Gear Comparison: Specialized Command Post vs. KS LEV Integra vs. RockShox Reverb

You have probably been thinking to yourself a dropper post?  Do I really need or want one? 

Yes!

But before plunking down some hard earned cash you really need to determine what type of rider you are and the type of terrain you ride.  There is no need for one if you are cruising beginner trails with rolling terrain or dirt paths where the tech section is maneuvering around soccer moms with strollers. 

Most mountain bikes use a bolt or a quick release on the seat post clamp. With a bolt you have to stop and use a tool to adjust the seat height and the quick release allows for tool free seat height adjustment.  But both require you stop before and after each technical section, slowing down the group or putting you further off the back.  Or you can compromise by riding tech sections with a high post or have inefficient peddling with a low seat between sections 

stopping at the top of every tech section is tedious

When I bought my Niner RIP 9 last year I ponied up some extra money and bought a RockShox Reverb dropper post. Just about everyone I ride with has a dropper post and after attending a bikepacking presentation the winner of the CDT race showed off his race bike with one on it.  Knowing that a 'weight weenie' endurance racer wouldn't ride without one and I was tired of stopping to adjust my post, catching my shorts on the seat, peddling long sections with a low seat and repeated trauma to my man parts from a hight seat I made the upgrade and never looked back.

The basic styles of dropper posts.

Lever Activated

Pro:

• No cables
• Light weight 
• Simple

Con:

• Remove hand from bar to activate

Remote Lever Activated (Internal)

Pro:

• Cables inside frame for clean look 
• Able to adjust with hands on bar

Con: 

• Can be difficult to install, cable routing

Remote Lever Activated (External)

Pro:

• Able to adjust on bar
• Easy installation

Con:

• Cable moves up and down with seat and can be snagged by wheel, pedal or trail debris (some models do hot have moving cable).
• Cable can stretch, break, and need servicing
• Remote lever can fail or break

I limited this review to Specialized, KS (Kind Shock), and RockShox because these are the ones I have used. I would not consider this a 'long term' review but just my experiences with the ones I used. I am also leaving prices out because they can fluctuate based on where you buy one from.  I did not get weights on the units so I will show those from the manufacturers websites.  Lets go..

Specialized Command Post

Pro:

• All black (pro for me anyway)
• Affordable, cheapest model in review

Con:

• Internal model only available on Specialized bike or via someone selling it.
• Full up, full down and 25mm drop adjustability
• Not very reliable, returned after less than 30 days of use.
• Adjustment of return in via air pressure requiring stops for adjustment.
• Single bolt seat binder can make adjustment difficult.

This post came on my Specialized Stumpjumper EVO and after just under 30 days of use it had to be replaced because of a air leak.  The leak was so bad that it would not last through a whole ride of ~3hrs. I would have to pinch the saddle between my legs and lift the seat to the fully extended position.  When I spoke to the bike shop about my issue the owner of the shop was in the process of having his replaced for the same issue. Searching the internet it became obvious that many others have had the same issue so when the replacement came I quickly sold it and replaced it with the next seat post, KS LEV Integra. 

I put the 3 position stops down as a con but after riding with the post I became used to the full up, full down and just under full up positions. There is some adjustability of the post via air pressure but it still works like a catapult and can offer you a surprise if you are not ready for it.  I was told the proper technique was to release the post while sitting on it and allow the seat to rise as you rise, controlling the return.  If you are buying a post based solely on price and are willing to sacrifice reliability then this may be the one for you.  But remember that you may be without a post for frequent repairs and having to deal with the learning curve of where the stops are and dealing with the catapult returns if you do not release it under load.

KS LEV Integra

Pro:

• No cable movement with external model
• Internal and external model readily available
• Return rate controlled via bar remote
• Two bolt seat adjustment
• Infinite height adjustability

Con:

• Not all black
• Plastic remote lever, suspect durability
• Cable actuation may require replacement or maintenance

Before buying this post I spoke to a mechanic at one of the top bike shops in town and this was the post he recommended over all the others.  He mentioned that he has seen several issues with the RockShox reverb and that he owned the KS. After reading some  so that is the one I went with.  I have only ridden my bike a few times with this post but it has operated smoothly and I like being able to control the return via the remote lever. The remote lever offers excellent feel and allows for modulation of the return speed of the post. The remote lever is plastic and I question the durability of it.  You can purchase a alloy one from KS but if I am spending close to $400 for a post a alloy lever should be included. On a positive note I prefer the fore and aft seat attachment bolts that allow for micro adjustment of the seat vs the single bolt on the RockShox and Specialized that requires you to really hold the seat from moving up and down or fore and aft when the single bolt is loosened. But you generally leave the seat alone once you find the place you want it so this could be a nitpicking area against the others.

RockShox Reverb  

Pro:

• All black
• Internal and external options
• Adjustable rate of return via adjuster and remote lever
• Infinite height adjustability
• Integrates into SRAM brakes/shifters

Cons:

• Hydraulic activation may require bleeding
• Broken hose not field serviceable
• Suspect dependability

This was the post I first purchased because the LEV had just come out and I was unavailable when I bought my bike.  I rode the bike for just over 1k miles and put this post through its paces without it failing.  Just before selling the bike I the hydraulic system did develop some play but was easily remedied by bleeding it (kit supplied when purchased and easy to do).  This post worked flawless for me and if not looking elsewhere and hearing about some suspect issues vs the rave review for the KS LEV I would have purchased another without hesitation. My questioning the plastic lever on the LEV or the use of a cable on the LEV and Specialized brings the hydraulic activation on the RockShox into question. During a trip of epic local ride I will carry a spare derailleur cable.  Allowing me to repair the broken derailleur cable or my dropper post cable. In order to repair a failed/broken Reverb hose I would have to carry the hose, fluid, and bleed kit.  Not something I am likely to do and the repair parts could be difficult to obtain if you are out in a remote small town. However, a nice feature of the hydraulic system is that the return rate can be controlled via a adjuster on the remote lever.  You can also control the return by how far you depress the lever in.  

Here is a quick video comparing the return rate of the KS and Specialized. The Reverb operates in a similar fashion to the KS. This is my first one so bear with my lack of skill and composition.

Summary:

The decision to buy one or not is your decision, along with which one. But if you are riding terrain with several technical sections the benefits outweigh the cost and weight.  Dropper posts help you maintain constant motion and can help you ride safer.  I know I have had the rear wheel catch something that I did not see and launch me over the bars or catch my shorts on seats as I try to get my butt over the back or as I return to the riding position.

I went with the LEV because it is now readily available and the recommendations of others. I did not have an issue with the Reverb but the hydraulic activation over cable did play into my decision related to field repairs.  This may seem like a one in a million failure but I have been on several trips where one in a million gear failures have happened.  The failure of my post and the owner of the bike shop within a close timeframe, along with what appears to be other on the interwebs made my replacement a easy decision. The Command post is relatively affordable but if I am spending that much money I would tell someone to wait a bit longer, save more money and get a different one. I did not get to weigh the posts myself and according to the respective websites there is not that much difference between the weights of the posts.

This is my limited review and not comprehensive by any stretch. I will update my experience with the LEV as I spend more time on it.  Take my views and those of others into consideration. Go out and ride your friends bikes with dropper posts and get you like and can afford. 

Above all... GET OUT AND RIDE!!!

Disclaimer: Products in this review were purchased by me and not provided by any suppliers or manufacturers.

Please feel free to email/comment with criticism, comments or questions.

Week ending 4/20/14... Puff Puff Pass

Well finished my first full week of structured training and here is the rest of the workouts and week totals.

17.Apr.14 Thursday

Planned:

• Strength Endurance 1.5hrs
• 3x8min w/ 8min off Z3
• 60-70rpm

Actual:

• 1:30:04 (easy to be punctual indoors)
• Followed workout as planned
• 21.3 mi on indoor trainer
• Strava

Notes:
Called into work so did the workout on trainer indoors.  Day was a bit busy so this was immediately after dinner on a full belly.. Burp.. Felt pretty good.

18.Apr.14 Friday

Planned:

• Rest or Recovery

Actual:

• Rest

Notes:
Was going to do a afternoon recovery ride but the morning got away from me and had to repay a favor to a friend getting a divorce and moved furniture. Is moving furniture considered a rest day?

19.Apr.14 Saturday

Planned:

• Variable Intensity, Z2-4
• 2hr mountain bike ride
• Practice skills

Actual:

• Variable intensity, how can it not be riding the hills around here.
• 2:59:46
• 32.3mi
• Practiced relaxing downhill and getting leaning the bike into turns
• Strava

Nutrition Consumed:

• 1 packet of Honey Stinger Chews
• 20oz bottle of Skratch Lemon Lime Hydration mix

Notes:
Installed a Wolftooth 28T front ring before the ride. Liked being able to spin on more of the the hill sections and not have to grind up. I think I will really appreciate it when I start doing some longer rides and the legs are tired. Erin was on my heels on the climbs so I was being pushed by here and I attempted to keep Jon in site on the climbs and descents. Both of these animals help me set some PR's on the ride. Combined with me really getting comfortable on the new bike and really loving the way it handles. Really liked the taste of the Skratch Labs hydration mix.  Put 2 scoops in 20oz bottle and it dissolved quickly and no residue in the bottle was found.  I also noticed that I didn't feel the need to chase it with water to remove any lingering sweetness or stickiness out of my mouth. Was pretty hungry at the end of the ride and if I was going to be out longer I should have consumed something with more substance. Didn't feel any bonking or cramps coming on either.  Effort and distance were pretty similar to the AFA Falcon ride from home a couple of weeks ago and I felt better after this ride. 

20.Apr.14 Sunday

Planned:

• Endurance
• 1hr on trainer
• Z2, 95-105rpm

Actual:

• Endurance
• 1:10:16, bit of warm-up and cool down
• 16mi
• Strava

Notes:
Rode the trainer at work. Feeling a bit sluggish after drinking beer at a Saison festival all day yesterday.  

Totals for the week:

• 122.9mi
• 10hr11min

Nothing super crazy and will increase as intervals increase and ride times also go up. Probably going to be lower next week because of a hiking trip to Moab over the weekend. 

Getting at it.. Well. Sort of.

Oh lucky day when I received a phone call from a friend telling me he won the lottery into the Leadville 100 mountain bike race.  Which meant that because he was in so was I and the others we entered with as a 'team'.  Not exactly the type of lottery that I was hoping on winning but since it is on my bucket list I was pretty jazzed. Especially since this was the first time I have tried to enter and many of my other friends with much more cycling prowess than myself have been trying for years without success were excited for me but also squirted chainlube in my face from jealousy.

Well I needed to change a few things to get ready.

• Get my ass training
• Get a new bike

For the training bit I contacted the local badass Alison Dunlap to create a training plan for me. I have 'The Time-Crunched Cyclist', 'Endurance Training for Athletes', and other training books in my home library but didn't want to spend the time trying to figure out ride time, periodization calendar, HR zones for rides and the rest of it.  Since this is going to be my only 'race' that I have planned I opted for a monthly plan. I get a personalized plan based on an extensive questionnaire related to goals, strengths, weaknesses, etc.  

I was supposed to start training last week but a viral invasion into my GI tract caused me to cut a MTB trip to Fruita, CO short and miss a couple of days at work and delayed my training.  I spoke to Alison and changed the plan to start on Monday and also take into account a hiking trip to Canyonlands at the end of the month. So the workout will start tomorrow, Monday. Hopefully my plumbing will stay sealed long enough to complete a 1.5hr strength and endurance workout that is planned. I would much rather ride outside than indoors on a trainer.  I will just bring a wag bag and toilet paper as a security blanket.

Since my life is in a tailspin (getting a divorce) and I 'won' entry into a bucket list race what else should you do but get a new bike? Besides I hated the Fox fork and wanted to upgrade to 1x11. By the time I did all the upgrades I might as well get a new bike. So I sold my Niner R.I.P 9 and on the recommendations of several friends I went with the Specialized Stumpjumper EVO Expert Carbon 29er, what a mouthful. The Niner is a great bike but in the few rides on it I have no regrets and the stumpy rocks! 

Here is the new bitch. All stealthy and blacked out!

Will get a review of the bike and few other things out soon.. Just a quick update and review to what is coming. 

  

Back at It..

Well after some time away from the Blogger platform, was over at wordpress for a bit, I am back over here. No big reason, just streamlining. What is going on currently? What has changed or what am I using?  Here is a brief rundown..

Health:

I injured my shoulder (partial sheath tear to left supraspinatus tendon) just over 4 months ago at work and will have surgery on Tuesday. Since I was on probation I had to 'suck it up' until my probation was complete or else I would have my probationary period extended. The extension would make me ineligible to for the next promotional exam so I had to be careful with what I did.  I followed the physical therapy routine but this would cause me to have some serious pain at times and really affect my sleep so I have been taking it easy with physical  exercise.

This injury definately put a damper on my plans for getting in some skiing nad climbing in.  Just before the injury I purchased a pair of CAMP X-All Mountain Ice Tools for some leashless climbing. I just received them after my diagnosis and did some free soloing at Silver Cascade and suffered for it, ending the ice season.  I really like them and will do some work on the picks for next year, review and pick changes coming. 

Limiting my activity, increasing age and the desire to eat and drink caused my carcass to balloon to 208lb this year, my heaviest ever! Not something I am very proud of.  It is harder to get the weight to come off the older I get. I have adjusted my diet better and increased my activity level and the weight has come down to 196 right now. Would like to get rid of another 20 and will be tough with my upcoming surgery. Just going to be careful of what goes in the old pie hole.. 

Since I was limiting my upper body activities I increased my running and cycling.  I had purchased some Hooka One One Mafate trail shoes and was really enjoying them.  After putting about 250 miles on them I developed some pretty nasty medial pain in my left knee after a few runs. After several weeks of riding the bike I did the Jack Quinn's 5k on Tuesday nice and easy but woke the next day with a return of the pain. Going to new pair of shoes after a couple weeks of totally off and see what happens.

Equipment:

Aside from the ice tools I replaced my Yeti 575 (original model) with a Niner R.I.P 9 that was built-up by University Cycles in Boulder. I was able to get a pretty good deal since it was last years model and the new ones were coming out. Would love to have gone with the carbon model but the extra $$ is crazy and I need to take the weight off my carcass..

I looked at different models and some 650b bikes but decided on this one and 29 wheel size. Not the lightest bike in the bunch but it offered everything I wanted and I love the way it rides.  More details coming but a friend summed up the 29er wheel with this "Fat skis vs skinny skis" and I didn't feel the 650b offered that much more than a 26" wheel, especially for my (note the emphasis) riding style.  

The KTM 950 Adventure also found a new home. After only puttin a few thousand miles on it last year, including the trip of a lifetime down Baja with a good friend, I realized that it was just an expensive toy sitting the in the garage. My wife wouldn't ride on it and if I was spending a nice day riding the motorcycle I found myself wishing that I was out climbing, hiking or cycling on a day like this.  I find myself becoming more focused in my hobbies..

Upcoming:

I am now collecting gear to take up aid climbing.
Reverb seatpost.
Garmin 510
Food
Beer 
Other random shit..

I did get a new RoadId and was shocked when they refused to put "Make life your Bitch" as a quote on it.. Oh well I can be offensive.