CrankBrothers Joplin 4R Seatpost Review - BikeRadar

It’s been a while in the making but CrankBrothers have now released a 4in version of their well-established Joplin adjustable seatpost.

At first glance the new Joplin looks no different from the existing 3in version, apart from neat gold (instead of red) anodising on the thread ring and seat-rail clamp, and a large, white stylised number four boldly announcing its extra inch of drop.

CrankBrothers have adopted the ‘it aint broke, so why fix it’ approach to the remote lever on the 4R version, using the same great ‘any-direction’ toggle mechanism. The handlebar clamp is in two parts allowing mounting without removing gear and brake controls.

The cable attachment/release trigger is tucked out of muck’s way under the nose of the saddle, as before. It works effectively but presents clearance problems when fitting saddles with low shells.

So what’s new? Well, first off the seat clamp has been made stouter and now holds the saddle rails more securely. Everything else is internal, including tighter tolerances on the main stanchion to improve the action and durability of the seal, a U-shaped oil seal in place of the O-ring to prevent oil leakage, and the addition of a second guide block to alleviate side-to-side slop and play.

From the outset the action is smooth, with the post easy to push down to stop anywhere throughout the 4in of 'travel'. It’s silent and effective, both on compression and return, with the return action well damped to avoid any kick-to-the-butt. A small amount of sideways slop is apparent when holding the saddle, but is less than we found on the 3in post and is not noticeable when riding.

New seals have been added, and flip the Joplin 4 upside down and you’ll find a small hole in the bottom that now allows the post to ‘breathe’ through the bike frame rather than try to suck in dirt through the seals when it is returning to full height. This is offered as a modification on older posts when you return them for servicing.

All in all, the Joplin 4 feels just like the latest 3in posts, only a tad smoother and with an extra inch of travel. The extra inch makes a world of difference to those riding on technical terrain or those with shorter legs. It seems the 4 may well have been worth the wait.

Post this story to:

• Digg
• del.icio.us
• reddit
• Facebook
• StumbleUpon

Shopping partners

Shopping partners