TESTED: KS Lev Ci dropper post
Dropper posts are moving away from just being all-mountain accessories, and even beyond trail bike 'must haves'. KS have a 65mm drop version of the Lev, with a carbon lower and seat cradle, to keep weight weenies happy.
Just as suspension forks, then rear suspension, disc brakes and tubeless wheels took a little time to become common place in mountain biking, dropper posts have crossed that threshold in the past couple of years. Few trail bikes or all-mountain machines will be built without a telescopic seatpost that lets the rider drop, or raise, the height of their saddle with the flick of a switch.
While dropper posts have been in the market for quite some time, it’s their prevalence that has increased their range and options. Internal ‘stealth routing’, external, lever actuated under the seat, and even electronically actuated posts are all out in the market. But with riders also looking to push their bikes harder on demanding cross-country and marathon courses and trails – KS, amongst others, have developed a shorter travel, carbon fibre dropper post. The KS Lev Ci has 65mm of drop, with a carbon lower post and saddle cradle. Used with the Racecourse Ultralight cable and outer and stock lever, it weighs just 438g. Most carbon seatposts weigh about 190-240g, so the penalty is minimal, but the upshot could be enhanced control.
Fitting the KS Lev Ci
As a stealth routed post, the KS Lev Ci isn’t quite plug and play. But as it’s a mechanically actuated hydraulic post – it’s not too hard. I fitted this post to my Norco Revolver 29 FS, which we’re doing some cool XC based things with. I also used the South Paw lever, and had the outer route from the left side of my bars to the port on the right side of my headtube, going down the downtube and up the seat tube. I did need to knock one side of the bottom bracket out to get it fed through. The outer is super light, as is the filament cable, which does make it a little harder to feed through.
Setup does involve precision cutting of the outer and cable, but the guides explain it. If it’s too long you might find there’s too much drag. The cable has an attachment fitted, which means you can disengage the post and remove it for servicing and maintenance without pulling the outer out. It is also useful for taking the post out to fit it in a bike bag.
Cable tension is crucial, as always, as the cable activates the hydraulic dropper. If it’s not pulling enough, it just won’t open. You can use the air valve under the saddle cradle for more pressure, to increase the return speed.
On the trail
So the trick with adding a dropper to an XC bike is remembering to use it. If this is an upgrade to your XC rig, chances are you’ll be used to sliding off the back of the seat and picking your way down the steepest lines. Given you haven’t changed the angles of your bike, or the characteristics of your tyres or suspension – not too much changes. But getting used to pressing the lever and pushing down on the seat takes a bit of practice if you’re not wired to do so on your bike.
Riding a lap based endurance race (The 12hrs in the Piney) was the perfect way to get acquainted with the KS post. With lots of rocky, short lines to get used to when to drop it, when to lift, and when to just leave it as is, it was the perfect race to get used to new kit. Not to mention getting to do so many laps!
It did get stuck down occasionally, and also sagged to a few millimetres lower – but a check on air pressure and a panicked return to the importer sorted that out. The post and cartridge was fine, just the setup was a bit off.
In terms of using the KS Lev Ci post on a cross-country bike, practicing again and again to know where it made a difference was crucial. If you drop the seat for a short section that you need to pedal out of for a long time, you might be frustrated by having to lift it again so soon. But for a longer descent, where you really need to point and shoot, it’s ideal. Even for continual berms and even flat corners, it’s a real help being able to position your body better, and stay on top of the bike more to push into a corner.
We did see that cross-country star Julien Absalon uses this same post on his BMC Fourstroke, but the 100mm drop alloy version on his Fourstroke that he trains on. And it’s easy to see why. As soon as you’re used to using it, the 65mm seems a little short for general XC riding, but perfect for racing given the low weight.
Since this review first appeared in the magazine, the post has received a lot more use and abuse. It did develop a tiny bit of play, but that was fixed with a couple of changes to the rods the post slides on. I have also become much more used to using the post on an XC bike, and I'm not interested in taking it off.
But looking to elite races, there are more and more dropper posts in use. Absalon took out the entire World Cup using a dropper post on his BMCs. Maja Wloszczowska used this very post on her hardtail not only at World Champs (coming 4th in an agonising final lap), but also for a silver medal at the Olympics.
Given the low weight penalty, it’s a smart choice for those looking to add some speed to their XC riding and racing in a neat package, although you will need to have a frame with a 30.9mm or 31.6mm seat tube.
Hits:
- Low weight
- Great build quality
Misses:
- A big investment
- No setback model for those with long femurs
From: pushie.com.au
RRP: $719.95 (with stock lever)
