Kind Shock Dropper Posts - Stable & Lightweight for More Comfort & Riding Fun

If you haven't used a dropper post yourself, you may wonder what it's for. The principle is simple: By operating a lever opens a valve or a mechanism. Now you can adjust the height of the seatpost while riding as if by magic. When you sit down, the saddle moves downward. If you relieve it, it comes higher. This may sound banal, but in practice it actually means an enormous gain in comfort. Without a telescopic seatpost, you have to stop every time you want to change the saddle height. For example, before a steep, technical descent, you should lower the saddle height. On the uphill, on the contrary, it makes sense to set the saddle as high as is ideal for you. This is not only more comfortable, but also much more efficient and safer. Once you have become accustomed to a dropper post, you no longer want to ride without!

The operation of a dropper post is similar to that of a suspension fork. Two chambers inside are separated by a valve through which oil can flow. In a suspension fork, this happens permanently. In a dropper post, this valve is regularly closed, so that nothing moves. If you operate the appropriate lever, you open the valve, the oil can flow and you can adjust the height of the seatpost.

Many telescopic seatposts work fully hydraulically. This means that the "remote control" of the seatpost is also activated hydraulically. You can think of it like a hydraulic brake. The Kind Shock seatpost differs from this: the hydraulic inner workings of the seatpost are activated mechanically. A steel cable runs up to the post, just like a mechanical gearshift. This has several advantages. This mechanism is simpler in design and therefore less susceptible. A mechanical cable is easier to install and can be replaced more quickly. In addition, this system is a bit cheaper.

Compared to a conventional seatpost, a dropper post requires a little more care. The reasons for this are logical. A dropper post has more moving parts. These include the actual adjustment mechanism with dip tube and standpipe, the hydraulics and their seals. In addition, there is the remote lever and the cable pull. Clearly, all of these parts need attention. You should clean your telescopic seatpost regularly and lubricate moving parts. From time to time it may be useful to have a dropper post serviced by an experienced bike mechanic.

For a long time dropper posts were only available for certain mountain bikes. Today, they are available in many versions, so you can retrofit almost any MTB. Many manufacturers have telescopic seatposts for cross or gravel bikes in the program. Kind Shock offers dropper posts in various lengths and diameters. For gravel bikes with a seat tube diameter of 27.2 mm you will also find the right Kind Shock post.

This depends on various factors. First, you should check the dimensions of your bike. Most important is the diameter of your seat tube. On mountain bikes, the dimensions 30.0 and 31.6 mm are common. In some cases, the diameter can be 34.9 mm. Gravel bikes usually have a 27.2 mm diameter seat tube. Kind Shock has the right Variosattelstütze for each of these dimensions in the program.

Next, you need to consider how much travel your dropper post should have. This depends, among other things, on your frame geometry and your height. The maximum stroke should not be longer than you can use in practice at all.

Once you have clarified this, the next decision must be made: Do you want to operate the seatpost by remote lever from the handlebars? Or is a lever under the saddle enough for you? If you decide on the remote lever, the next question is. Should the cable be routed on the outside of the frame or does your frame offer the possibility of routing it cleanly through its interior? The Kind Shock LEV Integra is the top model for an internally routed cable.

Last but not least, the appropriate stroke depends on your riding style and the area of use. If you want to ride technically demanding enduro trails, a lot of stroke makes sense. This way you can lower the saddle far before each downhill and get more freedom of movement. If you are instead looking for just a little more comfort on light cross-country or gravel tours, less stroke can be quite sufficient. The advantage: dropper posts with less stroke are usually much lighter than their long-stroke counterparts.

If you have clarified the technical conditions, you can still choose between different Kind Shock seatpost models. The classic is the Kind Shock LEV. It offers all the top features of Kind Shock seatposts at a fair price and is extremely proven. For the gravel bike, the LEV is also the perfect choice, it is namely available with 27.2 mm diameter. If you are looking for a very light KS seatpost, the LEV-Ci is the perfect model for you. If you are mainly looking at the price, the models Kind Shock Drop Zone, Kind Shock ETen and Kind Shock Rage-i come into question.