Adjustable Seat Posts

Nerf Herder

Nerf Herder

Wheel size expert
KS on the Top Step of the Pro1 Italian Superenduro 2012

[video=vimeo;40749590]http://vimeo.com/40749590[/video]



KS update
restocking shipment was delayed by 3 weeks, but is on the way. Apologies to those that have pre-ordered. Will confirm with tracking numbers once they are in the warehouse and shipped to you or your selected retailer.

LEV availability
385/125s in 30.9 & 31.6 will be available with this shipment RRP $450
150/435 are expected to become available in June / July RRP $500
27.2mm (350/100) are expect at earliest Oct 2012 RRP $450

We will have restock of 27.2mm Supernatural Remotes with the above shipment. RRP $320
385/125 & 350/100 Supernaturals in 30.9 & 31.6 are in stock RRP $320

* all price current as at April 2012, subject to change without notice.
 
Ivan

Ivan

Eats Squid
Yeah, the KS looks like the superior post of the current crop, but it's also the most expensive.
 
Nerf Herder

Nerf Herder

Wheel size expert
Reverb MMX with bleed kit (which you'll need) = $368.14 RRP $494 apparently

here

Locally $379.95 ... without a bleed kit
here

Local LEV RRP $450 ... $80 for a premium product and top of the line, feature packed KS ... The LEV is a result of product evolution as opposed to a "clean the slate and start again" affair. Further the Fox will likely be the most expensive in class and it already lags in terms of features.

To compare the others to the LEV is misleading purely due to evolution and feature count, really they should be compared to the KS Supernatural which is RRP $320. or even the Dropzone which has the same mechanics as the Supernatural $270.

Worth comparing apples with apples
 
Ivan

Ivan

Eats Squid
Nerf Herder said:
Worth comparing apples with apples
Click to expand...
IMO, the Lev competitors are the CB Kronolog and the Reverb Stealth, as these are the posts that offer the same infinite adjustment as the LEV, and fixed cable routing. I am considering all three for my purchase. The Kronolog can be had for $330 locally and the Reverb Stealth can be had for about ~$350 (OS without warranty).

The LEV does have some some features that make it better than the Kronolog, and KS has a better rep for reliability, but at $120 extra it should.

A lot of people are going to find it difficult to spend $450 on a seatpost.
 
N

nskz

Likes Dirt
To be honest I don't know why anyone needs infinite adjustability, imo in practice it's a totally redundant feature; you are either up, or down. I also don't understand the push for huge range of adjustment, circa 125mm plus, personally I think 100mm is heaps; the difference in BB centre to top of seat between my DH bike and XC bike is ~75mm.

Adjustable seatposts are an area undergoing massive development at the moment and I think the first person to 'crack it' is going to make a fortune...I don't think anyone has really done it yet.

I see the criteria as the following, in order of priority:

- Reliability, No one seems to have this dialled yet.
- Simplicity, Hydraulic circuits are a pain in the arse, mechanical solution might be the go. The Kronolog looked promising but seems to be having a lot of issues, new KS post also looks promising.
- Weight, The trail/XC market is undoubtedly the biggest market for these posts and this segment is becoming increasingly obsessed with weight, no good having the ultimate if it weighs 600g.
- Cost, As said above I think the price point is ~$350ish max any more than that would have anyone seriously considering buying something no matter how good.

I have a Joplin which i no longer use due to it shitting itself. There are a few major issues with that design, one of the major ones being that dirt collects in the top of the post where the shaft used to release the hydraulic circuit lies. During operation of the post the dirt gets down and shags out the shaft bore, resulting in the o-ring that seals on that bore no longer sealing. The only option to fix it would be to re-ream the bore which to be honest I couldn't be bothered to do. Since it's 'death' i've been waiting for something to tick all the boxes, nothing so far but the future looks bright...will have to see how these KS posts play out; tbh it's one of the only hopes at the moment, the fox one looks shit and the Kronolog has issues.
 
Nerf Herder

Nerf Herder

Wheel size expert
Ivan said:
IMO, the Lev competitors are the CB Kronolog and the Reverb Stealth,
Click to expand...
Correct me if I'm wrong

The Stealth is the internally routed bottom connected offering from RS ... similar to the KS Integra as opposed to the LEV. The Stealth and the Integra are only offered to OEM suppliers. There is no retail price on this right ? and the only real competitive feature is the hydro actuation, which is more suited to sub zero riding conditions. I'll presume the Stealth has the same mechanics and features as the MMX. Noob question: The MMX is the only reverb model currently on offer ?? I'll presume yes and this is what everybody else refers to as a Reverb and I'll ignore the Stealth.

OK so, we know the KS LEV offers static clamp actuation, 360 degree (in 5deg increments) positioning obviously redundant to both the Integra and RS Stealth, but pertinent to the MMX which positions its actuator at the saddle. The KS LEV has air adjustable return speed, self adjusting roller clutch bearings, all of which both Reverbs do not.

So you imply that the 2012 Supernatural is not the competition to the Reverb. Both have the cable at the saddle, I'd argue the warranty issues are in the Supernatural's favour I haven't had a returned Supernatural yet. the Supernatural is comparable in weight and cheaper $320 undiscounted versus $349.95 discounted locally for a reverb. Again Hydraulic actuation versus cable ... which is negated here in Australia given our weather conditions but I understand it is a personal preference as opposed to a performance enhancement. I'd argue that the cable housing and cable is stronger and resists damage better then hydraulic hoses, but thats me. Both have similar design features other then whats noted above and the clamp-on travel minimiser thingy that comes with a Reverb. So I would argue the Supernatural and Reverb are the true competitors in terms of features, performance and price.

I reckon the Krono has lots of potential. but won't be competition for another generation or so IMO based on past and current experience ... but again I think the Supernatural Remote at RRP $320 is the competition. The Krono surpasses the Supernatural in terms of weight and arguably actuator positioning (Saddle vs Seat Clamp). However, the Supernatural outperforms it in terms of reliability, number of models on offer to best suit the rider, evolution of design improving on past weaknesses leading to a worthy class leader prior to the LEV.

I understand that pricing is a challenge ... and not everyone will want the best, cutting edge product they can bolt on ... this is why we have the Dropzone and Supernatural in the KS range, performance and reliability with prices that don't need heavy discounting.

But again I'll say compare apples with apples.

indica said:
My X-Fusion Hi Lo works just fine.
Click to expand...
I'm sure its a great product, however using a Pro as an example ... its telling that Lopes is still on KS ...



newcasio said:
Both the Kronolog and KS Lev were exactly what i was after ( fixed base cable). However, my bike takes 27.2mm seatpost which eliminated the Kronolog, leaving the Lev. However, price ($450) and availability in October got me looking elsewhere. I would have also liked to see if the new design needed more refinement, as $450 is pretty steep price to be a guinea pig.
Click to expand...
Its disappointing that the 27.2mm LEV won't be available until October, however, the hydraulic circuit is completely different for the 27.2mm given the smaller tubing so I'd prefer they took their time ... which is a sign of corporate responsibility IMO as opposed to rushing something out and then disappointing the end user.

We do have the 27.2mm supernaturals in the warehouse now though. Although the cable is @ the saddle clamp, I'd argue the $20 different ($28 different with shipping) would justify going the Supernatural purchased locally as opposed to a gravity dropper. * shrugs.

The way I see it, we all want VW Toureg performance @ VW Tiguan prices, this is only natural but unfortunately thats not how it works. But KS understand this which is why they have 3 models where the other manufacturers have but 1

The Dropzone is the best value vs performance @ $270 the only real difference is weight, 1 bolt clamp design and cable positioning.
The Supernatural is the best value in terms of weight and performance @ $320 some would say that it is let down by the cable position, which is the same as the reverb.
The LEV provides the best cutting edge features, performance and weight. @ $450 adding to the already class leading Supernatural ... but I'm just repeating myself.

So, Good luck with your purchase
 
Ivan

Ivan

Eats Squid
It was announced recently that the Stealth would be soon sold aftermarket, and a few appeared on ebay, but have since been removed.
http://www.bikerumor.com/2012/04/20/rockshox-changes-fork-shock-internals-sram-adds-650b-rise-wheels-more/ said:
The Reverb Stealth will ship from their factory for aftermarket early May, meaning you can likely actually buy it in July.
Click to expand...
I am not sure on the timetable to make them available. The cached auctions are still there to view.

Also, all Reverb's has adjustable return speed.
 
stoo

stoo

Likes Dirt
When my hippy mate offered to buy me a KS dropper I said "meh, I don't need your stinkin' post, not worth a can O fagioli beans"
When his arrived and I checked it out I had to have one, I've been using a 31.6 / 125mm KS supernatural for three months and it's the bestest jigger everest I say!!!
My new Santa Cruz Nickel will arrive next week, and my new KS Dropzone ( 30.9 to suit ) should be here tomorrow, weeehaaaaa!!!
No cable operation for me, but maybe it'd be handy not having to grab under your scro' when things get a bit tricky.
If I knew the seat tube length or had the bike to take a few measurements maybe I'd have ordered a 150mm post, I was out on the temporary XC dually today and dropped the seat the full 125 and the bloody seat was still in my way.
Go the KS!!
:encouragement:
 
M

mason33

Likes Dirt
nskz said:
To be honest I don't know why anyone needs infinite adjustability, imo in practice it's a totally redundant feature; you are either up, or down. I also don't understand the push for huge range of adjustment, circa 125mm plus, personally I think 100mm is heaps; the difference in BB centre to top of seat between my DH bike and XC bike is ~75mm.

Adjustable seatposts are an area undergoing massive development at the moment and I think the first person to 'crack it' is going to make a fortune...I don't think anyone has really done it yet.

I see the criteria as the following, in order of priority:

- Reliability, No one seems to have this dialled yet.
- Simplicity, Hydraulic circuits are a pain in the arse, mechanical solution might be the go. The Kronolog looked promising but seems to be having a lot of issues, new KS post also looks promising.
- Weight, The trail/XC market is undoubtedly the biggest market for these posts and this segment is becoming increasingly obsessed with weight, no good having the ultimate if it weighs 600g.
- Cost, As said above I think the price point is ~$350ish max any more than that would have anyone seriously considering buying something no matter how good.

I have a Joplin which i no longer use due to it shitting itself. There are a few major issues with that design, one of the major ones being that dirt collects in the top of the post where the shaft used to release the hydraulic circuit lies. During operation of the post the dirt gets down and shags out the shaft bore, resulting in the o-ring that seals on that bore no longer sealing. The only option to fix it would be to re-ream the bore which to be honest I couldn't be bothered to do. Since it's 'death' i've been waiting for something to tick all the boxes, nothing so far but the future looks bright...will have to see how these KS posts play out; tbh it's one of the only hopes at the moment, the fox one looks shit and the Kronolog has issues.
Click to expand...
This all rings true to me, lighter, cheaper, shorter with up or down adjustability only, also a cable setup like the LEV.
 
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