OneUp Dropper Post V2

OneUp Dropper Post V2 

Available Dropper Lengths: 120, 150, 180, 210 mm

Available Diameters: 30.9, 31.6, 34.9 mm

Configuration Tested: 31.6x 210mm; standard 22.2 mm clamp lever

Blister’s Measured Weight:

  • Seatpost: 591 g
  • Lever: 46 g

MSRP (as tested):

  • Seatpost: $209
  • Remote: $49

Test Bike: Nicolai G16

Reviewer: 6’, 165lbs

Test Location: Washington

Test Duration: 2.5 months

David Golay reviews the OneUp Dropper Post V2 for Blister
OneUp Dropper Post V2
Review Navigation:  Specs //  Intro //  Design & Options //  Remote //  Price & Comparisons //  General Performance //  Bottom Line

Intro

A dropper post is a relatively simple device, particularly compared to many of the other components on a mountain bike. That is not to say that all droppers are equal, but it is more difficult to make one that stands out in the crowded category, especially while still making a dropper that accomplishes the main goal: work well enough to the point that you basically never think about it while you’re on the trail.

David Golay reviews the OneUp Dropper Post V2 for Blister
David Golay riding with the OneUp Dropper Post V2.

OneUp set out to make one that did that and also clearly stood out in several aspects, so first, we’ll let them make the case for how they’ve done that:

“We’ve been obsessed with shaving every last millimeter from the latest OneUp post to give you the shortest stack height and shortest total length of any dropper post. No other post can get your saddle lower.

Still starting from $199 USD with free shipping worldwide, cable actuated with reliable sealed cartridge internals for easy home servicing and includes travel adjust shims allow you to custom tune your post to dial in your perfect length.

The dropper market is dominated by expensive big brand posts and generic catalog shopped posts with different logos. We want to offer something better, a post with class leading specs, innovative useful features AND real value. Want more from your dropper? Get OneUp.”

Below we’ll touch on some of the features OneUp mentions in more detail, but the key points mostly seem to be that the V2 Dropper is relatively inexpensive, and they’ve gone to considerable lengths to eke the most drop out of the least amount of exposed seatpost real estate. Both of those sound great, but how does it actually compare to the competition on the trail?

Post Design & Options

OneUp offers the V2 Dropper Post only with internal routing; in 30.9 mm, 31.6 mm, and 34.9 mm diameters; and in versions offering 120, 150, 180, and 210 mm of drop. All use a cable for actuation and feature a hydraulic cartridge that allows the post to be positioned anywhere within its travel range. All four sizes can also be spaced down 10 or 20 mm with included shims, meaning that the OneUp post can be set to anywhere from 100 to 210 mm of travel in 10 mm steps.

The cable is routed with the head at the post end and clamps at the lever, which makes setting up the cable and housing length a bit easier than posts (e.g., KS Lev Integra & Bike Yoke Revive) that route from the lever. The V2 Dropper features a mostly conventional 2-bolt-style seat clamp, though the top half of the rail clamp is slotted so that it can be freed of the bolts without fully unscrewing them.

David Golay reviews the OneUp Dropper Post V2 for Blister
OneUp Dropper Post V2 — Seat Clamp

That feature sounds nice in theory, but lining up the custom nuts so that their flats mesh with the slots in the upper seat clamp proved to be a little fiddly. The main issue is that at least one of the bolts needs to be quite loose in order to slide over the clamp, but the nut needs to then be pulled down into the slot so that it’s held captive and doesn’t spin. Trying to tighten the bolt is prone to lifting the nut out of its slot, and realigning it takes some care. It’s not a big deal, especially since it’s only relevant when installing a seat on the post, but it’d be nice to see that detail a little better refined.

As mentioned in OneUp’s ad copy, one of the really standout features of the V2 Dropper is its overall height, or lack thereof. When fully lowered, the V2 Dropper measures only 33 mm from the bottom of the collar to the center of the seat rails — far shorter than most other posts on the market. For example, the pre-2021 Fox Transfer measured 60 mm, while the 2021 Transfer pares that down to a claimed 38.2 mm. The Rock Shox Reverb measures 49 mm. For riders looking to eke the absolute maximum drop out of the amount of exposed seatpost they have available, this makes a compelling case for the V2 Dropper.

David Golay reviews the OneUp Dropper Post V2 for Blister
OneUp Dropper Post V2

Another interesting feature of the V2 Dropper is its cartridge-based system for the internal hydraulic actuator. Whereas most dropper posts need a fairly involved disassembly and repair procedure to service the inner workings, OneUp simply offers a replacement cartridge for $60. Since swapping the cartridge doesn’t require digging into the hydraulic and pneumatic inners of the post, it’s a fairly straightforward job that most home mechanics should be able to do with a few simple tools.

Of course, the downside here is that OneUp has effectively made the internals of the post disposable. The paradigm of throwing the whole cartridge away when, realistically, only a few seals and the oil really need replacing doesn’t sit entirely right with me. That said, normal service of a more conventional dropper post is a more involved procedure than most riders are able to take on themselves, and requires taking the post to a shop or sending it to a service center at a considerably higher expense. If the relative ease and moderate expense of swapping a cartridge saves some posts from being replaced entirely, maybe that’s a net win.

The bushings and guide pins that the OneUp post slides on are readily available as replacements from OneUp, and can be replaced with basic hand tools. The air spring in the cartridge can also be topped up via a Schrader valve underneath the seat clamp, if needed.

Remote

OneUp’s remote is also somewhat different vs. the competition. Like most modern dropper post levers, it largely mimics the thumb paddle of a left shifter, but OneUp astutely noted that, since there’s no need for a second trigger, the dropper-remote paddle could be placed further forward / closer to the bar, roughly between where the two paddles would fall on a shifter.

David Golay reviews the OneUp Dropper Post V2 for Blister
OneUp Dropper Post V2 — Standard 22.2 mm Lever

The upside here is that it’s a bit easier to reach the remote, since it’s positioned closer to the bar than most. I can’t say that this is something I’d ever noticed having a problem with when using other levers, but after riding the OneUp lever and then getting on a bike with a more conventional one, I did find myself initially fumbling to reach back far enough, having gotten used to the OneUp’s placement. Maybe they are onto something here – and riders with smaller hands (I generally wear XL or XXL gloves) will likely notice a bigger benefit.

David Golay reviews the OneUp Dropper Post V2 for Blister
OneUp Dropper Lever (left) vs XTR M9100 shifter (right)

OneUp’s remote is available in a standard 22.2 mm bar clamp (tested) as well as versions to suit Sram’s Match Maker and Shimano i-Spec II and i-Spec EV clamps. The clamp-on lever features three bolt holes to adjust the position of the clamp relative to the lever paddle for clearance with other controls. All versions pivot on a sealed cartridge bearing.

Price & Comparisons

For reference, here are the retail prices for a few notable droppers currently on the market. This is by no means a complete list due to the aforementioned crowded nature of the market, but OneUp does have a reason to claim that their dropper is on the more affordable end of the spectrum.

$199 Raceface Aeffect R (post only; $39 for the remote)
$209 OneUp Dropper Post V2 (post only; $49 for the remote)
$294 Raceface Turbine R / Fox Transfer Performance / Marzocchi Transfer (post only; $69 for the remote)
$329–$389 KS Lev Integra (includes remote)
$344 Fox Transfer Factory (post only; $69 for the remote)
$349–$399 Rockshox Reverb Stealth (includes remote)
$800 Rockshox Reverb AXS (includes remote)

On The Trail

Probably the greatest compliment that I can pay a dropper post is to say that I haven’t had to think about it at all while on the bike. That’s been true of the OneUp V2, which has worked smoothly and intuitively for the duration of my time on it. The on-trail use experience is more or less indistinguishable from any number of other posts with an infinite positioning range — the slightly unconventional positioning of the remote paddle I described above is the only notable difference.

David Golay reviews the OneUp Dropper Post V2 for Blister
David Golay riding with the OneUp Dropper Post V2.

Of course, I’m fine with that. Really, a dropper post just needs to go up and down when I want it to, and not move otherwise. It’s not a product that I think needs a paradigm shift in how they work, or one that’s ripe for new feature sets and the like. Simple, intuitive functionality combined with solid reliability and ease of service is the name of the game. OneUp has the first and last of those points covered, but how about durability?

Durability and Reliability

Frankly, two and a half months of service isn’t enough for me to say much more than “so far, so good” on this front. I’ve put a good number of miles on the post in that time and it’s still working as new, but it’ll take a lot more time to really say more than that. I do plan to keep using the OneUp V2, and I’ll report back if any durability issues arise more quickly than normal.

Bottom Line

The OneUp V2 dropper is a smartly designed post at an attractive price, and has worked well over a few months and several dozen rides so far. The ease of replacing the cartridge will be attractive to a lot of riders, as will the very short total length per amount of drop, especially when coupled with the ability to fine tune the amount of travel to fit the amount of exposed seatpost on any given bike.

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OneUp Dropper Post V2, BLISTER
OneUp Dropper Post V2, BLISTER

9 comments on “OneUp Dropper Post V2”

  1. I just installed one on my wife’s bike and it’s great. I did find it a tad sensitive to clamp pressure having to run an 8th of a turn under 4nm to avoid binding. Friction paste is highly recommended.

    • I have the first version of this post and have the same issue with the sensitivity to clamp pressure, is yours V1 or V2?

      • Brand new V2. Lead to believe it’s actually a V2.1 with a minor tweak to the lower cable attachment but unconfirmed comment from the shop so take with grain of salt.

        • It’s a bummer it’s still a quirk on the new model …. but in better news, I don’t need to upgrade! Thanks!

  2. One feature that Oneup introduced(I think) is travel adjust on droppers. For short people, this can really help get a decent amount of drop out of their post.

  3. I’ve owned three of these since they came out on three different bikes. They are awesome! Servicing them is super simple too every few months and after a little grease they work like butter! Super smart design.

  4. Picked up a V1 on sale and it’s been great. I did eventually get a rebuild kit ($18?) as it has updated bushings and eliminated a bit of stiction off the top. Love that I can fix it easily with a $60 cartridge. And the crew is great; I had a question about my rebuild at 4:55pm on a Friday, and had a response in 2 minutes! Thanks OneUp!

  5. I’ve got about a year on a V2. Needed a new seal/slider kit, and now a new cartridge. But……it’s dead easy to service, and OneUp customer service is top-notch. And it does allow more drop per insertion than other posts.

    So……I endorse it. I’ll spend 15 minutes once in a while to keep mine running. Beats spending hours rebuilding a Reverb (ugh) or having to send the post in ($$$) like Fox or Thomson.

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