Thomson dropper post first look

Core Bike 2013: Thomson’s New Dropper Post

Distributor i-ride.co.uk was showing lots of shiny things, but pride of place was reserved for a working version of Thomson’s new Elite dropper post.

The seatpost is cable-operated, with a cam-actuation to ease cable pressure. The handlebar mount is small and neat and should be relatively easy to find room for. (It does have a rather knee-punching shape though, so watch where you put it). Complete weight is likely to be around 450g.

The post itself offers 5in of drop and is infinitely adjustable. It uses an internal hydraulic cartridge with a fixed pressure and incorporates a second ‘check valve’ that stops the feature of some other posts where the saddle lifts up when you try to lift your dropped-post bike by the saddle. There are internal Norglide bearing surfaces as well as a ‘self-adjusting’ system to keep the post free of side-to-side play.

We asked why the cable goes in at the top of the post, to which the Thomson rep told us that if it went in at the base collar, it would then need an internal lever to get to the up/down switch inside, which would add friction and more complication. There is, however, a stealth version in the works for later this year.

 

Cable mount can be replaced by a 'Michael Jackson crotch-grab' style lever

 

 

The post only comes in 30.9 and 31.6 at the moment, though there was also talk of a 27.2 version and, interestingly, a road bike version. The road version would allow a drop for descents, but also allow a shallower drop for cobbled sections where you still need to hover and pedal… That’s probably for next year though.