We had a chance to do some great rides with the new Crank Brothers Kronolog dropping post. This post is the latest entry in this important and competitive category of Dropping or Height Adjustable Seatposts. The most important aspect of a dropping post is smooth action and ease of use. It has to be really easy and consistent to use for it to be an effective tool in our rides since we often need it on those ‘oh snap’ moments. The more intuitive and hassle-free it is, the more the rider is likely to use the dropping post. Continue reading →
I got this on my new Stumpjumper FSR Comp Carbon
It's worked perfectly so far.
I'm 200lbs and it lifts and drops on cue, quickly and predictably.
It's about the same weight as the stock post.
A friend has been through real problems with a different brand
so I was nervous about this buy.
I would recommend it to anyone.
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Submitted by
Doug B
a All Mountain Rider
Date Reviewed: April 22, 2013
Strengths: A zen attitude to nothingness
Weaknesses: Reliability
Bottom Line:
Same as everyone else. Failed after a month with proper setup. They stated they tested this post for over a year before release. If they did then why did it hit the market? Saw the new re-design. looks like the major design flaws were not addressed.
Similar Products Used: Gravity Dropper- Great
KS Lev- Great
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Submitted by
ChrisAlpine13
Date Reviewed: April 4, 2013
Strengths: Very Sleak Design - one of the best looking on the market
Relatively lightweight versus its peers (only added c.200grams to my bike weight)
Fluidity of the return mechanism - doesnt slap you in the nuts!
Remote control design is excellent plus no need to remove brakes and grips
Routing of the cable - separate to the seat movement and fixed so it doesnt hit legs when seat lowered
Weaknesses: Potential Reliabilitity - no issues as yet but remain cognisant of others and their issues
When fully raised the seat post has a layer of grease that can get muck etc stuck on it - when lowered, this muck potentially goes inside mechanism?
Higher maintenance than other non-mechanical seats
Lever is stiffer and requires more effort than most fluid systems - doesnt bother me
Bottom Line:
I've had the Crank Brothers Kronolog seat post now for over 3-months and it has worked without issue during this time. I had concerns with buying the Kronolog given all of the negative reviews raised on the forums and by some of the more profressional reviewers. A lot of these are very valid points and Crank Brothers in my view need to ensure they implement a more detailed set-up procedure and employ a better marketing department to explain how their products work!
Firstly, I really only purchased the Kronolog as a friend offered it to me for £110 off a new Mondraker (he already had a Rock Shox Reverb) he purchased. If it was at the full RRP at £250 versus Reverb at £300 it most likely would have been a different outcome! That said, it can be found around the internet under £200 so at that price i consider it good value and would have puechased anyway over the Reverb
Secondly, in my opinion the set up of the seat post is key to it working correctly. I wouldnt be 100% sure that it is correctly set up out of the box. There are a lot of people having issues with cable tensioning and wear issues on the seat post. In my view both of these issues are directly related to each other and the way the user engages the seat. Mine has operated flawlessly from day 1 and i followed the following procedures:
1. Out of the Box - I ensured that the cable tensioning on the lever was loose with at least 6-7mm travel on the lever before it activated the seat post - this means that there is more distance for the lever to travel on each press and a bit more thumb effort, but its worth getting this bit right in the long run.
2. Ensure a full push on the lever when raising and lowering the seat so there is no rubbing during the motion - i lift slightly off the seat before pressing to lower preventing undue stress on the mechanism. Logic would tell me that if you press the lever whilst sitting on the seat the post will start to move as the bite on the post decreases and therefore will be more abrasive on the post.
3. After 2-3 weeks of use, re-test the cable as it will most likely have stretched a mm or so and re-adjust the tensioning to ensure 6-7mm + of slack
4. Regularly maintain it - every month, take a look at the mechanism and ensure its ok and check cable tensioning - its a 5 min job ive done 3 times now plus initital set up.
Yes, there are still some bite marks on the aluminium part of the post, but nothing excessive. There is absolutely no sideways play in the seat and you can pick the bike up from the seat post. Im not noticing any drop on the seat when i sit on it, so if its there, its minimal.
The damping system is twofold, it shoots up then slows at the end. I like this, maybe more professional XC racers dont given it takes a bit longer, but its nothing excessive - i think its fast enough and not far off what the Rock Shox Reverb offers.
Dirt sticks to the seat post when fully up but difficult to avoid i think. I've learned to wash the post with a spounge from the bottom up to try to get as most out as possible. I put a touch of light grease back on it post wash. The mechanism is nicely protected by a plastic cover, but ive heard a few people having issues with losing these. Maybe im not as adventurous as some but no issues from me in that regard so far.
All-in-all i think its a fantastic post. Crank Brothers come under a lot of criticism for reliability, and in my opinion there have been a number of flaws in some of their previous products including the awful Joplin and the Cobalt wheelsets (water ingress) - though the latter looks phenomonal. However, i think the biggest issue for Crank Brothers is that they dont clearly articulate how to set up and service the products they sell. This is a great looking product and works well, but it does require the user to be cognisant of its potential pitfalls and plan accordingly routine maintenance on a monthly or quartlery basis, particularly depending on conditions being cycled.
I would have no hesitation recommending this seat post on this basis.
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Submitted by
fleisch
Date Reviewed: March 30, 2013
Strengths: When working does a good job. Infinite adjustment. Fairly smooth movement of the post.
Weaknesses: Eventually fails. The clamping system does not work. The dropper drops when it is not supposed to. Who cares why - the bottom line is that it does not work and needs to be redesigned.
Bottom Line:
The first post purchased began to fail after about 1 hour of riding. The post was dropping, particularly when at full height, and the amplitude of drop just kept worsening. After 2 or 3 more rides it was completely useless as a "dropper post". I sent it back and the post sent back initially worked relatively well and I was hopeful that some significant modification had been made by Crankbros. After riding 2-3 per week for approximately 3 months the dropper again began to drop from full height. This time is was initially only several millimeters and I was able to deal with this although it was quite annoying. Over time this gradually worsened and the post would also drop at various other heights. In addition, the raising of the post to full height began to slow and not always even reach full height. I increased the pressure minimally, however the post would then not stay at the lowest position, sliding up approximately 1 to 2 cm under the increase in pressure. I am sending it back under warranty for the second time.
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Submitted by
javier fuenzalida
Date Reviewed: February 20, 2013
Strengths: weight, setable handle bar command, tow way locking wher you want it, stationary cable mounting.
Weaknesses: play when use for a couple of months.
Bottom Line:
escentialy, you get what you pay for. ...In this case, the words doesn´t fit at all, you get much better than you pay compare with similars in market. I mean, got a lot of friends with reverbs and KSs, and all of them seatpost get played over used. The plainness sistem allow an easy maintenance, and it´s incredible good looking.
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Submitted by
Patrick
Date Reviewed: January 20, 2013
Strengths: infinite adjust, cable mount at bottom of post, lowers and raises as it should.
Weaknesses: the original seat clamp that came with the post didnt toghten quite right. (Krank Bros sent me a new one, and it works perfecty). Would be nice if they used a standard hex bolt for the seat clamp
Bottom Line:
I hesitate to write this post because, in the event I jinx myself. My Kronolog past works perfectly. I bought this dropper post after reading many mixed reviews. I had moderate expectations to say the least. I was careful to enure proper trigger slack and cable length etc. during installation.
The original seat clamp didnt tighten quite right. It needed to be severly over tightened to lock the seat down. I rode twice with no issues, while crank bros sent me a new one. The new clamp worked perfectly. Beyond that, it took a ride or two to adjust the air pressure to my liking (for height adjust, w/o testical injury).
this post is installed on a Santa Cruz Nomad. Ridden about 25 days and maybe 350 miles. Varied terrain ranging from Downieville Downhill to SF Bay Area rides like Soquel Demo, Santa Cruz areas and Skyline etc.) Haven't had a single problem with adjustment, lowering, raising or sagging under weight. I only weigh 155Lbs which may help.
This post has worked really well for me, so far. Props to crank broths customer service for putting a new clamp in the mail (post marked) the day I called.
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Submitted by
Kyle Forsythe
a All Mountain Rider
Date Reviewed: January 10, 2013
Strengths: Infinite height settings
Weaknesses: Unreliable; Doesn't stay at desired height.
Bottom Line:
The Kronolog came stock on my new Satori. Post was set-up by lbs. I never thought I'd use a dropper post much, so I didn't put too much weight on the negative things I read and heard prior to purchasing the bike. The more I rode and experimented with changing the seat height, the more I liked dropping it going into a corner or before dropping into a ravine. After 5 hrs of riding, the post "drops" about 1/2" when I sit back down on it. I checked to make sure it had sufficient "play" in the cable. No improvement.
Strengths: infinitely adjustable, adjusting mechanism on the bottom
Weaknesses: reliability
Bottom Line:
I'd had my eye on the KS LEV and Fox DOSS, but never could quite pull the trigger because of the price. Then I found a smokin' deal on the Kronolog from Bike Nashbar and bought it for myself for Xmas. I figured for $150 it was worth a try. I knew that eventually I'd have an issue with it, but I've heard Crank Brothers has great customer service, so I figured why not. It would at least let me figure out if a dropper post is for me.
Installation was simple. I was careful to make sure I had the recommended 2-3mm of play in the cable and the routing had enough slack for turning the bars around.
The first ride was great...once I remembered I could drop my seat. :) For flat technical stuff I dropped the seat an inch or two and for the steeper stuff I slammed it all the way. Downhill switchbacks are so much easier with the seat out of the way.
For the second ride I chose San Juan trail in SoCal. A moderately steep 6 mile ascent with lots of switchbacks and then turn around and bomb back down. A great place to have a dropper seatpost. Well about a 1/4 mile into the ride up my seat felt too low. I hit the lever and the seat went up about a 1/2"...I guess I just forgot to extend it all the way. Another 5 mins and again something wasn't right. I hit the lever and again the seat goes up some...uh oh! (seriously CB...it works for one ride and that's it?) By the third time I stopped and raised the whole post up a bit. From then on I kept hitting the lever ever 5 mins or so when my legs needed a little more stretching. Needless to say I got good and finding the lever without hunting for it.
So after two rides I've learned do like the dropper post concept. I'll have my Kronolog fixed and hopefully get more than one ride out of it before it breaks again. Once the warranty runs out in 2 years, by then hopefully something more reliable will be available.
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Submitted by
Jim
Date Reviewed: December 13, 2012
Strengths: Drops when I want it to, stops where I want it to, raises back up when I want it to
Cable does not move
Weaknesses: A little bit stickier than I'd like to lower it. Takes a very deliberate press of the button. Could be a bit easier.
Bottom Line:
Works great, no issues at all. I've used it on The Whole Enchilada in Moab (twice!) and many other technical trails in the Rocky Mountains west of Denver. No problems at all. Traded my Joplin 3 for it and have been very happy with it.
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Submitted by
RJDofThePhilippines
a All Mountain Rider
Date Reviewed: December 12, 2012
Strengths: * At 1st very reliable (fresh from the box), very less play with the seat post from left to right..
* Infinite seat post positions, you can just lock the thing at ANY height you want..
* For a one bolt its not that hard to re-adjust, its quite stiff and loosens up well if you wanna re-adjust the saddle position unlike other 1 bolt sea posts were you have you smack that saddle down and tell that thing who is boss.. so yeah..
* Get the right amount of air pressure for your riding style and your weight and you'll have a blast..
Weaknesses: Ok, for me, i only have 4 main reasons why the "Kronolog" needs improvements.
4. The cable = Using a mechanical cable, i dont know, it makes me feel uneasy going 70-80 km downhill with the post all the way down and BAMM! you crashed.. and then you look for your bike and your cable is cut.. I wished that there was a way i could fit that cable inside my frame so that it looks neat and its protected all the time.. Its tucked in neatly so no more worries..
3. Excess grease, allot of grease, and i mean ALLOT of it.. and you cant take that grease away because it will certainly be stupid if you would.. common sense? Ok.. so after taking my bike from the trails, small rocks, leaves, small branches, chips of wood, dirt, sand. anything thats on your wheels, can be found on your seat post too!! THEY STICK to the thing like cats on catnip and i noticed that small debris go INSIDE the seatpost when you push it back down, every after ride i have to wipe that thing clean from the bottom up to avoiding damage from the inside..
2. There is play when you have used it for a couple of months, its not left to right, but the movement is from front and back when the post is all the way up.. Another thing, The "green" spot on your lever, You have to look at that green spot on your lever, before putting it up on your desired height, that green spot should be visible before you press that thing.. If not, it makes a snapping sound when you force it.. I noticed that when weight is applied it settles 1-2mm?, cant Crank Brothers do something about it? because i think the lock mechanism is eating away my tube, maybe because the mechanical cable cant hold on to it tight enough? i dont know.. all i know is there are allot "BITE" marks on my tube now..
1. The cap that shields the lock mechanism for the dropper is way to weak to protect it from a crash and for some reason it doesnt hold all to well, because mine flew out.. Good thing we still found that little punk from our trails..
Bottom Line:
The kronolog would be way better if you could have the option of internally routing the cable to protect it and move that bulky cap somewhere else.. dont get me wrong, Its looks great! but what is style if you cant use it properly? Maybe right below the dropper? just right beside the schrader valve? that would be great.. if its possible thought..
Over all the kronolog is great, but there is always room for improvements, FOX just released the DOSS and im just waiting for the reviews if i should change or stick to my kronolog.. Step up your game crank brothers or me and my team will be a fox fan if the DOSS lives up to our expectations and the expectations to world class athletes out there..
The value for the kronolog is a bit high, i mean, 300$ (12,000 pesos + tax or what ever i paid 14,000 for this) just for a seat post? come on.. haha.. and with the performance i get from it after using it a few months later? I dont think so.. haha.. Over all its a good seatpost it does what it was built to do..
Room for improvements? OF COURSE THERE IS ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENTS
Would i buy that if they did a few improvements? Depends on what's new on a "new and improved" kronolog..
Similar Products Used: Joplin (horrible just horrible)
Reverb (out of 10 i'd give it a solid 6 )
Kronolog (so far so good, but it has room for improvements, i just know it..)
Bike Setup: 08 Giant trance 2 with an 2012 xtr group set..
CB's cobalt rims..
Maxxis tires..
Fox fork and fox shocks..
Strengths: This is my first dropper post. I have always wanted one since I am always messing around with seat post height on the trail. What I really love is the ability to power out of a the bottom of a hill after flying down it. Normally I would have to stop and adjust my post or climb back up with the seat lowered. I do not have to compromise now. I feel the bike has made me faster even though it will add a pound or so to your bike. I really like how you set the post where you want as opposed to three different set heights like on other dropper posts. Really makes it customizable. After riding with a dropper you will never want to go back to a dropper-less bike!
Weaknesses: I see lots of reviews here with people saying their post drops down when it shouldn't. The only time I notice that is when I extend the dropper to its max height and put my weight on it. At that point it will drop half an inch or so but not beyond that. To be sure, I marked on the dropper post with a Sharpee to make sure it was not dropping when I didn't want. My solution was to calibrate the Kronolog to sit .5 inches taller than I would want a max height and when I sit on it, it drops down to the perfect max-height level for climbing.
Weight may be a concert but overall the dropper post makes me faster and the extra weight is worth it.
Bottom Line:
I got this as refurbished unit from my bike shop for $80 thrown in with my substantially expensive bike purchase. I was offered it for that price and thought "Why not?". I have been happy with it so far. Sometimes when I feel I could be going faster I remember I need to check my seat height and I raise it to get a bit of extra torque.
Some pretty negative reviews so far, but after about 30 hours on it so far I really like it.
just sent my 2nd one back for warranty. after several rides each one began to slip about 10+mm under weight, going to t Crank Bros has been good with the warranty replacement, but wish they could come up with a fix as when the post works i really like it....
Bike Setup: Tallboy LTc, fox 34 ctd, xx drivetrain,r1 brakes 180/180,easton havoc bars, idustry 9 enduro hubs with stan arches,2.35 nobby nics tubeless.....
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Submitted by
Willis
Date Reviewed: November 7, 2012
Strengths: Great concept, infinite adjust, cable doesn't attach under the seat.
Weaknesses: Poor poor poor execution. The seat does not stay up after sitting in it for five minutes of pedaling. I have about 100 miles on this post and it no longer works. All of the problems stated below are absolutely true... Do not buy until they fix this post.
Bottom Line:
dont waste your money
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Submitted by
Bud
a Cross Country Rider
Date Reviewed: October 31, 2012
Strengths: Infinite adjust
Weaknesses: Poor durability-a month of use
customer service does not resolve problem
Bottom Line:
Failed to stay up after 2 months. Returned for warranty and is slipping on 1st ride back. Set up was proper.
Showing signs of issues after one ride, the leaver placement was getting stuck on my break leaver clamp, so I move it up a bit, resolved that issue.
Second ride I started noticing that it wasn't fully extending after compressing the seat post, I had to push the leaver twice to get it to fully extend. When I got it home I took a close look at it and that is definitely an issue.
I'm really disappointed in this product. Don't waste your money.
