I’m about to send my Reverb back again, 2nd time in 10 months and it seems highly improbable that the thing will keep functioning, although to be fair SRAM seem very efficient in supplying replacements – presumably very used to it! They almost seem like a disposable part, god knows how cheaply they produce them given how readily they dish out new ones…!! Anyway thinking maybe of changing to a Thompson dropper but there seem to be a fair few mentions of reliability issues with these as well.
So I’m after hopefully some long term reports of Thomson dropper posts that might give me some hope that they will last longer than a lingering fart.
Please…

My thomson Covert went back after 40 miles of use due to a seal failure. Was sent a new one and has been ok so far, but still only 100 miles in.

I’d never put ‘Thomson’ and ‘more reliable’ in the same sentence. They seem to struggle with non moving parts. Specialized Command Post for me. Two in our household and happy with it.

Gravity dropper, a bit more reliable, but crucially, dead easy to service and get working yourself, should it go wrong

Shimano SLX dropper, that’ll be the one, they’ve gotta be working on it, xtr dropper by 2017, by 2020 we’ll have a deore one that’ll wee over all the competition

I’ve been using a KS Lev with no problems in all conditions for the last 16 months or so.

Gravity Dropper – why does anyone bother asking?

My X Fusion is pretty robust, cheap too!

Simple cable release takes at least 30% of the arse ache factor out I reckon.

From the unscientific sample of ‘people I know’ when dealing with the big three the reverb still does best- 1 of 3 Thompsons has been back, 1 of 1 levs has been back twice, must know of a good 15 reverbs (possibly more, not sure how many are swapped between bikes) and I think only 3 or 4 have been back. That said, the gravity dropper and clones win on straight reliability, while they’re never quite as nice I’ve never seen one give up altogether!

My Lev Integra was going great for six months, but it’s back for the third time, once for ambushing that fell apart when I was servicing it, twice for the cartridge or something bursting. I’m now hoping I get my money back so I can just get a GD, but I think after 10 months that might not happen.

My reverb was ok for four years , finally broke last month sent it back for repair , sent me a new one awesome.

KS Lev Integra, one quick self strip and re-grease in 18 months with zero issues.

Don’t understand how people are having issues with them, it’s the most reliable dropper I have ever used, maybe I just got very lucky and got the only 100% reliable one?

Thomson seems to be pretty bad, everyone I know of has been back at least once and their response has always been along the lines of “Yeah, known issue, we know how to fix that”. Not encouraging.

I’d go KS, both of mine acted up almost immediately but were super reliable since. I had a replacement air cart put in one after about 3 years allround use but it was still working, just getting tired. Any issues since have been with cables, which are easily fixed. DIY servicing of everything but the air cart is pretty straightforward, parts are available from Stif and surprisingly cheap (I lost a cable end thingummy, I expected to be told a replacement would be a fiver or something, it was about 30p), servicing from Jungle is good value if a wee bit disorganised. Would Buy Again, the reliability’s been good enough for me to recommend even without the superior backup.

My Reverb’s been OK too, to be fair, but one year in and it’s getting cranky. And the cost of parts is a proper pisstake, I’m sure it’s purely coincidental that the lever’s both fairly delicate and very expensive to replace.

And gravity dropper, still good but once I tried longer travel, 100mm just basically felt like not very much. And parts availability’s not as easy as it was.

2 threads I started on the same topic recently, that the OP may consider useful…

http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/thomson-dropper-post-owners-opinions-required-please

http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/reverb-longevity-anyone-got-any-better-experiences

FWIW, for now, I’m sticking with the Reverb… Why? Well to be fair, they’ve not quibbled a warranty yet, and it does integrate perfectly with SRAM brakes and shiters that I already run. Not sure how many more times I’ll defend the Reverb mind…

Fox DOSS?

We have been running Specialized Command posts on all our bikes, eight in total, for quite some time. A mixture of ages, both internal and external, with no problems.

I like mine, despite the problems with it but if I was buying again I’d buy a Reverb instead.
Given that the Thimson has issues I’d rather spend less money up front and have the ability to fix some of the problems myself rather than everything being unserviceable/sealed unit. That only works if the sealed unit is up to the job and unfortunately the Thomson just isn’t quite there.
I do resent being told that the 1-2mm of up/down stickiness at the top of travel that has once again developed on the Thomson 2 rides in after a £90 service is ‘within tolerance’ when it is clearly an issue with the thing. Infuriating as the lever action, the lack of play in other ways and the smoothness of its working are fantastic.

This thread is a predictive text cock-up goldmine; am loving it! 😀

Good thing about the Lev is if something does go wrong, it’s easy to repair,and parts are cheap.

KS Lev Integra, one quick self strip and re-grease in 18 months with zero issues.

Whereas mine packed up after 2-3 rides.

Apart from the very early 1st gen ones having issues with the collets breaking, I’ve not heard of any issues with the Specialized Command Post. I’ve got a 1st gen and it’s great, so utterly reliable.

I don’t get why they’re not more popular tbh, especially when all of the competition seems to have som many issues? Is it the setback head that puts people off, or that they’re not infinitely adjustable?

I don’t get why they’re not more popular tbh, especially when all of the competition seems to have som many issues?

Hard to quantify really, lots of issues reported because so many people have reverbs? I dunno.

I know dozens of people with reverbs, 3 or 4 people with KS, but I can’t think of a single person I know with a command.

3 gravity droppers here along with 1 spesh command post. The gravity droppers have been faultless, the oldest is 10 years old.

The spesh post has issues, it rarely locks in the intermediate position and sometimes just drops from fully raised. Annoying when climbing!

And gravity dropper, still good but once I tried longer travel, 100mm just basically felt like not very much.

125mm drop in 30.9 and 31.6 sizes!

This I have two that are 7 ish years old and still working faultlessly with minimal maintenance and will just keep going and going and going

Not as plush as reverb but one mate has warrantied his one post more times than I have bought a GD in one year

100 mm is plenty of drop IME

100 mm is plenty of drop IME

For you, cool, I’d like a 150, but the bushes seem to be more prone to wear.

My riding group has a mix of RS Reverbs and various KS dropper posts. Currently the KS ones seem to be more reliable. They are mostly in the hands of people who don’t service their bikes at all and have been running fine for a couple years now. The Reverbs have been in hands of people that generally look after their bikes but have had a higher failure rate. But all got replaced for free in a reasonable time. In my experience KS is more reliable but if my next post had to be a Reverb I wouldn’t be too upset.

Both of my Reverbs are great – the oldest one is coming up to three years old now and is still hunky dory.

The other Reverbs that I know of are generally fine too. Cheap enough too.

My Thomson has been faultless. Lovely bit of kit as well.

Whereas mine packed up after 2-3 rides.

What was the issue?

What was the issue?

Not extending promptly or fully and living 5mm-ish of play at maximum height.
I sent it off to Jungle for warranty, it came back today with a different fault – Stopping about 2/3 of the way through extension and only then extendable with faffing. It’s gone back again…..

I think I’m gonna try one o’dem new Race Face Droppers when they come in at CRC. If I get a replacement Reverb I might sell it brand new and then can prob get pretty decent price towards the admittedly overpriced Race Face jobby.

I took my Whyte 129scr back to the shop because the reverb seatpost was dropping about 20mm when I sat on it. That was nearly 5 weeks ago and still waiting to get it back! That’s the last bike I buy with a reverb seatpost. I’ll be contacting trading standards on Monday.

I have a reverb and a Thomson, both external routing and have found both good – the reverb does have a bit of movement now after 18 months, but it was on my carbon bars which I broke in a crash! It did better than me! The thomson is on my FS bike and has been superb – no faults and beautifully made. My one concession was to fit a mudhugger rear guard to protect it from Dartmoor and Devon grit/grot.

Probably get shot down in flames but my Giant Contact dropper is two n half years on my bike and only now starting to show signs of wear,new cable and a wee strip down and grease and it’s good to go,will drop anywhere from top to drop on the 100mm as apose to my mates Specialized post which has 3 stops and when it’s returning to full travel it could easily eject you off the bike it’s mental fast and hard

I have had two Command posts, external and internal routing, done precisely zero maintenance in 3 years and they’ve never missed a beat. Plus, they work with those otherwise completely redundant LH gear shifters you have lying in the spares box.

YEP no issues what so ever after 2 yrs use in the Lakes. Prefer it to the reverb on the newer bike.

Used a DOSS? I tried one and loved it…just wiating for the Reverb to fail now, but seems like I’ve got the only one that hasn’t! 😀

My Thomson has now gone back with a suspected faulty cartridge.
Collection arranged by distributor & they are very apologetic.
The ‘spare’ Reverb just doesn’t feel as nice in use but if the Thomson fails again I will cut my losses I think.

External Lev is my current preferred option, although apart from bleeding it once and pumping the air up twice my 2011/12 Reverb has been trouble free and unserviced so maybe I’m not representative.

I prefer the Lev simply because it’s better in every way in use.

nomad27 – Member
I took my Whyte 129scr back to the shop because the reverb seatpost was dropping about 20mm when I sat on it. That was nearly 5 weeks ago and still waiting to get it back! That’s the last bike I buy with a reverb seatpost. I’ll be contacting trading standards on Monday.

POSTED 19 HOURS AGO # REPORT-POST

I would check that it’s not the shop holding things up . Sram warranty from Fishers is usually really quick . Also that’s a known fault and they usually replace them straight away .