Long Term Test: Thomson Elite Dropper seatpost


The not-so-minor details

Product

Thomson Elite Dropper

Contact

SCV Imports

Price

AUD440.00

Weight

592gm

Positives

Slick, reliable actuation
Never missed a beat
Resists wear and slop

Negatives

Side, external cable
Seal collar unwinds during riding

Us

After six months of going up and down, the high quality adjustable post from the classy folk at Thomson has never missed a beat.

Sure, it has an external cable but that is not always such a big deal for us. An externally routed cable can be a bit of a pain with some bikes, especially if a direct route isn’t possible due to a rear shock placement or convoluted frame shapes. We tested the post on a Yeti SB66 Carbon and it was nice and neat, it did mark the frame a little as the cable moved up and down with the seat, requiring some protective stickers on the nice carbon finish.

If you’ve ever experienced setup and fitment woes with an internally routed seat post, you’ll understand why it was a nice experience fitting this post, taking only about 20 minutes. But there’s definitely merit in the cleanliness and simplicity of the internally routed posts.

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What matters the most is how the actuation of the lever works, a good slick action, and durability in the bushings. And that’s where the Elite Dropper shines.

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The clamp is both aesthetic and functional. The finest quality machine work around, and what Thomson is best known for.

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Many posts over the years have battled with the development of side to side play, twisting, rattling and a knocking feedback when pedalling. It’s a tricky challenge to overcome, for sure. We’ve been more than happy with how this particular dropper has only slightly developed a very acceptable amount of wear, after a good amount of use. And it’s definitely not something you notice when riding.

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The tiny thumb lever is slim enough to fit anywhere, but make sure the cable it long enough so that it exits the lever without bending, perhaps a V-brake noodle guide would work well here.

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We never once encountered a moment when the seat post didn’t actuate either up or down, in wet or dry conditions. Our only gripe we found was the threaded collar that threads the seal down on the post body would unwind each ride, we tried a touch of thread locking solution, but it still crept up. Looking for a better solution we cleaned the threads, dried them and cranked it down harder with thread lock and it seems to have stopped it from unwinding.

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Keep an eye on that collar, ours wound unwind when riding, not ideal but fixable.

The price has dropped too (dropped, ha), from $590 to $440 which is very fair, and also if purchased from a Thomson dealer in Australia, a free first service is included.

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Thomson show the collaboration with those who helped with the internals, great names with solid reputations to associate with in the moving parts and hydraulics department.

Thomson are soon to release an internally routed post with an improved thumb lever, due in Oz in April, that could just be our favourite post ever.

 

Them

Side mount of actuation mechanism means we can keep all the critical dimensions of the Thomson Elite cradle, bolt and clamp geometry. One piece forged inner post for strength and reliability, no joint to loosen and fail. Actuation is by cam so rider gets smooth, variable speed and height without resorting to a complicated, damage prone hydraulic actuator; no bleeding required.


Return speed is damped in the last 15mm of upward travel to be gentle on your “seating” area!


5 inches/125mm of infinite travel.


5mm of setback.


592 grams including remote lever, housing and cable.


The smallest most ergonomic remote lever available. Short throw for quick height changes.


Optional under saddle lever available.

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