UKH

Over the years I ve used various droppers on mine and the kids bikes . The cheaper ones that have gone on bikes seem to last us a couple of years give it take . I ve tinkered with them when they stop working but  in my experience once they start playing up they soon end up in the bin . I would prefer to spend a bit more to get something that lasts a bit longer . A quick look online shows that the rock shock reverb and fox transfer are both around £200 give or take . The lbs I use the most say don’t get the reverb as they pack in . I don’t need anything really fancy .is there anything else you would consider ? If not fox or rock shock ?

In reply to mike123:

I'm a big fan of brand-x's ascend dropper post and have had no problems with it, despite using it for several years. I've had 2 reverbs (only one still works - 1st gen reverb surprisingly enough) and they've been very hit or miss, with one of them having problems working when it gets cold. While I haven't owned any other brands, but I've been warned in the past by my lbs that a lot of the other pricier brands just use the same internals as the transfer.

In reply to mike123:

Reverbs are ones to avoid as they stop working in the cold and are susceptible to air getting past the seals resulting in them sitting into their travel between 0.5 - 1cm. They've been discontinued by SRAM (except the electric one)

In my opinion you're choosing between two...

Brand X if you can get hold of one (Wiggle/CRC who owned them recently went into administration and the brand/IP were bought by Mike Ashley - not sure if they are still being manufactured or not) - check the stack height you need as the section in the frame is longer than other posts (only an issue if you have a kinked seat tube) - I've had one on one of my bikes for just over 2 years and it's been flawless so far 

One Up - these are slightly more expensive than the Brand X and just as reliable - these have one of the shortest stack heights of all the droppers so great if you have a kinked seat tube. I've had two so far the first was a 170mm V1 post which I ran for about 4 years - all it needed was to have the air chamber topped up every 9 months or so - sold it when I got a new bike - I currently have a 180mm V2 or v2.1 (can't remember which) it's about 18 months old and has been similarly good - it needs the occasional air top up - there is a V3 version which doesn't need an air top up 

Both the above are easy to work on at home unlike the Fox Transfer which isn't home serviceable 

In reply to mike123:

What size are you looking for Mike? I've got a new brand X one still in box 30.9x150mm external. Was thinking of keeping it as a spare but my other one is still going strong

In reply to mike123:

I've had a PNW one for several years and it has been totally reliable. Very low stack height at the seat too.

In reply to The Potato: thanks to all for replying . I’m pretty sure it’s 30.9 I need but if not for me  I would be interested in the seat post for Kids bikes . I ll send you my contact . 

In reply to mike123:

I have the brandx ascend on my new bike. I prefer the reverb on my old when it wasn’t needing servicing/rebuilding/fixing. Reverbs are great when they are working but unfortunately that just isn’t very often in my case! I had 2 warranty replacements and the latest one had 10mm of movement in it within 3 months of going on my bike. 

In reply to mike123:

Another vote for Brand-X ascend (if you can still get them in the post-CRC/Wiggle age...). Solidly built, the lever seems a bit cheap and nasty in the box but once under tension it's great. Also there's an externally routed version for older bikes.

New (to me) bike has a super swish KS Lev and other than having a much longer drop it's not in any way better than the Brand-X I fitted to my old 26" Orange. 

The only issue is the crappy cable that comes with it that seems to rust at the slightest hint of moisture but this is a cheap enough issue to solve.

In reply to mike123:

My Crank Brothers Highline has served me well. I got it at a decent price a few years ago from Bikeinn, which shipped from Spain. A bit of a risk in case of returns but it worked out.

In reply to mike123:

Besides Brand X, I was going to suggest Cube.

I have had a Cube on one of my bikes for some five years and it’s been faultless unlike a Lev Ks one on another. General diy cleaning aside it has had no maintenance nor servicing. A quick google suggests Cube droppers have gone up market (including price). Used to be priced as a budget one like Brand X.

If quality still there would be worth considering. They do inside and outside units if that is important.

Like others mention, a friend had no end of problems with a Rockshock and her LBS recommended Brand X and she has had no problem since.

In reply to mike123:

Without jumping in on The Potato, I have an almost new Trans-x (identical to brand-x) 30.9, 150 mm internal routed dropper post with new cable and lever available for sale if interested. It was taken off a new bike bought by my partner because it was too long and couldn't fit far enough into her small size frame. Not sure what it's worth but PM me with an offer and I can run it past her.

Like others, I've been using a Brand-X Ascend for about 3/4 years. Still works like the day it was bought. I didn't see any really need for going more expensive (so perhaps I don't know what I'm missing) but it's suited me fine.

The small amount of play in it is normal. And you can prolong the life of the posts by never storing the post lowered for long periods of time. I also use Brunox on my post after muddy/dusty rides (in addition to my forks/shock).

In reply to mike123:

will sell you my (working afaik) RS reverb ver 1 with fluid for £70..

In reply to mike123:

I've used Brand X, SDG Tellis and OneUp dropper posts over the past 5 years or so since getting back into mtb.

Of those the only one that I wouldn't recommend was the SDG which packed in about 6 months after I bought it (from new) and Silverfish (the distributor) gave non-existent customer service when it was returned saying it had been bent due to user error. Given it hadn't been in any crashes and was always dropped when descending/transporting it seemed to be so weak as to be unfit for purpose, if indeed that was the fault with it. 

In the past I've had Brand X which were cheap, solid and never gave any issues, albeit they do seem to have a bit more side to side play than other brands. I currently have a OneUp V2 and that has been just as reliable as Brand X so far, with less side to side play plus a massive drop available if you're tall/have long legs and like to get your seat properly out of the way when descending. I'd say the OneUp is slightly better than Brand X for those reasons, but really I'd be happy with either.