Dropper posts are just about ubiquitous on path MTBs and are even exhibiting up on XC bikes straight from the producer. Due to that, there are numerous decisions for the rider seeking to acquire some clearance from the bike it doesn’t matter what measurement or form body.
Seattle-based PNW Parts has been placing out equipment for mountain bikes and gravel bikes, and their newest & best dropper is the Loam. Out there in three diameters to suit most frames (30.9mm, 31.6mm, and 34.9mm) and 4 journey lengths (125mm, 150mm, 170mm, and 200mm), riders have lots of choices to swimsuit their wants and using type.
Offered as particular person parts, PNW permits consumers to combine and match to suit their budgets or preferences however offers nice steering to verify riders are getting precisely what they need once they order. I selected the 30.9mm diameter dropper within the curiosity of saving some weight in my 34.9mm diameter body, and my seat top permits a most 150mm drop as I’ve it arrange (I’ve acquired legs on the shorter facet for my top – 6’1″ with a 30″ inseam).
The Loam Lever, put up, and small components package are available in utterly recyclable packaging that appears nice and does a wonderful job of defending the merchandise throughout transit – an amazing instance of how sustainability doesn’t should imply compromising operate and kind. I want extra corporations would put the trouble in to offer sustainable packaging choices like this!
Precise Weight
My 30.9mm diameter x 150mm journey put up, Loam lever, matchmaker mount and {hardware}, uncut cable, housing, and ferrules weighed in at 632g whole. I trimmed 23g of housing and cable for a system weight of 609g put in.
Straightforward Set up
Set up was a breeze, and anybody accustomed to putting in dropper posts should not have any challenge getting the Loam arrange correctly. I didn’t want them, however PNW Parts has an amazing illustrated walk-through on their web site that ought to reply any questions throughout set up.
With the cable head situated on the backside of the put up, and the clamp on the lever (why aren’t all cable actuated droppers like this!?) I can say with out exaggeration that this set up was the simplest internally routed dropper I’ve ever placed on a motorbike – bar none. Whole time to put in (together with removing of the beforehand put in hydraulic dropper put up) was roughly 25 minutes together with minor cleanup. First-time dropper installers ought to anticipate a barely longer time however actually – it’s about as easy and straightforward as this kind of factor will get.
Riders can select from a number of colours for the textured rubber ring across the put up collar
Make it your individual
PNW offers riders the choice of selecting the colours on the rubber components by the put up seal head and lever thumb pad so as to add some private type to the Loam dropper and lever – I went with boring previous black for each to maintain with my in any other case all-black element alternative. Simply one other cool function that makes these merchandise stand out from the remaining.
The Loam dropper put up on my 2019 Specialised S-Works Stumpjumper
As a rider, I take advantage of my dropper put up on a regular basis – every time I’m not transferring you’ll discover me perched atop the put up at its minimal top, and naturally any time the path begins to go down as nicely. Sometimes I’m an all-the-way up or down form of rider, however the PNW Loam journey means that you can cease the put up at any level inside its journey solidly if that’s your factor. Submit journey velocity is adjustable by including or decreasing air strain by way of a shock pump valve beneath a rubber plug on the high of the put up, beneath the seat clamp.
Adjustable Journey
Whole journey is adjustable on this put up – a extremely cool function that’s best-in-class execution in my view. Journey will be modified on the fly, in the midst of a trip – no instruments are wanted and it’s really subject adjustable. That cool rubber ring across the put up collar just below the seal head isn’t only for appears to be like – it offers you an amazing grip on the collar.
Subject adjustable journey is actually so simple as it appears to be like – sensible!
All it’s a must to do is drop the put up to about midway down the journey, unscrew the collar, and transfer the white bushing to the corresponding quantity you need to scale back the journey. Screw the cap again on and also you’re good to go – it takes lower than a minute as soon as you understand what you’re doing. You may see simply how nicely the seal head is doing at maintaining mud and crud out – nothing acquired previous it within the two months I’ve had it out within the PNW winter.
The lever is tremendous adjustable and options an Enduro bearing maintaining issues good and easy
Loam Lever
The matching Loam lever is tremendous strong, mounts by way of a equipped matchmaker for SRAM, Ispec for Shimano brakes, or a common bar clamp. End high quality is superb and the satin anodizing appears sturdy, and can match any element group.
Cable clamping on the lever makes upkeep headache-free when crucial (once more, this actually ought to be the usual), and the barrel adjuster offers quick access to fine-tuning the texture of the lever. It ought to be famous that the Loam lever is designed to be mounted on the left facet of the bars solely – not a difficulty for many 1x drivetrains today however price mentioning.
An Enduro sealed cartridge bearing retains the lever feeling good and easy by means of its throw it doesn’t matter what the situations, and there’s zero “slop” – the lever fitment is completely matched to the physique for a exact really feel when actuating. Lever throw is adjustable by way of a small set screw seen simply to the left of the barrel adjuster behind the cable, accessible from the entrance of the lever physique.
With a lifetime guarantee and incredible customer support, the Loam dropper from PNW Parts is my private decide of the litter for cable-actuated dropper posts available on the market at present. The convenience of set up, tool-free journey modify whereas put in within the bike, huge adjustability, and flawless operate makes the Loam a dependable addition to any mountain bike able to accepting an internally routed distant. Via the messy winter path season out in Central Washington the place I dwell, the Loam dropper has defiantly carried out by means of many energy washes, muddy hike-a-bikes, a couple of unscheduled journeys off-trail (with and with out rider) with completely zero points.
Last Ideas
I’ve carried out no upkeep by means of my two months with the put up and don’t have any motive to as of but. As a rider who lives out within the boonies fairly removed from the closest bike store, I usually maintain my very own bicycle upkeep – that’s to say that I don’t keep my bikes a lot past the completely crucial and I’m fairly happy to not have to pay a lot consideration to my dropper. It’s an ideal praise to my dual-coil suspension setup on an in any other case extraordinarily low-maintenance bike. Coupled with the matching Loam lever, the PNW Loam dropper system has by no means let me down, appears to be like nice, and I couldn’t ask for extra. MSRP for the Loam Dropper is $199 USD, and MSRP on the matching Loam Lever is $69 USD.
Test them out at PNWcomponents.com
