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PNW Loam Lever: Employee Review

Words By Colin Reed

Probably no more than five years ago, dropper posts were rarely a common sight on bikes costing less than $5,000. Fast forward to today and they’ve become so ubiquitous that you can almost find a dropper post on a Walmart bike. With how common they’ve become, component makers have stepped up to the plate to make it possible to start customizing them a little, starting with the dropper remote. PNW Component’s Loam Lever is just one example, but it may end up being the only example you’re interested in.

Overview

PNW’s Loam Lever comes in a variety of colors and clamp options to fit your bike and your style. With a price of $69, it’s not the cheapest, but definitely not the most expensive either. Its incredible build quality will make you think it’s the best value, though. The very first thing you’ll notice when taking it out of the box is the craftsmanship of it. Except for the rubber and plastic bits, the whole thing is CNC machined, making for an incredible high-quality dropper remote.

Good looks alone aren’t enough to satisfy picky mountain bikers, which is why PNW incorporated five specific characteristics:

Adjustable
Weatherproof
No-slip grip
Technical
Direct mount compatible

Let’s take a moment to talk about these. The Loam Lever is adjustable in two different ways, which should allow you to get your remote in the exact position that you want it on your handlebars. It’s weatherproof thanks to sealed bearings and stainless steel hardware. The paddle is complete with an injection molded thumb pad that provides grip no matter the weather (or sweatiness level). The technical aspect was taken care of during the design process. The Loam Lever is engineered to work well while still weighing less than it has any right to. And finally, it’s direct mount compatible with SRAM’s Matchmaker X and Shimano’s I-Spec II for easy mounting to brakes. And speaking of being compatible…

PNW didn’t design this awesome lever for their posts alone. They tested it against a long list of droppers to make sure it would work with any of them, so without further ado, here is that list:

Fox Transfer
OneUp Dropper Post
9point8 Fall Line
Bike Yoke Revive
DVO Garnet
Easton Haven
Raceface Turbine
KS (all)
TranzX
Thomson
Specialized Command Post
Shimano Koryak
Gravity Dropper
Brand X
e*thirteen TRS+
Thompson
Giant Contact
Bontrager
Crank Brothers Highline

There are probably a few missing from this list, but you get the point. PNW really did their homework on this one.

Colors…everyone loves colors. The Loam Lever body comes in only two different flavors: grey and black. But the thumb pad color can be had in five different colors: Safety Orange, Cement Grey, Black Out, Seafoam Teal, and Really Red. They’re all really pleasing colors that can match with almost any color scheme to add just a little extra pop. Personally I love that it’s just a small dab of color instead of the whole lever being bright and obnoxious.

Specs

Weight: 32g without clamp
Cable routing from either direction
1x shifter style
100% recyclable packaging
Clamp styles: standard 22.2mm hinge clamp, 31.8mm hinge clamp for road bars, SRAM Matchmaker X, Shimano I-Spec II, and Shimano EV

Final Thoughts

The PNW Loam Lever may be one of those things that you look at and ask yourself, “Do I really need this for my bike?” The answer may be no, but the reality is that you absolutely, 100%, definitely will not regret upgrading your current dropper remote to the Loam Lever. It feels amazing, is incredibly high quality, has handsome, understated looks, and works with practically any dropper on the market. Give it a go if you want to be a happier person.