# What droppers are durable enough for clydes?



## shwndh (Nov 20, 2004)

I know there’s a post about this already in this sub, but it seems to be a few years old. In 2021, which dropper posts are good for heavy riders? I am about 235 pounds and my stock Giant Contact dropper post is on its way out (rattling since day one, squeaking, stiction, drooping, scratched stanchion, etc). I’m looking for something that has good quality, durable, and a halfway decent price. Just looking for experiences from heavier riders.


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## Dawgprimo (Mar 7, 2004)

PNW.
No complaints from me!
I am using the Rainer Gen3 200mm.
Smooth as butter and no issues.
Great warranty!
One Up is pretty good but glad I went with PNW.
Cheers,
k


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## Briareos (Aug 2, 2011)

shwndh said:


> I know there's a post about this already in this sub, but it seems to be a few years old. In 2021, which dropper posts are good for heavy riders? I am about 235 pounds and my stock Giant Contact dropper post is on its way out (rattling since day one, squeaking, stiction, drooping, scratched stanchion, etc). I'm looking for something that has good quality, durable, and a halfway decent price. Just looking for experiences from heavier riders.


I run between 230 and 250lbs riding a slash with a relatively slack seat tube. The bontrager post it came with would bind, and I went through two of them before switching to a Bikeyoke post. Since switching I haven't had any issues after about 1200 miles and no maintenance. It is on the more expensive end of the spectrum, but worth it to me.
Good Luck,
Shawn


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## targnik (Jan 11, 2014)

I use 180mm drop Oneup's on a couple of my steeds.

I weigh 245lb's butt-nekid.

No issues 

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## Rngspnr (Feb 15, 2016)

245# geared I've had good luck with BrandX droppers and they're very reasonably priced. Had two for about three years with no issues. Basically a PNW dropper.


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## sixate (Feb 27, 2008)

PNW Loam has been flawless. I needed the 200mm drop, and can adjust travel down in 5mm increments if needed to get that perfect length. I'm 245lbs out of the shower and at $200 it doesn't break the bank.


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## ChefLeo (Sep 16, 2018)

Dawgprimo said:


> PNW.
> No complaints from me!
> I am using the Rainer Gen3 200mm.
> Smooth as butter and no issues.
> ...


agreed, very happy with my PNW as well.

i also have a reverb that I converted to cable actuated that works well


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## WHALENARD (Feb 21, 2010)

Briareos said:


> I run between 230 and 250lbs riding a slash with a relatively slack seat tube. The bontrager post it came with would bind, and I went through two of them before switching to a Bikeyoke post. Since switching I haven't had any issues after about 1200 miles and no maintenance. It is on the more expensive end of the spectrum, but worth it to me.
> Good Luck,
> Shawn


Bikeyolk is the only post I'm aware of that now states a weight limit after a rash of failures. Just an fyi

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## WHALENARD (Feb 21, 2010)

OneUp gets my vote

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## Briareos (Aug 2, 2011)

WHALENARD said:


> Bikeyolk is the only post I'm aware of that now states a weight limit after a rash of failures. Just an fyi
> 
> Sent from my moto g(6) forge using Tapatalk


Good info, I wasn't aware of the weight limit. I looked it up, and it is 115 Kg, which is about 253 lbs. I am running a Revive from 2018 on my Slash (this is the one with ~1200 miles on it), and just put a 2020 Revive on my Remedy. I have to admit the newer Revive doesn't feel quite as "tight" as the older one, but fortunately no problems yet. I only have about 60 miles on the new one...

I agree the OneUp droppers seem nice as well, we have one on my wife's bike, and no issues there either, but again, not many miles so far...


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## shwndh (Nov 20, 2004)

Dawgprimo said:


> PNW.
> No complaints from me!
> I am using the Rainer Gen3 200mm.
> Smooth as butter and no issues.
> ...


Thanx. I'm looking at that same post locally for $160 in a 170mm. Trying to decide if it's a good fit for my frame and if it's worth the asking price.

This is what happening to my current dropper:




























I tried to keep it clean and lubricated but it just didn't survive.


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## IMeasure (Oct 5, 2020)

shwndh said:


> Thanx. I'm looking at that same post locally for $160 in a 170mm. Trying to decide if it's a good fit for my frame and if it's worth the asking price.
> 
> This is what happening to my current dropper:
> View attachment 1914906
> ...


When you say "lubricated" do you mean add a some grease near the top seal or perform a rebuild of the post?

I'm not a heavy rider but definitely learning how to rebuild a dropper is going to result in way more miles out of the post. So looking for a post that's both reliable and easy to service at home would be high on my check list.


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## shwndh (Nov 20, 2004)

IMeasure said:


> When you say "lubricated" do you mean add a some grease near the top seal or perform a rebuild of the post?
> 
> I'm not a heavy rider but definitely learning how to rebuild a dropper is going to result in way more miles out of the post. So looking for a post that's both reliable and easy to service at home would be high on my check list.


There's not much to rebuild on this post. It just has the air cartridge that comes out. You can't fully disassemble the two parts of the post or get to the bushings. All you can do and pull the air can out, clean as much as you can and re-lubricate.

Every other post I've seen seems to be more serviceable than this one. It was replaced (Giant changed to a newer version) with a newer version that's different/better. I definitely want something that's more serviceable than this thing. I like to keep my stuff working well.


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## noosa2 (May 20, 2004)

I’m 220 geared up. Over the years I’ve tried several brands-Fox, KS, PNW, brand x, x-fusion. Brand-X worked as well as the more expensive brands. I like the X-fusion posts a lot but the saddle clamp area tends to creak if not really clean. With PNW im batting 500. One of the two PNW posts I’ve had was perfect and the one had some issues in that the lever was always really hard to push, I mean really hard. PNW blamed the problem on the non-PNW lever I was running despite the fact that that lever work perfectly with my other PNW post...and X-fusion post...and brand-x post.


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## Dawgprimo (Mar 7, 2004)

shwndh said:


> Thanx. I'm looking at that same post locally for $160 in a 170mm. Trying to decide if it's a good fit for my frame and if it's worth the asking price.
> 
> This is what happening to my current dropper:
> View attachment 1914906
> ...


Ya it looks like you got issues.......
As someone else said, the dropper post all seem to be going towards being more serviceable but at the same time you do have to take care of it (which some do and some don't) and I am sure there are failures in all brands.
I did have an older Lev that was ok but it was not great, even from day one.
I am about 245 with gear and so far the PNW post has been very good. No issues with the seat rattling or anything.
I have been riding in pretty wet and muddy conditions.
So far I have been impressed with the PNW.
I do also have Thomson dropper post which has been very good, that I bought 3 or 4 years ago and it has been very good on my Fat bike but the cost was twice what I paid for my PNW. (At the time my options were not as good as they are now......) I was also a loyal Thomson post guy for years.

Edit: I spelt Rainier wrong?
Good now........


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## acer66 (Oct 13, 2010)

On my biggest days is was 235lbs plus gear and the 1gen fox transfer which was never serviced never gave me any problems until now where it started to get a bit sticky but some lube made it work like new.
I think they have figured them out.


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## matadorCE (Jun 26, 2013)

Only one I'd stay away from is KS and Fox, although it's been a few years since I've used a KS post. Oneup is my go-to although I have had to set the pressure to the correct psi a few times a year. I've even run a crankbrothers post with no issues.


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## jeremy3220 (Jul 5, 2017)

I run OneUp droppers (210mm) and they've had a few issues. Both 210mm posts I've owned rattle when not compressed. There's a fix for it but it's a pain in the ass. The oldest one (a bit under 2 years) is starting to sag a bit (a couple mm). My wife's KS Lev feels amazingly refined and I'm surprised to hear people don't like them. Her's is only a few months old so we'll see how it does long term.


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## WHALENARD (Feb 21, 2010)

jeremy3220 said:


> I run OneUp droppers (210mm) and they've had a few issues. Both 210mm posts I've owned rattle when not compressed. There's a fix for it but it's a pain in the ass. The oldest one (a bit under 2 years) is starting to sag a bit (a couple mm). My wife's KS Lev feels amazingly refined and I'm surprised to hear people don't like them. Her's is only a few months old so we'll see how it does long term.


I think the issue is with huge runs of a product there's going to be some lemons in end users hands, it's inevitable. Add in a relatively complicated thing to install and maintain juxtaposed against the public's general mechanical aptitude and that's yet another layer. I have a KS LEV from 2013 on an old bike that still works as it should and has literally never been serviced.

Having owned and serviced/rebuilt a large cross-section of the posts out there OneUp is at that top of the list for me. It's dead simple and clever comparatively.

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## jeremy3220 (Jul 5, 2017)

The rattle issue is common though. The factory is missing a step (two wraps of electrical tape at the base of the cartridge). OneUp knew about it roughly a year before I bought my last dropper and it's still wasn't fixed. It wasn't an issue on the one 180mm dropper I had but a known issue either way. For the most part they're good post but they're not the best feeling posts as far as operation.


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## WHALENARD (Feb 21, 2010)

jeremy3220 said:


> The rattle issue is common though. The factory is missing a step (two wraps of electrical tape at the base of the cartridge). OneUp knew about it roughly a year before I bought my last dropper and it's still wasn't fixed. It wasn't an issue on the one 180mm dropper I had but a known issue either way. For the most part they're good post but they're not the best feeling posts as far as operation.


Yeah, mine has the little plastic thingy from later in the run.

I do agree, it's not the lightest action or smoothest post out there. I went directly from a revive which is both extremely smooth and has very light action (probably class leading) to the OneUp 210. What I found was the all so important micro-adjustments were much more intuitive and easier to nail on the OneUp. That could mean I'm a neanderthal or light smooth action isn't necessarily the end all be all. Perhaps a combination of both.

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## Blathma (May 13, 2020)

I'm curious about this, is there a dropper post for those of us nearing the 300lb mark? 

Then I think, with pedaling I'm almost never just sitting on the seat, there's always some support via the pedals. So it's rather rare that I'm ever just sitting full weight on the seat.

PNW has a suspension dropper that sounds like heaven for the relaxed portion of the trails... Cruise mode..


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## DrPete (Jul 20, 2004)

PNW gets my vote--now with a lifetime warranty.... Been super happy with my Loam dropper.


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## jwlane83 (Apr 28, 2020)

Blathma, I have an X-Fusion dropper and the PNW Loam droppers. Both have been good at my weight, 320 lbs (ish). The X-Fusion is in for warranty repairs because the linkage broke. The hydraulics have been fine.


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## tippmannrocker90 (Sep 4, 2014)

Another vote for PNW, I have had their rainier gen3 for about one year and couldn’t be happier- set up was painless and it has required zero attention since. I’m about 240-250 in full kit lately


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## jonshonda (Apr 21, 2011)

tippmannrocker90 said:


> Another vote for PNW, I have had their rainier gen3 for about one year and couldn't be happier- set up was painless and it has required zero attention since. I'm about 240-250 in full kit lately


Are you guys with the PNW droppers using the PNW loam lever, or going with a 3rd parts like Wolftooth?


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## Dawgprimo (Mar 7, 2004)

jonshonda said:


> Are you guys with the PNW droppers using the PNW loam lever, or going with a 3rd parts like Wolftooth?


I went with the PNW loam lever.
No issues.


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## tippmannrocker90 (Sep 4, 2014)

I went with the loam lever also, they were running a deal when I got mine where if you bought both you got a small discount. Also their customer service is great, they walked me through measuring for my dropper (the bike shop measured wrong and the post they said would fit didnt).


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## jonshonda (Apr 21, 2011)

Thanks for the info guys! I am looking forward to trying out the PNW dropper.


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## BlackOut (Mar 28, 2004)

2017 Fox Transfer with 230lbs rider here with no trouble.


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## TwoThirtySeven (Aug 29, 2020)

I'm currently riding a Giant Contact Switch SL. It has a little bit of play but I don't notice it when riding. Main thing for me is it doesn't sag.


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## shib (Sep 20, 2020)

310 lbs kitted and running three Fox Transfers without issues. On the MY2021 one the upper seat clamp broke, however not necessarily a weight issue as many riders of all weights have had the same problem. The other two are MY2020 ones running fine.


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## OttaCee (Jul 24, 2013)

PNW Cascade or Rainier - both are coil-sprung and handle our weight well. Running my Cascade for almost 3 years now, no issues.


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## Stalkerfiveo (Feb 24, 2015)

Dawgprimo said:


> PNW.
> No complaints from me!
> I am using the Rainer Gen3 200mm.
> Smooth as butter and no issues.
> ...


Brand X from CRC is a rebranded PNW post for less money. I have two BX posts with thousands of miles each. Can't kill them.


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