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KS LEV DX Dropper Seatpost: Rider Review

Dropper seatposts are not new by any means but that doesn't mean that every bike is equipped with one. For those that have had to go back to rigid after riding a dropper, the transition can be a difficult one. In this review, our customer Kevin decided to upgrade all of his bikes after seeing how much better it was with his KS LEV DX Dropper. Check it out!

Overview

Up until I purchased the Ibis Mojo 3 X01, I had been largely ignoring articles concerning the ride altering component that is the dropper post. For those who don’t know or yet realize, the dropper post is something that can lower your saddle to inspire your descending capabilities. Sure it will add a little weight and a dash of mechanical complexity to your bike, but you will get over it.

My Ibis Mojo 3 came with the KS LEV Integra and after a full season of learning how and when to use the dropper, I had realized that I now find it impossible to ride other bikes without a dropper. For several months I only rode the one bike that had a dropper post….out of 5 bikes. The one exception being when it snowed here in the northeast, I pedaled my fat bike, but still, I was unfulfilled on the descents without the dropper.

The More Droppers, The Better

So now here we are…I needed to buy some additional hardware for one of my bikes and my fat bike, the Specialized Fatboy, is the lucky recipient. Since I do not have any internal cable routing ports, I would need to use an external cable routed dropper. Of course, electronically actuated droppers are available, but I would rather deal with a cable than with electronics (I deal with that enough at work).

After doing some Googling and forum delving, I decided that I didn’t want to fuss with the cheaper models out there and would eventually look to Rockshox or the KS that I knew. To find the right size, I needed to know my current seatpost diameter and how much travel length I desired from the new dropper post. I estimated that I could use a dropper post with 125-150 mm travel, did this by looking at my current seatpost height and seeing how far I wanted to lower it during a descent.

My Decision

After deciding on using KS again, I found that the KS LEV DX Dropper Seatpost, 30.9, 125mm Travel, Black with Remote Seat Post MTB offered at Worldwide Cyclery fit the bill, so I bought it without hesitation. I got the KS LEV DX a short time later and went to work installing it on my bike, which went well and feels a smooth as the KS LEV Integra that I own. The cable routing was also a breeze because I had space available for another cable since had removed the front derailleur and cable when I bought the Specialized Fatboy.

As far as tools needed, I used a set of metric allen wrenches, torque wrench, and the Park Tool CN-10 Professional Cable Cutter.

Minor Issues

However, if forced to be critical, the only complaint that I have is that dropper post lever cable guide tube only very slightly interfered with my Shimano XT brake lever, basically, they were touching. On my Ibis Mojo 3 with the same brake levers, this is not an issue, but that is an OEM component. So it seems that the aftermarket versions of the KS LEV dropper levers are slightly shorter and thus cause the interference with the cable guide tube.