As the title suggests, which dropper post out there has the least amount of fore and aft play and least amount of wiggle? Habit HT came with a Tranz X, it “wiggles”. Replaced with a new Thomson dropper that when new had less play/wiggle than the oem one. Now after only a few months it has developed quite a bit of slop. Another new bike I bought came with a “Downlow” dropper, which seems to be just as tight as the new Thomson was, but has too much drop, so can’t use it. I’m tempted to go back to a rigid post, since in my job I deal with micron tolerances and feel that the engineering I’ve seen so far on dropper posts is unacceptable given their price tag. I went and checked out numerous dropper posts on new bikes at local shops and they all have more or less a sloppy feel to them. I can feel the wiggle when I sit and pedal, especially on my hardtail which I really do not like. Sorry for the longwinded post, but is there ANY dropper post out there that does not wiggle? Maybe one that runs on strips of needle bearings like a lefty/headshok fork maybe? Or am I too “demanding”. Thanks for any input! 🍻
Dropper post with least amount of wiggle/play?
cdalemaniac
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If they all have the wiggle, dont you think it would be there for reliability purpose? On a part that is subject to a lot of mud and sand, too tight a tolerance would shorten the lifespan and the service interval of the dropper post. Unless they use another design, the brass pin concept will always be more suceptible to this kind of play.
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I know, hence the reason I created this thread to see which one out there has the “least” amount of play/wiggle/bushing play. Some even replied theirs had Zero (0) slop, so I believe it can be achieved, but if people don’t mind, manufactures will not work improving this imo design flaw. One up seems to acknowledge this as well, since they sell “re-shimming” pins. So I see how that goes. On a side note though, I contacted Thomson and my dropper’s slop qualifies for a warranty return. So, there’s that. I guess it’s not me being overly sensitive after all.😂🤣😂
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OneUp just released a V3 version of their dropper post, that among weight reduction, better wiper seal (skf) also has additional polymer anti rotation pins to “dramatically decrease” the amount of play in the post. Great. I should have waited a few more days before ordering….at least I know why they had a sale on their V2…🙄😡
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2,637 Posts
OneUp just released a V3 version of their dropper post, that among weight reduction, better wiper seal (skf) also has additional polymer anti rotation pins to “dramatically decrease” the amount of play in the post. Great. I should have waited a few more days before ordering….at least I know why they had a sale on their V2…🙄😡
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718 Posts
If you feel the wobble while riding, you are too focused on the wobble. Try trails that are more fun to take your mind off it.
In all fairness, I get expecting better and if everybody ignores it, it will never be addressed by the manufacturers. But giving up on droppers because it has wobble is crazy as droppers are the single best thing thought up for a mountain bike.
In all fairness, I get expecting better and if everybody ignores it, it will never be addressed by the manufacturers. But giving up on droppers because it has wobble is crazy as droppers are the single best thing thought up for a mountain bike.
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1,187 Posts
The OneUp V2 has been very reliable for 3 years. The V3 is supposed to be even better. Every dropper I've used has some degree of rotation. Perhaps the 9point8 droppers would be worth considering if you're willing to pay the premium price. They have a mechanical braking system that locks the post. Downside is the 9point8 posts are purely air damped without any oil so they are subject to pressure and temperature induced slippage. If you frequently encounter significant elevation changes in your rides, expect to have regular stops so your can "reset" the post and equalize pressure. 2,000ft+ changes are typical on my routes and the OneUp has no issues. I use coil suspension for consistency too.
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16,527 Posts
Damn. Going from nothing straight off to the best on the market. Good on ya'.
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I have a KS lev ci that is comically sloppy, but I can't feel it while riding. It is only when I grab my bike by the saddle that it feels like a Costco bike.If you feel the wobble while riding, you are too focused on the wobble. Try trails that are more fun to take your mind off it.
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I have a OneUp V1 with enough play to give some people panic attacks...but its something I can't feel unless I get off the bike and move the post. I think its one thing some people become hyper focused on and will keep thinking about it. OTOH...its the fastest when it comes to popping back up. Even my Revive has some play.
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IDK, I have a few bikes with decent droppers, all have some wiggle and when off the bike feeling it with my hand, it's like wow, these things have some rotational play. Out on the trail, in real world use, it doesn't effect me one bit. Sure if I keep overthinking it that this thing is wiggly, it may bother me, but I don't, I just ride and have fun not giving it a second thought
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I have two Revives, no play at all. One of my bikes is in the stand held by the dropper. I cannot make the frame even wiggle. Just superb construction on these.
It almost never works out to be an early adopter of a new product or a new generation of a product. The amount of new generation MTB, automobile, or other products that have let me down has soured me on ever being one again. You can see it in the running revisions made to parts of poorly engineered and tested product. Unfortunately being first rewards the company’s finances more than being the best. Stick with the v2, you at least know it’s performance track record.
An on topic example would be the original A1 reverb seatpost with aluminum IFP’s that would both allow air to leak past while also scoring the ifp tube, effectively ruining a $400 post. People would take them off new bikes and sell them for $85-100 they were so unreliable.
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Maybe you got lucky. Every Revive I've come across have some rotational play.
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I had to look it up because I never heard of it. That drop loc mechanism seems to keep things more solid than a traditional lock out. Intrigued to order one….
It was part of the package on the build level that I chose when I bought the bike. So really didn't make the choice. Having used it now for 3 years with zero issues and zero problems with any play i'm confident I wouldn't buy another brand in the future.
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Received my oneup v2 today and I was able to eliminate the very tiny amount of play it had with oneup’s re-shimming kit. Feels pretty solid to me. Will send the clacking Thomson back to see if I can get a refund, instead of them “fixing it” under warranty…..as I stated before when I started this thread, I’m aware of having some slop is normal, but the amount I had (or have) on my new Thomson just seemed to be excessive. Thanks for all the great suggestions! 🍻
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I have a xfission laser from 2021 and a trans kitsuma air 2023 and know nothing of this wiggle you speak of or play my seat go up my seat go down maybe my bum isn't as sensitive? Or I got lucky with my droppers
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