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2020 Fox Transfer Factory 175mm dropper post review

One of the best droppers available if you have deep pockets and want more bling than the Performance version

Our rating

4

369.00
585.00

Russell Burton

Published: September 19, 2019 at 12:00 pm

Our review
Still one of the most reliable droppers, now with more travel and a better lever. It’s a little tall and heavy though, and seriously expensive.

Pros:

The Transfer has rarely let us down in the past (not something we can say about every dropper); smooth, solid, reliable action; a joy to use

Cons:

Factory version is very expensive once you factor in separate remote; the shaft is one of the longest and so won't fit every frame

The Fox Transfer has long been one of our favourite droppers for its reliability and consistently smooth action. Until now though, the longest travel option was 150mm, so long-legged riders wanting to get their saddle well out of the way had to look elsewhere.

The latest version is available with 175mm of travel, and I’ve been testing it over the last few months to see how it performs.

Fox Transfer 175mm specs

My 31.6mm diameter seatpost weighs 675g (excluding remote). That makes it marginally heavier than some of its key rivals.

It measures 230mm from the saddle rails to the bottom of the collar, so you’ll need at least that much room between the saddle rails at pedalling height and the top of the seat tube to fit it in your frame.

The post measures 506mm from the rails to the bottom of the shaft at full extension. That makes it a full 30mm taller than the 175mm KS Lev, for example, so check you have enough room inside your seat tube too.

Unlike some dropper posts we’ve tested, which measure up a few millimeters or even centimetres short of the promised travel, mine delivers the full 175mm of advertised drop.

Remote options

The £369 asking price doesn’t include a remote. I’ve got the top-spec RaceFace Turbine R remote, which costs another £80. It’s a welcome improvement over the old Fox remote though, with a more solid feel and more robust cable clamp.

The large, under-bar remote paddle is always solid feeling and play free. My only gripe is that when used with SRAM Code brake levers, it’s a fraction further away from the grips than I’d like when placed inboard of the brake, despite the two-position bar clamp.

Set outboard of the brakes, it was too close to the grips. It fits better around Shimano brakes, though.

Unlike some cable droppers, the cable clamps to the lever rather than under the seatpost. This makes installation much easier, but be sure to crimp the cable properly to stop it fraying next to your thumb.

2020 Fox Transfer Factory 175mm dropper post performance

The Transfer has proven to be one of the most reliable droppers in the past. We’ve had several samples on long-term test with no serious reliability issues, save for the occasional cable replacement.

This longer-travel version hasn’t let the side down so far. After a few months of regular use, it remains silky smooth, there’s no fore-aft or rotational play, there’s no droop when loaded (like some Reverbs in the past) and it doesn’t stick or extend when pulling up on the saddle (like some KS posts we’ve tested).

The best thing you can say about a dropper post is that it fades into the background, and that’s what I’ve found with the Transfer.

It extends rapidly and consistently with every push of the lever, with a satisfying top-out clunk to let you know it’s at full height.

Assuming it fits in your frame, the price is my only gripe. I’d sooner have the Performance version, which costs £50 less but lacks the Kashima coat.

Product

Brandfox
Price585.00 AUD,369.00 GBP

Features

br_seatpostDiameter31_6mm
br_length506mm
br_remotePurchased separately
br_travel175.0000
br_travelMILLIMETER