week for the last 8 months in all conditions with no real issues and no service. Very occasionally it slips back down to the next stop after extending it – that happens usually in wet conditions when it hasn’t properly engaged in the up position. It only happens rarely and doesn’t really bother me. Otherwise it works very well and the “clunkiness” I see as “positive engagement”! I like the 3 fixed positions but think that the intermediate position is a little too high (at 40mm from top) for my liking. The vast majority of the time I use it in the fully up or fully down positions. The lever is also great if run with a 1x setup underneath the bar on the left – it is a little awkward if run on top of the bar but still usable. I primarily chose the DOSS based on the mechanical (rather than hydraulic) internals and am optimistic that it’s going to remain reliable”

…10 months on and it’s still had no significant issues or any servicing! It now occasionally loses some air so probably could use a service though. Also, in extremely wet conditions the lever can become a little stiff in use but that’s only really happened twice. All things considered I’m very happy with it; it’s both functional and reliable and I would be happy to recommend it.