long travel droppers >150mm

seeking opinions from those who have experience with droppers in the 170mm or longer travel range. not a lot out there at least in my circles. i do have a 200mm 9.8 with about 6 months use on it. i love it, but it does have some peculiarities that make me question getting another, even though i'd love to support them and it's a great post. 

trying to think of all the posts in this realm... KS Lev, 9.8, Bikeyolk... not sure what others even out there.  do you run a long travel dropper?

Posted by: JBV

seeking opinions from those who have experience with droppers in the 170mm or longer travel range. not a lot out there at least in my circles. i do have a 200mm 9.8 with about 6 months use on it. i love it, but it does have some peculiarities that make me question getting another, even though i'd love to support them and it's a great post. 

trying to think of all the posts in this realm... KS Lev, 9.8, Bikeyolk... not sure what others even out there.  do you run a long travel dropper?

Im not in total love with my 9.8 either. What are your issues?

I bought a 170mm Reverb Stealth in 34.9 when they came out for my Evil. It's been great though I'm considering paying the exorbitant cost to upgrade to the new remote. It's currently in for its second servicing with Fluid Function, which I think is totally reasonable given how much it's been used. It didn't fail - it developed a little top out wiggle - that's how I know it's due for a service.

I'm disappointed to hear your 9.8s haven't been great as I was planning to get a 200mm for my next bike. Curious to hear your experiences.

I just picked up a 160mm BikeYoke for my upcoming build. Couldnt pass up the deal they recently had at Jenson. Cant comment on its reliability or any issue as I still dont have the frame to put it in. I can say it does seem well built, mechanism looks solid and trigger looks like it should play well or similarly to my KS Southpaw I have on my other bike.  The 'revive' feature is what really intrigues me, and I can report back on how it all works once it is up and running.

Posted by: 

I'm disappointed to hear your 9.8s haven't been great as I was planning to get a 200mm for my next bike. Curious to hear your experiences.

Mine just started to leak air after a while. The main seal is suuuuper easy to replace but its still $50 including shipping to get. I guess I shouldnt gripe as I suspect its my fault from using a pressure washer. 

Actually f it Im happy with mine. The saddle clamp is the side load style so installing your seat is a breeze and they include a little allen key on a torque reader to tighten the saddle. I guess Ill replace the seal and see how long it lasts...

I've had 2 9point8's.. both had issues.

Have the bike yoke 185 now. It's doing quite well.

e*thirteen just released a 170mm version of their TRS+dropper. Probably at least a month or so before it's available in stores though...

Posted by: dutch

I've had 2 9point8's.. both had issues.

Have the bike yoke 185 now. It's doing quite well.

What were your issues?

i don't want to throw 9.8 under the bus, i actually love mine. the head clamp for the saddle and the easy on off feature is amazing. the WT remote is as well. the 'look and feel' dare i say it is fantastic. it's a couple of niggles at this point. 

1) the stanchion requires more care and attention than my 5 yr old KS Lev by a long shot. the post is quite sensitive to the amt of lubrication in order to function smoothly. the dust wiper isn't really a dust wiper but an air seal and it too is very sensitive. my first one leaked (slowly) and therefore wouldn't maintain pressure and wouldn't work. it was replaced under warranty and has worked ever since. this post is on my second bike which sees less use then my other bike, but unfortunately, i've heard this is a common issue with some owners. 

2) i have a minor vertical scratch on the post that clearly comes from somewhere internal. it's strange and disconcerting but it isn't getting any worse at this point nor is it affecting the function. i keep an eye on it and have informed 9.8 about it. it is also well documented by a few others, seems to happen only with the long travel versions from what i've read. 

my old KS is going to die eventually, and it's replacement will have at least 175mm drop. i'm still leaning towards another 9.8 and will form a more conclusive opinion of the brand after i ride the wheels off the Patrol as i intend to focus on this bike over the Smuggler this season.

Posted by: T-mack

Posted by: dutch

I've had 2 9point8's.. both had issues.

Have the bike yoke 185 now. It's doing quite well.

What were your issues?

Both lose air pressure over time. My buddy has the same issue.

The stanchion was getting scored on one of the units. Apparently a burr or something sharp in the internals.. I assumed some grit had gotten in there.

Inconsistent lever throw, sometimes lots of flop before disengaging the brake, sometimes really tight. My buddy had major issues with this to the point that he couldn't engage the brake.

One came with a missing foam wiper. Customer service wasn't super helpful when I brought this up.

And personal preference, I don't think the head allows me to tilt the nose of my saddle down enough with today's slack seat tubes. But I have long legs and run a pretty extreme angle. Customer service told me to go get a bike fitting.

My KS Lev (175mm) has been working without issues, but I've only had it since June or something. Quite a bit of use though, and a lot of mud during the last months. Friend of mine has been running a BikeYoke for something over a year, still going strong.

I have a 185mm Revive with about 500 miles on it. Flawless so far and super impressed with the build quality. If it continues to work as well as it does now it will be the best dropper I've owned - including KS Lev, Fox Transfer, Reverb, and Thomson.

Huh. I just assumed that when the time came I'd go 9.8. Now it looks like the new Bikeyoke Revive 185 is the better choice. I didn't realize just how consistent and reliable my Reverb has been.

I am on a Thomson and it's been great, but not long enough....damn long legs. I was all set to go on a 9.8 but after some research, I have decided to go with the Revive as my next post...hear nothing but good things about them.