Why use a dropper post? KS Lev Integra Review
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- Опубликовано: 28 авг 2024
- Full transcript available by enabling closed caption (cc)
On both my Sync’r Pro and my Mission 2, I have a KS Lev Integra dropper post, which is the integrated version of the normal KS Lev. If you push the switch, the seat post moves freely up and down. If you release it, the seat post locks into place. This is similar to an office chair, except a little more refined.
So what do I mean when I say this post is integrated? Well, some bikes come dropper ready, which means they have a port to run a release cable inside the frame. If your bike is dropper ready, you can install pretty much any integrated dropper post, like the Rock Shox Reverb Stealth, or this KS Lev Integra. If your bike isn’t dropper ready, then you can get a normal dropper post and hook the cable up on the outside. This is usually more economical, and easier to install anyway.
Once you get accustomed to having a dropper post, you’ll use it all the time. For mountain bikers who have never tried riding with the saddle down low, the benefits may not be immediately obvious. If you fall into that category, I encourage you to drop your saddle and try jumping around a bit. You may find that you can do things you couldn’t before, like maneuvering on to and over pretty big stuff.
Once you install your dropper post, you can extend it all the way up and adjust it to your full ride height just like a normal seat post. This way, you can drop it for technical sections, and then pop it back up to your perfect ride height at the flip of a switch. The KS Lev on my Mission has 120mm of travel. On my Sync’r Pro, I purposely bought a 150mm KS Lev since the frame goes lower. Both posts are installed as low as possible, which luckily puts them at my perfect ride height when fully extended.
When choosing a post, I was trying to decide between the Rockshox Stealth and the KS Integra. The reason I chose the KS came down to reliability and simplicity, as it uses a cable release as opposed to the hydraulic release on the Rockshox. Sure enough, I took a spill at Grapefruit trails that ripped the cable right out of my dropper post. The repair was easy. If I had the hydraulic release, it would have been significantly more involved to fix.
Overall I’m happy with my decision to get the KS Lev. Like most dropper posts you need to keep it clean and make sure it has plenty of air pressure. If I slam it all the way down and leave it overnight, it doesn’t pop up at first without sitting down on it or giving it a good bonk. I’d say this is not really an issue. The seat clamp is pretty basic, but it allows for micro adjustments to the angle of your saddle just like a good seat post should. The release on the bottom of the post is designed so you can disconnect it quickly for service, instead of needing to undo the cable. I’ll also mention that this post comes with a cleverly designed switch, which actually integrates with ODI grips. Although I appreciate the ingenuity, I don’t like using this switch at all, and it constantly rubs on my hand while riding. For a few extra bucks, you can get their Southpaw lever, which is way better, and should come standard in my opinion.
The rest of this transcript is available by using the closed caption option. RUclips only allows so much here!
KS Lev Integra: www.sethsbikeha...
Southpaw Lever: www.sethsbikeha...
Love how we got that technology on every 50$ chair, but if it is specialized for a bike, you should pay 300..
Yea I take my office chair out on the trails all the time and I've never had a problem
theburningnoob pretty sure the dropper post is sturdier than an office chair
today i'm choosing my dropper post :D can't ride freely without one
Chris P hahahahaha so true !
Bike parts.have to be light and sturdy. Also the market is smaller, so they're not being produced on the same scale.
Used a dropper in Moab and it was fantastic for Slickrock. Ridden thousands of miles since then and never really missed it.
Cool seeing you here love your videos
Musta changed since then, haha. You got one on your Ripmo V2
Yes you have
Definitely agree with taking the cable over hydraulic posts. Same performance, but much easier to service. Who needs another piece of equipment that requires bleeding anyway?
+The Singletrack Sampler I didn't need do bleed my Juicy 7 breaks for 6 years. When I did bleed them it wasn't because I needed it, it was just because it has been so long lol. Not all hydraulic equipment is a pain to work with.
The Singletrack Sampler I agree so much why spend all that time bleeding levers and buying expensive oil
Pibbles 'n Bits well basically every mountain biker has hydraulic brakes and they are by far the most reliable it who needs a dropper lever to be hydraulic just more things to service
Thanks for taking the time to make all these videos. Both my son "13yr" and I are relatively newbeis to the mountain biking world "about 2 summers now". Anytime we go on trips out of state, we're constantly looking for great trails to ride. What I truly appreciate about your videos are, you really seem to be down to earth and not driven by the need to have the newest and greatest nor the most expensive parts to enjoy riding. Thanks again Scott "friend in Pa"
+Scott Stcyr thanks!
Seth's Bike Hacks Hey Seth first of all I just want to say thanks for all the great video's, they've really taught myself and others I know some valuable lessons! I'm a fairly new rider (2nd year) and I'm very interested in a dropper post, my issue is I am a left arm amputee and need the dropper on the right side... I was thinking I would need to mount a lever upside down on the right side but feared I would break it in my many crashes while learning. that brings us to today when I saw THIS video! The lever you took off of your bike the is unusual and rubs against your hand seem like it could potentially be perfect for myself. My questing is can the original KS lev lever be mounted on the right side? And does it function well? I know you said it was uncomfortable but I feel like it could potentially be the best of not so great options??? look forward to hearing from ya. thanks again!
@@SethsBikeHacks it's a couple years but...🙄 Amputee had a question.
Kenneth Worthington well it’s been a year so I think his question has been answered by someone or something else
The "cheap" dropper post costs more than I paid for my entire bike. Lol
You must have a very crappy bike unless You got it at a pawn shop (like I did)
Ben ah boi
What bike is less than a dropper post😂
That one Guy Oh please. I found an old Trek ALR road bike for 75$ on Craig's list. Guy was fucking clueless. Bike was dirty and needed a tune up. He thought it was ruined. Needed some spokes, new brakes, new cables and housings, levers, and nicer tires and I slapped a road trip of 100 miles right after. I felt guilty when I bought it.
My first bike was $250 on craig list. My newest bike is $2,600 including a dropper.
Dropper Post can be expensive.
I dont know how many times ive smashed my balls when trying to bunnyhop with my seat at the highest height. I need to get one of these
John Imre ingenuity at its finest, great stuff 🤣👍🏿
I feel you
Change genders and get the government to pay for it. Then enter women’s mtb and win
I was honestly a long hold out on dropper posts. I always thought why would I need one, I don't mind taking breaks and dropping my seat? Now that I've had one for a while the benefits are huge, and I'd consider putting them on a cross and road bike.
Nice
on a road bike?...
Well my Cross bike is my road.
+Phil Kmetz MTB Yeah, I was a hold out until about a year ago. Didn't want to deal with the extra weight or worry about reliability. Now that I have one I use it all the time, even for quick downhill sections. I really miss it on the bikes that don't have it.
Skills With Phil q
Been on droppers since 2010. Once you drop, you can’t stop!
i try using this and the saddle punched me in the balls. LOL
Lmao 🤣
Stand up bro
XDD
Oof
Lmao
DUDE!!! I just installed this thing and I can't stop laughing. I can do all kinds of stuff on the trail now. I was seriously going to buy a trail bike but now this hardtail feels like a big BMX bike.
Thank you Seth, this has COMPLETELY changed my bike. I love your channel bro. Next time you in NY near Stewart airport the trails are fun and easy to get to. Good food and feel after the ride too.
Pistol Pete what did you go with? Decent price? Easy to install? I’m in the same position with my hard tail
DUDE, I JUST BOUGHT A MOUNTAIN BIKE TO COMMUTE TO WORK AND BACK 3 MONTHS AGO. I'M GETTING MORE AND MORE COMFORTABLE ON IT. RIDING WITH NO HANDS AND DOING BUNNY HOPS. I JUST DISCOVERED YOUR CHANNEL. YOUR VIDEOS CAN REALLY HELP ME STEP MY GAME UP PLEASE KEEP MAKING THEM.
I love when you look back at old videos on your favorite channels and then you recognize trails you've ridden that just happened here 👍
a blessing to be able to adjust a saddle on the fly, before seths channel I didn't even know they existed
I'm pretty much brand new to MTB and I rode a bike with a dropper post one time before I decided it had to go on my short list for my first bike. Such a game changer when you can pedal and descend efficiently.
I slowly working on watching all your videos. The dropper post is one of the best upgrades I did on my old bike. The best part is you have always the same riding position after lowering your saddle.
Its nice to watch these videos now that the snow is gone. Keep up the great work Seth, I love your humble approach to filming these videos.
Jumping up on that bench/table was crazy! My bones hurt just looking at that.
I love how clean and to the point explanations go on this channel. Good work.
I've got the cheapest dropper in existence, the TMARS, which uses a coil mechanism, only has 3 locking positions, and is starting to wobble front to back, and am completely in love with the kit.
I recently got the DNM dropper post and I love it even though I don't do any real technical riding. Just getting the seat down and out of the way without having to get off the bike has spoiled me. It is especially nice for trails that have a lot of up and down transitions. Thanks for all the great information on the channel. I'm an old duffer (59) and have been "riding" a bike all my life but thanks partly to this channel, I'm just now learning how to ride!
I have a Specialized Command Post and a KS Lev on a different bike. I love the KS. That thing has been so smooth.
Oh, and thanks for making the clearest video thus far, w plains the dropper. And you actually showed it in action, something the other guys did not do.....must be softys! The dropper is the best tech mtb has seen in 20 years.
I've ridden the KS for a year and its been super reliable. I just did a video comparing it to the reverb and thomson elite as well!
I didn't knew that thing existed. It seems very useful, even though I can't pay it, but it's very interesting. Thanks for showing and sharing.
When I first started riding on a daily basis I thought that dropper post were kind of a gimmick and that they were totally impractical until I got a budget KS Eten for my trek marlin 5 and I loved it and I used it all the time for for jumps descents and bunny hopping. when I started going off big drops and jumps I bought a super aggressive 6 in all mountain full suspention with highly tunable fox suspention, bullet proof Mavic wheels and 1x drivetrain with the Shimano XTR rear mech. but my KS Eten doesn't fit so I rode it with a fixed seatpost for 2 months and finally got a KS lev dx. I was impressed with the build quality, tunable air chamber and 125mm of plush travel. overall my bike weighs about 26.5 pounds. I'm sold I think dropper post should be the standard, love your videos keep up the high quality content.
the production quality of this video is top notch! great job.
Ronald Tartaglia Like every video from Seth
i remember watching this thinking who would need that, its crazy to think about how far mtb's has evolved.
i wish i knew these existed when i used to ride a lot. i would stop and adjust my seat depending on terrain a lot. Shopping for a new bike now and im pleased to see the one im looking at has one :)
i was lucky enough to get back into riding after the invention of the beloved dropper post...and hydraulic disc brakes! ...and maybe even gears?? love them both! LOL
tried a ks lev it creaked and was very sensitive to torque sticking. reverb. It was loose. now this thomson covert dropper. this thing is made by the hand of God. tight. perfect mounting head. functions flawless and lighter than the others to boot
I just ordered myself a KS eteni in preparation for a MTB vacation in Sept, can't wait to try it out and hope it gets here by the end of the week so I can install it and get used to riding with it before hitting the bigger stuff.
I ride with a crank brothers kronolog dropper on my bike and love it! Droppers are so much more convenient when having to switch between lowering or highering your seat post in the heat of the moment. Just like having to switch gears when climbing or descending. Dropper, a must have in my opinion.
I raced XC and I've installed a dropper on my bike, A HEAVY ONE TOO! It has made a big positive change in my riding style and race outcomes. I'm able to enter rough sections without fear and exit equally as strong! I highly suggest a dropper post to other xc riders but if you are concerned about weight, invest a bit and get a really light one.
I was unsure until I saw this video. Thanks, Seth!
Thanks for such a clear and well mapped explanation.
Dude, I'm drooling at the Inspired in the opening shot. Great production values on your vids, kudos. Dropper posts are the next best thing since slice bread even if one never goes mountain biking.
Man I’ve learned so much from your channel
I could see a similar seat tilting function coming to all mountains..tilt up for decent and perhaps a little forward for the climbs
+gray rey that's a pretty interesting idea
+gray rey Sounds a lot like the adjustable stem some company is making. Extend it for weight over the front end and better climbing, and retract it for downhill sections.
Clorox Bleach I see your comments every were
Troy McClelland It's not the same person you dumbass
There are probably thousands of people who made accounts with that name and picture
Clorox Bleach, just realized you are like, 10 years old, which means you shouldn't be on this website
You have the best MTB Channel ever
bruised my "D" one time the very next day bought a PNW dropper post. I've been thankful ever since and for $130 it's still going strong.
Clear, concise and full of common sense evaluation.
IMHO a A dropper post is one of the most amazing features to biking in decades.
David Logan I just got mine. I agree. I think it’s as revolutionary as front suspension.
For people asking dropper posts are sooo nicee
The only issue I see with dropper post is that I have ran out of room on my handlebars for the lever. I do not have a 1x setup, so finding the room to mount another lever on the handlebars could be an issue.
have u bought dropper?
@@sfafsashfdh6589 Yeah I bought one for that bike after going 1x. I'm on a totally different bike now though.
@@wes95z28 have u progressed a lot ?
Yeah this is an issue for me too. But I would feel weird with such modern tech on my 1990s bike anyway! Haha
they are amazing. fucking amazing. not having to stop and change your seat before going uphill is a godsend.
Hey Seth, its great seeing some good footage of the trails here in Florida in all your videos. I live in Ft Myers and travel every weekend to Markham, Boyette, Alafia, Carter Road, or Santos and the videos i take never do the trails justice. Keep up the great content man, ill be on the lookout for ya at the Santos Fat Tire next year and say hey if i run into you.
+Thomas Mitchell thanks, for sure!
No stones left unturned, thanks for the info brotha
Nice and concise, your video clips well selected. Some videos don’t have to be long to be great ! Thanks
I have the Fox DOSS dropper post and I love it! It increased he speed on my favorite down hill by 4 mph!
I have received a used one of these. Pro tip: if it gets stuck in the up position and you can't free it with your own weight, put a towel on the saddle and use a small sledge hammer a few times which will unseat the seal. Recommend storing it with a bit of travel so you can have room to lube up the seal (by pressing down on the saddle and using the lever. Just lower it a bit and it should return to normal).
Excellent video! I see the benefits of having a dropper post. THANKS!
+Seth's Bike Hacks I can really see you getting better at mountainbiking! Thanks for the good videos.
"I'm more interested in adding inches to my bunny hop than dropping grams off my bike" is a great line
Who is seth? I'm new to your channel and new to riding but I dig your channel and you seem to be a pretty, pretty good rider (LD ref there). U pro or what? Just want to say thanks for your channel man. Just got a Raleigh Mojave 8 and am enjoying my used 100$ bike. Because of your channel I'm excited to get some better bikes and frankly some better friends to ride with. Just learning away! Thanks for your channel bruh!
02:45 I have this problem. After riding from a long time in the down positioning I have to pull the seat with the hand, only then it rises with the remote. Any suggestions?
Jeremy Eden check that it has enough air if it is air powered. I just got mine. They also told me to never leave it down overnight.
@@kel5944 I have it when I ride and its annoying.
I ride XC and have fitted a Thomson Elite dropper... best accessory since the bottle cage.
Installed a KS LEV DX on my 650b, can't wait to jump around! Thanks for the great video!
Very informative debate with pros and cons.
Great video there Seth, camera angles are getting better for demonstrations etc.. I've got a dropper on my bike and you have to be careful not to take your nuts off with, although I'd find it hard to ride without one now.. :)
It's a Specialized Command post?
iainthavinthat Yep
+Meteor Shower You can adjust the rebound speed to stop it coming up so quickly
love this video. each post has it's pros and cons. hydro gives you speed adjustment which for some is nice. I went reverb stealth for no other reason than the price was right
Dropper post; a mustbuy for competitors! For sure!
I've been trying to convert some of my friends. I agree that it is a total game changer, and I love mine for climbing to get to fun downhill!
Bought this Dropper because of this video tnx
+seth's bike hacks I've taken your advice and ordered a DNM dropper post, it's due to arrive in the next week or so!😊
When I first heard of dropper posts I was blown away. What a great idea! It would solve so many problems, especially getting my seat position right to do medium descents on my XC bike.
Then you see the price. Are you fucking kidding me. KS Lev costs twice as much as my bicycle. Can't do it.
Like the other comments below I always thought they were bit of a wank tbh but when i went from a hard tail to a full sus it came with one as part of the deal.
I only tend to ride single track with a little down hill thrown in but I wouldn't be without one now and push the benefits to anyone who will listen.
I'm fairly new to the whole thing and not all that quick but the confidence it gives me when things head south or get a bit more technical is huge.
watching every vid and liking
Wizard. Nice, I maybe getting one. Some of the trails I want to ride this would be handy without putting my booty on the tire, almost. Great vid , really love the channel
Hopefully I have a bike with a dropper post next Christmas 🎄
On some of your videos you said that you'd rather take a dropper post than a front brake. Gotta agree :D
i got my first today, the rockshox one, it was not easy to install but it's done, tomorrow is the day !!!
+AlexandreHimself you're gonna love it... that one was my second choice and supposedly the switch is silky smooth
This is very informational and interesting, I dont even have a bike
seth please can you make a video on how to ride dirt jumps please
Haboy Nuke just pedal fast enough and send it
Toxic Hershey full send baby
After testing some bikes with a dropper post definitely want one on my next bike
Nice. All the south Florida trails I see!!
A good review, thanks for the different types of bikes for installation. I have been in the "market" for a dropper post for awhile, but I'm having reservations about it and then which one to buy.
"Downhill or freeride" I don't think anyone runs a dropper on any of these bikes because there is usually sometime of shuttle service (Chairlift, car) or they push there bikes back to the top. You won't see me riding my downhill bike back to the top of the trail.
That's because it's a DOWNHILL bike. Made specifically for DOWNHILL not going up going DOWN!
Dropper seatposts are godly
Being 191cm (6.4") tall. I put a dropper post on my cannondale Carbon team bike. Though I only do xc racing it is a game for me as it allows me to be much more confidence on the technical parts of the trails.
I actually put dropper posts 4 of my MTB's. My Anthem SX came with one, I actually bought a carbon post to swap it out right as I was building it. My Post was still getting shipped and my bike came in so I built it up asap and figured Id keep the dropper on till my carbon post got in. Well after actually using it I found the benefit was night and day. I was able to push my bike into corners and fast technical sections much harder then before. I ride a ton of XC but we have a lot of fun sections that give you a good amount o f technical challenges. From jumping, cornering, large logs a dropper can make you much faster or smoother on sections that having your saddle at proper height can slow you down. I find it useful on so many situations its not even funny. Im using the Giant dropper on my Anthem and on the other 3 bikes I have X-Fusion Hilo 27.2's W/ Remote. They all work great! You dont need the crazy high end ones. Nice droppers can be hand for 100-190 range. It might seem steep for just a post....but its actually one of the best investments you can make!
Dropper posts are amazing for street riding. I cruise around my city long distances and then drop my post for jumping over urban infrastructure that i suddenly happen upon. I've found a lot of benefit for Xcountry mountain racing as well. However, Giant brand dropper posts are crap. My base-model dropper that came with my Giant Fathom 2019 MTB started letting the seat twist looser and looser and finally just broke free and spun around. Giant was nice enough to send me their upgraded dropper model to replace it but now its also breaking in the exact same way. I only got max 20 rides out of the Giant dropper post. Very sad bad product, I suspect I'll be shopping for a non-Giant dropper post very soon when the second one completely breaks down
I never knew this was a thing... Awesome
I ride light recreation and commuting and love my fixed seat post. That extra 300 grams for a dropper post is the weight of a set of pedals. On a steep city street, I know what I prefer. I think downhill guys need them but not necessarily everyone else.
Good review man!!! i now know why a person would want one of these droppers!
Nice presentation Seth!
Incredible post , very well done.
@Seth I completely agree. My trail bike has a dropper post and I love it.
AustinBikepacker theyre overpriced imo. Seriously, who would pay $200+ for a moving seat post?
But can it do this?
I ride endure and dropper posts are a must.
I'm using dropper post for three years and never go back to fix on my MTBs. Completely converted my riding - although I'm still nowhere to you Seth... :)
Holy crap lol. It just now occurred to me. The office chair thing.
Thanks. All I wanted to know was that I could still drop the post as low as possible to the frame. I’m a Bmx racer converting to hardtail
Just amazing I really wish I could afford one
Many people on road bikes are using spring based posts now. I switched to one and for 40$ it eliminates a lot of road vibration.
thank u for the informative videos keep up the good work im gonna look into a dropper post for my fatbike
Excellent post Seth. Thanks!
4 years later, "Why aren't you using a dropper post?"
Thanks for all the awesome videos. Could you please do a video on your handlebars and cockpit setup?
Seth, would love to see a review on the KS Integra after you've had it for a few months. I'm seeing lots of complaints about the seat clamp, so curious if KS has resolved the issues. This vid has me eyeing the DNM internal routed post. For half the price of the KS it sure is tempting. Can't believe after researching droppers for like a month now I had never heard of DNM. Thanks!
+Marcus Troxell I was eyeing that new DNM too, as my old one still works amazing. If it weren't for the fact that it's not available in 150mm, I would have gotten the DNM over the KS on the basis of price and my personal experience with the reliability.
Great review Seth. I've been waiting for you to make a review on this dropper post. Your Dnm Dropper Post is cable actuated/linear-pull (please correct me if I'm wrong), and the KS LEV Integra Dropper Post is running hydraulic, like the disc brakes on all your mtbs. How does the hydraulic fluid work?
+John May nope, both cables. The Rockshox has a hydraulic release
+Seth's Bike Hacks Ah okay. But I'm just confused when you smashed the lever, hydraulic fluid leaked out?
+John May no, his dropper posts are cable operated, he doesn't have a rockshox reverb, if he did hydraulic fluid would have come out though.
+fuddle128260394 But the lever on the KS LEV had a hydraulic release, because when he smashed it at Grapefruit Trails, he ripped the cable and fluid spilled out.
John May no, the ks lev post is all cable operated