Submitted by
Earthpig
a Cross Country Rider
from Boise
Date Reviewed: December 13, 2011
Strengths: When it works, it's one of the best additions to a bike you can get if you like to rip the downhills.
Weaknesses: Suspect reliability? Weight. Limited saddle tilt adjustability. Side to side saddle play out of the box.
Bottom Line:
I never thought I'd be that kind of rider who would need a dropper post. The local trails are non-technical and I don't DH anything super technical. I'm also a firm believer in posts being something you set and forget. However, a few rides with this post and I was hooked. I have long legs and tend to like my saddle set very high for climbing, so the ability to drop (and raise) the post from a small lever on the bar is sort of a small godsend for me. It definitely has given me some added speed and confidence on the downhills. But...
I do have some gripes. My post had both some very slight up and down play and very slight side to side play out of the box. I understand that one or both are to be expected with this post. I compensated for the first by setting my saddle slightly higher and the latter I just learned to ignore. It's also a lot heavier than a normal post, so if you're a weight weenie, this is not your post. One of the more annoying features is the single-bolt style tilt adjust for the saddle. I'm a big fan of two bolt (or other) systems that allow for "fine tuning" the saddle tilt. With this post, I always felt like my saddle was tilted too far down or too far up - I never could get the saddle quite right. But, it was so much fun to use it, I again learned how to deal with the lack of good tilt adjust.
Finally, mine quit working after about 8 months of riding - it will not stay in the up position anymore - it drops about an inch if I sit on it. Not really what you want from your seatpost. After one ride back on a straight post, I'm tempted to just keep the straight post - I like the concept of a dropper post, but don't want to be out in the middle of nowhere and be worried about my seatpost failing.
Similar Products Used: No other dropper posts used
Bike Setup: I've had this on a SC Chameleon, a Yeti 575 and a Niner Jet 9.
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
SparxFlyer
a Weekend Warrior
from Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
Date Reviewed: November 19, 2011
Strengths: Infinite adjustability, no issues with side to side or up & down play. Excellent seals requiring no maintenance thus far.
Also, he thing appears to be bomb proof. I have bent the rails on two seats, once upward (you don't want to know about the bruising on that one!) and thus far it has no play or other issues.
Weaknesses: From the get go it often needed a bump with my butt to get it to lift back up, but an inexpensive service at the LBS (a lighter lube & more pressure in air chamber) has taken care of that. One other annoyance is the seat rail system which seems prone to letting the saddle move a bit... This likely contributed to me bending a set of seat rails down because the saddle had slipped back.
Bottom Line:
Overall, I've been very happy with my KS 900R. Mine is a 2010 30.9 mm model with 5 inches adjustment and I have around 780 km on it, almost all from this year. I love the infinite adjustability and the clearance it gives me for going faster on the downs.
Strengths: It works, seems to be high quality overall.
Weaknesses: remote lever could be better, seat clamp could be better.
Bottom Line:
It's never failed to pop back up upon request. After six months of heavy use, it is still holding up like new. I like that there's an audible thud that lets you know when it's fully extended. Sometimes it does get hug up in the last 1/2 inch of extension, usually because the seat collar is too tight, the post collar (red bit) is too tight, or the post needs lubrication. Maintenance is fairly straight-forward: 1. keep internals lubed 2. Keep the actuator lever (red bit under seat rails) free of grime and well greased 3. make sure the cable action is smooth along with the remote mechanism. Finally, I believe this article is fully rebuildable at home; just need damper fluid, shock pump + basketball needle, household tools and some ingenuity. Do not worry that the post shaft is exposed unlike that of a few other adjustaposts--the seals do their job really well.
Submitted by
Big Jim
a Weekend Warrior
from Manchester
Date Reviewed: September 19, 2011
Strengths: Easy to install, simple to use, and a complete confidence booster. Improved my riding by a lot. Best thing to happen to mountain biking since mountain bikes, and free time. Unbelievable customer service. Sleek design.
Weaknesses: Busted seal turned it into a suspension post.
Bottom Line:
If you want a kick-ass seat dropper that is reliable, after the first fail, and is backed with remarkable customer service, buy this product. I have the i950, but sounds like others here do too, and sounds like all i9XX are plagued by the same seal failure. It sucks that it happens, but, the company knows about it, and recognizes the problem. As such, KS takes great care of customers by repairing or replacing the seat posts and returning them within 1 week. There was almost no downtime, and no problem.
Rick Taylor and his team at KS USA area customer service superstars.
As for the product itself, it is by far, the single upgrade that will have the most impact on your riding. Even weight weenies will agree that the capability to adjust seat position on the fly will save your ass and greatly improve your bike handling. No seat in the ass on drops and jumps, no seat in the way on technical bridges, skinnies, rock gardens...and then it comes back up when you're back on the grind - with out stopping to make adjustments.
Weaknesses: Product Failure out of the box. Does not lock anywhere. Guess I'll get an exchange but this is not a good start.
Bottom Line:
I'll give these guys one more chance and go for an exchange because 6 inches is good and the product appears to have decent reviews. However, unacceptable quality control and no confidence in Kind Shock.
Submitted by
dosas
a Weekend Warrior
from San Jose, CA
Date Reviewed: December 28, 2010
Weaknesses: Terrible Qualilty
Bottom Line:
Wish I could give it zero chillis at this point in time.
I received this as a gift from Santa and installed it tonight. Took a few laps around the garage (it's raining cats & dogs) and it worked smooth as butter for about 15 up/down cycles then the lock mechanism failed. It's now a really soft thub buster. Fiddled with the lever, completely released the cable, etc. The actuator pin is moving as expected, but the lock will not engage.
I know this is not an uncommon failure, but basically roght out of the box? Come on. I'll contact Go Ride tomorrow and see how well they handle it.
Similar Products Used: First adjustable I've tried
Bike Setup: Niner RIP9, Fox F29 w/ QR15, other niceties.
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
P-Daddy
a Cross Country Rider
from Atlanta, GA
Date Reviewed: October 28, 2010
Strengths: Tons of adjustability on-the-fly. 5 inch range to play with. Not locked into a certain number of preset positions. Minimal play (not noticeable when in the saddle). Remote does not have long lever like buttons on it waiting to get ripped off in a crash.
Weaknesses: Small clamp used to effectively set the cable length on the remote cable came loose and uses a 1.5 mm bold to secure it. I am wondering how this critical component is going to hold up over the long term.
Bottom Line:
Best thing to happen to the mountain bike since suspension forks. Fun factor just went through the roof. I love bombing down tight singletrack, oblivious anything resembling a "line". Post dropped = way more maneuverability. Way less "fear factor" when trying steeper and more challenging things.
Similar Products Used: Sat on a couple of Joplins but hear bad things about them.
Bike Setup: 2009 Heckler, Pushed DHX 5.0, Pushed Float RLC 140 QR15, XT (10 spd) all around. FSA carbon bars, Avid Elixir CR (203 fr & rear), WTB Vigo Team Carbon, Intense EX2 DC EX (2.5 X 2), Syncros D28 rims with XT hubs, Crank Brothers Acid 2, Alligator i-Link shifter housings, Specialized lock on grips, KS i900-r post, Thomson stem and seat clamp. Chris King 1 1/8 no threadset.
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
onesurfbum
a Downhiller
from Agoura Hills
Date Reviewed: October 4, 2010
Strengths: Five inches of travel, adjusts to any height, no side to side play
Weaknesses: No support or service in the USA that I can locate!! The locking bolt comes loose quite often, the remote trigger mount is ghetto, and the seatpost won't stay down after only 6 months of use! Offset mount is annoying.
Bottom Line:
Love the ability to adjust the seatpost height at any time. I never had any idea that I'd use it as much as I do. That said, for $250 it should last. It's off my bike sitting on the work bench at this point due to the mechanical (just wont saty down), doing nothing. There are no rebuild manuals to find on the Net, and good luck getting ahold of KS service in the US. Bummed. I'd suggest going with a product manufacturer that has better customer service and / or LBS presence if you are in the States.
Submitted by
amirh1
a Weekend Warrior
from Sunnyvale, CA
Date Reviewed: August 23, 2010
Strengths: 5" travel, reliable, excellent lever setup, tough!
Weaknesses: price, weight, offset
Bottom Line:
Let's start with this: if you don't have an adjustable seatpost, get it (and the remote level is a MUST). You'll use it not just between long trail sections, but in the middle of flow, e.g. when suddenly encountering a short climb, or a drop, etc.
The seat offset is improved in the i-950R (zero offset) but 99% you don't need that. Other than that, seat works great. It does take priming on every ride (hitting it with your butt) but once it goes it's buttery smooth and doesn't stick throughout the ride.
This particular one has benefits over others (e.g. Joplin): 5" drop (you need it if you jump doubles, etc), absolutely no side-to-side play, looks awesome, very reliable so far.
Follow up from my previous review (as username DiG):
Recently I was contacted by KS USA who offered to repair at no cost my i900r seat post. This was a very thoughtful offer as the post was well out of its warranty period and was originally sold by Fezzari and not KS. KS USA said that they would replace the bushings and airspring, but it seems as though the unit that came back is brand new. Very thankful and very happy. So, here's the lowdown...
Does it go up and down? Yes! Now it does. Action even seems smoother than when it was new. There's one tick in the box.
Is the remote lever still a crappy piece of junk? No! The new lever is much better. It's now a compact and rugged looking thumb button that you can mount inside or outside of your other controls. I have mounted mine between the shifters and the grip, making it easy to reach and operate. Looks great too with red and bronze accents. Way, way better.
Is it still as heavy as a boat anchor? No. This unit seems so much lighter than the original. Weight just isn't a factor anymore.
Still only 3 inch travel on the 30.9? Yes, but that is enough for me. Note however that the clamping area on the shaft is small on the 30.9 and tall riders may not be able to get the post high enough.
Limited seat angle adjustability? Yes, still the same. This is now the only real issue with this post. Given the range of seat tube angles, saddle designs and rider preferences, you really do need to try this post on your bike to see if you can achieve the saddle angle that you like. I couldn't and had to buy a different saddle. If KS shifted to a 2-bolt clamp design, everyone would be happy.
Overall? Much better than the original and almost every weakness has been addressed. No excuses anymore, so go out and get one!
Submitted by
tshulthise
a Weekend Warrior
from Louisville, ky, USA
Date Reviewed: August 3, 2010
Strengths: 5" travel
Infinite adjustments
Strong and easy to use remote actuator design
Weaknesses: Sticks in position sometimes
Bottom Line:
I started with the Gravity Dropper Turbo (GDT) with the 1", 4" drop option. I really liked having the three seat positions to choose from. Low for downhill. 1" drop for normal mtb. Full up for road ride or long hills. I had some problems with it so I got the KS i900R which has a 5" drop and infinite locking positions. This is a review of the two seat posts with my impressions of each.
Whatever you choose everyone who can afford one should consider getting an adjustable seat post. It makes downhill and downhill technical so much easier and uphill climb pedaling more efficient.
Gravity Dropper Turbo (1", 4" drop option):
Likes:
Adjustable seat posts are awesome
Smooth
Fast movement
Dislikes:
Only 3 riding positions (full up, 1" down, 4" down)
Actuator lever is crude and less versitile and less ergonomic than the KS i900R actuator
Actuator cable comes out of the post at a 90 degree angle and is prone to failure due to your leg rubbing it. (this may not be an issue if the seat post is installed with the cable coming out the rear. I don't know if the cable is long enough for that or not.)
Its not always easy to "find" the 1" down position to get it locked in.
Having three seat positions seemed like enough to cover most situations. I highly recommend the 1" drop option with this post. The 3" or 4" travel will probably depend more on your riding conditions and style but 4" was good and 5" would have been even better for the lowest position. I did NOT like having to "find" the pin hole for the 1" down position. You have to let the seat up then squeeze it with your legs while moving it up slowly to engage the pin hole for it to latch in that position. I also did NOT like that the actuator cable comes out of the post at a 90 degree angle and kinks from my leg hitting it when I'm standing with my feet or one foot on the ground. I tried strain relieving it which worked somewhat but it wasn't great. It never caused an issue with the cable sticking but I was afraid that it might over time. I later saw a photo of a GDT post with the cable facing rearward. That's the way I should have installed it to start with. I already had a KS i900-R on the way when I realized that I should have done that. I don't know if the cable is long enough to allow for that orientation or not.
KS i900R:
Likes:
Adjustable seat posts are awesome
5" travel vs. 4"
Infinite positions
Actuator lever very ergonomic and robust
Smooth
Dislikes:
Sometimes sticks and doesn't go up all the way without a tug with my legs
I now have the KS i900-R and I like it a lot better. It has 5" of travel vs. 4" and infinite locking positions. It just locks wherever you put it. That extra inch drop is nice for jumps and very technical downhill where you want your seat way out of the way. The cable runs parallel to the post so it doesn't bind. The post does stick in place sometimes, especially when you first use it for the day but I consider that a small issue because once i get going its fine most of the time. If it sticks I just pull it up with my legs. It sticks about one time in 5. The i900 also has a much better actuator lever. You can mount it on the left or right side and right side up or upside down. That allowed me to put it on the right side in the perfect position for my right thumb above the shifter. The actuator is also a much more ergonomic and is a stronger design than the GDT actuator.
I sold the Gravity Dropper Turbo. Both are good posts but I like the I900R much better.
Submitted by
patrase
a Weekend Warrior
from Sydney Australia
Date Reviewed: July 30, 2010
Strengths: Was awesome at first, no play, infinite range of adjustment
Weaknesses: Seat clamp is a dead set shocker. the single bolt clamp now comes loose on every ride, causing an annoying squeek, it didnt do this initially but has become worse over time (yes i retightened and regreased but to no avail). In muddy conditions it gunked up and i snapped the remote (old version) trying to force it to move.
Bottom Line:
This had the potential to be awesome, but:
-crappy remote (has since been upgraded to a new model by kind shock, so make sure you dont get an old model)
-seat clamp is poor (maybe this has been upgraded on later models, the i950 looks to have a better clamp
If the seat clamp was better then this product would be a winner. I emailed the company about getting a new seat clamp shaft, at first they responded and asked for the serial number, which i gave, but then they never got back to me
Dont get this model, get an i950 instead
As with all adjustable seat posts, carry a 'regular' spare seatpost in your toolkit when you go away for a riding trip, as they are not 100% reliable (thankfully I did when my remote snapped and it saved me having to write off a 24 hour race)
Similar Products Used: Gravity Dropper (much better in terms of being able to maintain and order parts direct from supplier)
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
vic1454
a Weekend Warrior
from Mission Viejo, CA, USA
Date Reviewed: May 27, 2010
Strengths: Being able to adjust on the fly is awesome!! 5" of travel. No side to side movement.
Weaknesses: Earlier remote was a poor design. I have since upgraded to the newer style which is much better. Had to have it repaired after 6 months due to bonding breaking loose on top of the post at the threads.
Bottom Line:
This is the single best upgrade you could do on your mtn bike. If you are worried about the weight....Don't be! It is worth its weight in gold. I will never go back! Even though this unit needed a repair after 6 months I still give this unit high marks. Rick Taylor from KS offers amazing customer service. He even came to my house to make sure that everything was repaired and installed to my liking. Now that is customer service!!
31.6 mm dia seat postwith 125 mm of travel.
Please see the classified add for more details
[url]http://classifieds.mtbr.com/showproduct.php?product=35943&cat=[/url]
More pics, hi Read More »
I bought a new bike in April and it came with the ks i900r seat post which I love. But I have noticed in the last month two scratches running down the back of the telescoping post Read More »
KS KindShock i950-R/i900-R remote adjust seatpost
Size: 31.6 (if you want the 30.9 you probably have to call)
Can probably PriceMatch at TreeFort, Jenson or PricePoint; howev Read More »
