Dropper Posts. Which one??
 

Id prefer not spending $300 on a dropper post for a $700 bike. So what are some good options for me that wont break the bank? Is used an option? Saw some reviews that said the Rockshox Reverb works well but then saw they had ALOT of reliability issues in the past. Specialized gets great reviews but is also one of the more expensive ones out there. KS? Brand X? Fox? I have the internal routing option on my frame and its a 1x so i can use whatever lever style works best. I just want something (fairly) inexpensive, functional and reliable.

When looking at reviews of different dropper’s reliability, keep in mind that people’s expectations are so low that “super reliable” simply means not crapping the bed for a year.

If reliability is your number one concern, get a Gravity Dropper. No other dropper out there has a track record anywhere close to it. Mine is 14 years old. I had one issue 13 years ago (mine was the first generation before they redesigned the shaft) and since then is is totally reliable, easy to work on, and requires little maintenance. It does lack some features that some people think are needed, and are thus willing to deal with failure prone, high maintenance posts.

For a more full-featured post that is inexpensive, and seems to not have a lot of problems, check out PNW. They have a good reputation for customer service.

X Fusion Manic
 

X Fusion Manic. Comparably inexpensive. Internal frame routing. Position adjustable lever. Rebuild is replacing a cartridge. I’ve two seasons on mine with no trouble yet.

I have the KS Lev, and it is fantastic. Super reliable. Others I know would say the same thing. There are a few good brands out there making solid dropper posts. You can also look into the One Up Dropper. Do not get the Rock Shox. They make great stuff, but droppers are not one of them. People have problems with getting air into them and then the dropper not coming back down. The fox ones are sweet, but pricey.

Do you need an external dropper?
There are a few decent droppers for around $100 these days but the only one I'm familiar with is the KS e-ten and mine has been fine. I've had it around 3 years now though and it does need a new cartridge which is $30.

I think the first thing is to make sure it fits your frame, ie...
seat post diameter
length inserted
cable routing

I... still haven't bought mine yet, I admit. There doesn't often seem to be $150 floating around in the family budget for something that's only going to be used by y.t. I was at least planning on choosing one that has a coil spring, they're less expensive and I have seen enough bla bla about rebuilds and lost air.

yup got that. 30.9 diameter. Looks like 125mm version is the largest that will fit my frame and its internally routed. KS LEV SI is so far at the top of the list.

The Reverb is out of his price range.

The newer Reverbs use a Vent Valve in case air and oil mix. No disassembly required to fix.

I've had Gravity Droppers, Xfusion, Fox, 9point8 and now a Reverb AXS. The Reverb is the best of the bunch.

The Reverb stealth B1 125mm is on sale for 180 at JensonUSA. Thats actually one of the cheapest.

"The newer Reverbs use a Vent Valve in case air and oil mix. No disassembly required to fix."

"Reverb AXS"

Google is your friend here.

yup thats def out of the price range.

Narrowed it down to the KS LEV SI and the Brand X Ascend. The Brand X is rated and reviewed very favorably for $150. Plus another $20 off for being a new customer. So $130. Thats hard to beat.

interested to hear more about the new Reverbs, I have 5 sets of the older Reverbs and they all bomb out and need rebuilds much quicker than the Giant, Spesh and 9pt8s I'm using on other bikes.
Are the AXS full hydro or cable actuated?

Most of the guys by me riding bargain posts are using PNWs. They are solid and easy to service. Worth checking out at about 200

Ain't that the truth?

I have a PNW (Cascade model I think)... affordable, works great. Company seems to have a good reputation when I researched it.

that's right, how many hours do they recommend before a rebuild?

Just an update. I found a new Specialized IRCC Command Post at a crazy price. $150. Its reviewed well and has a great remote and it will match the bike well. Will report back to how it works on e installed.

Installed the Specialized IRCC Command Post and it all went well. The only issue is the post is about 10-15mm higher than my rigid post with the post fully extended and it as far down as it will go into the frame. My legs are still slightly bent when pedaling so its probably ok. I will ride it a bit and see if it starts to feel normal. If not the Brand X dropper is 10mm shorter and had 5mm less travel which will make it 15mm shorter which would be perfect.