I thought dropper posts were silly when they first came out, then finally tried one and of course can’t fathom returning to the pre-dropper post Stone Age, but until a couple years ago I never much thought about the dropper lever. Was there a lever? Did it work? Great, that’ll do, was my general approach.
Then I bought a PNW Pine dropper for an older bike I had, and saw they also sold a fancy, brightly colored lever. Why not? I figured and added one to the cart. That lever was the original Loam, and if you’ve used one, you know the deal. It seems so simple, really, just a thumb lever to actuate your dropper post, but the Loam is remarkably pleasant to use. This is what good engineering and attention to detail get you—an otherwise hum-drum product that brings a little spark of joy each time you use it.
Gen 2 lever on the left, original model on the right. Photo: Housman
The big injection-molded thumb pad is easy to locate in a hurry and is soft and pleasant to the touch. The body is tough aluminum and after a few years of use, my original Loam still has a smooth, firm action with a nice short engagement and is hiccup-free even after many mud baths and high speed rock garden bails.
PNW just released the second iteration of the Loam though and it’s basically all of the above, but more. A larger pad. A mounting setup that allows for a bit more flexibility on where you sling it. Comes available with several clamp styles: standard 22.2mm hinge, Shimano I-SPEC II, and Shimano I-SPEC EV, and SRAM’s MatchMaker X.
Here’s an idea of how large the thumb pad is. Photo: Housman
I haven’t installed the new one yet, mostly because I already have Loams on my dropper-equipped bikes, but if you don’t already have a Loam, you might wanna consider upgrading to the new Loam. Because no matter which (mechanical, that is) dropper lever you have, the Loam will be an upgrade.
Also, it’s not very expensive. $69 for the new one. Comes in 7 colors. If you’re bargain hunting, the first gen Loam can be found for $59 right now.
I am glad this article was written in English.
Help us out – what’s your point?
What is a dropper post?
gasp
I guess I can google it.
Sorry, thought you were kidding. Modern mountain + gravel bikes have seat posts you can drop and raise with a thumb lever.
As a newb to actual mtn bikes, I’m still trying to figure out how/when to drop my seat. I understand the basic concept: on a descent, dropping it allows me to sit waaaay back over my back tire so I’m not (as) at risk of flipping over the handlebars, but on a really long descent this ends up aching my quads and calves. Sending the post up and down Willy nilly also feels wrong, however, even if it gives me a few moments of being seated to rest my legs.
And while I’m as vulnerable to GAS (Gear Acquisition Syndrome) as any bassist, this article didn’t do enough to really sell me on how the Loam will improve my dropping. I love Adventure Journal (have gifted at least a couple subscriptions), but this is toooooo thin. Teach me (and West) and sell us both!
Dropper posts become second nature that you won’t even think about after you’ve been riding for awhile. Makes such a huge difference I get annoyed riding any bike without a dropper now. As for the new lever, well, it’s a very simple product. It just feels good to press the lever. As simple as that.
Don’t overthink it too much: At the most basic, bike goes down, seat goes down, bike goes up, seat goes up. If you ever rode a bike with multiple chainrings, you should probably be using the dropper post at least as often as you used your front derailleur. In fact, any time you’re changing gears dramatically it’s probably a good indicator that you should change your seat height.
If your legs are getting tired, it’s probably because you’re stuck in a low squat (some call it ‘attack’) position: get more active and let your legs move through through their full range of motion! Look for places where you can stand up almost fully; you should save the low positisiton only for when things get rough/action is required, then get back to a tall, balanced athletic stance as soon as possible. Standing on your pedals shouldn’t feel much more difficult than just standing on flat ground. If you can, try riding over the bumps at a pump track while using your legs to smooth things out as much as possible. It’s probably the best thing you can do to improve your riding as quickly as possible!
Appreciated, thankee!
(Forgot to add that I *did* buy a NOCS after reading your piece about it.. didn’t realize it was yours, Justin, til after I’d hit Submit…)
Droppers are the bees knees! Finally got one last year and use it constantly on a typical ride. My bike came with a Bike Yoke Revive, and the lever is fine, but I’ve heard nothing but good things about PNW. (They also make fine grips, btw.)