PNW Loam Dropper Post review

PNW’s Loam Dropper Post is a good performer, offering quick and dependable performance at a reasonable price point.

The Loam Dropper Post has small amounts of play between the upper and lower halves, but this doesn’t take too much away from this otherwise well-considered dropper post.

This dropper post is aimed at trail and enduro riding, and is available with 125mm, 150mm, 170mm or 200mm of travel.

The post sits at the top of PNW’s range and is priced at £209, not including the remote.

I used the post with the brand's Loam Lever Gen 2 remote, priced at £65 and weighing in at 46g.

PNW Loam Dropper Post specification

The Loam Dropper Post sees the cable clamped at the lever, as opposed to the actuator at the base of the post, making setup much easier.

This gives the post good compatibility with a host of dropper remotes, with the vast majority of upgradable levers using the same system.

An adjustable air cartridge is used, which enables you to change how fast you want the saddle to return after being dropped.

Each size has 25mm of tool-free travel adjustment, and it’s available in 30.9mm, 31.6mm and 34.9mm diameters.

My 170mm, 31.6mm post has a minimum insert depth of 120mm and a full insertion length of 260mm.

The Loam Dropper Post topped our scales at 553g, just under PNW’s claimed weight of 554g.

Underneath the post’s collar, there's tool-free travel adjustment, which is easy to use and gives more flexibility when fitting the post to your frame.

The midcap also has a swappable silicone band, which can be matched to the dropper lever, or other colours on your bike.

The Loam Lever features a sleek, low-profile CNC aluminium body with a large rubber pad on the lever to add grip.

PNW Loam Dropper Post performance

Installation and setup

I found the Loam Dropper Post easy to set up, with the actuator simmple to thread the cable through, retaining the cable well while I set up the remote.

The Loam Lever was problem-free to attach to the handlebar, and it was easy to add tension to the cable using the screw clamp.

There is a barrel adjuster for fine-tuning, which I didn’t need to use.

Attaching the saddle also posed no issues, with the narrow in-line bolt clamp slipping between the saddle rails with little interference.

A two-bolt clamp is used to keep the saddle in place, and pitch can be adjusted by altering how these bolts are positioned.

On the trail

On the bike, the Loam Dropper Post feels quick to return in its stock tune. I didn’t feel there was any need to add more air to increase the speed.

The post raises consistently, and it doesn't take long to get used to its characteristics when out on a ride.

From the first ride, there was a small amount of rotational play between the upper and lower tubes of the post, but after a couple of rides, it hadn’t got worse.

I didn’t find this to be a problem when riding, with the movement unnoticeable in the saddle, even when suffering up steep fire-road climbs.

The post didn’t develop any squish over my testing time, remaining relatively sturdy throughout.

The Loam Lever is easy to manipulate, with the rubber inlay providing good levels of traction in wet weather.

PNW Loam Dropper Post bottom line

PNW’s Loam Dropper Post offers premium dropper functionality and feel at a reasonable price point.

It’s only let down by rotational play, though this can’t be felt while you're riding the bike.

Matching the post with the Loam remote makes for a good combination, with comfortable and quick actuation.