Crankbrothers Highline 11 Dropper seatpost review

Crankbrothers' Highline 11 Dropper provides quick and crisp actuation with fast return speed at a relatively light weight.

Its price and the grainy feel from the carbon shaft might rule it out for some, but the post delivers a premium and consistent performance.

The Highline 11 Dropper sits towards the top end of the mechanical dropper post price range, at £399.99 / $399.99, and doesn't include a remote.

The post is aimed at all types of mountain biking, with the brand saying it is designed for everything from cross-country racing to weekend enduro rides.

Crankbrothers sent me the Highline Premium Remote Kit to test the post with, which is priced at £69.99 / $69.99 and weighs in at 37g.

Crankbrothers Highline 11 Dropper specifications

Crankbrothers offers the post with 60mm, 80mm, 100mm, 125mm, 150mm or 170mm of travel. It is available in 30.9mm and 31.6mm diameters.

My 170mm, 31.6mm test unit has a minimum frame insertion of 100mm and a maximum of 285mm.

The post weighs in at 537g on our scales, which is a little over Crankbrothers' claimed weight of 524g.

The Highline 11 Dropper clamps its actuating cable at the remote, rather than at the base of the post, making it compatible with a large variety of dropper levers. I used it with Crankbrothers' own Highline Premium Remote Kit.

The same self-contained Internal Floating Piston (IFP) cartridge from Crankbrothers' Highline 7 Dropper is said to provide longevity and easier serviceability.

Like many of the best dropper posts, the Highline 11 Dropper features infinite adjustment, meaning you can set your saddle's height to anywhere in the 170mm range.

With the Highline 11 Dropper being Crankbrothers' flagship dropper post, it features bling in the form of gold anodised titanium bolts and a carbon stanchion.

This quill moves up and down on Igus bushings and there are two keys that keep the post from twisting.

Trelleborg seals are used to keep dust, water and other contaminants from entering the post and there is a housing around the trigger to protect it from the inside of your frame.

Crankbrothers Highline 11 Dropper performance

Installation and setup

Thanks to the cable clamping at the lever, the Highline 11 Dropper is quick to install, with the cable end nestling into the trigger without problem.

A grub screw on the Highline Premium Remote secures the other end of the cable and helps create a taut connection to the dropper post.

Attaching a saddle was easy. The in-line, two-bolt design is one of the best I’ve used and quickly nestled between the saddle rails, remaining together when the bolts were loose.

Saddle pitch is set using the bolts and it didn’t take long to find my desired angle.

On the trail

I found the Crankbrothers Highline 11 Dropper to be relatively quick at raising the saddle, with each press of the lever resulting in a consistent thud as it reached full travel.

The speed isn’t adjustable, but for the vast majority of people, this won’t pose an issue because the post is quick enough to not leave you questioning whether it’s time to sit back down.

Its consistency makes it easy to bake into your muscle memory, and there wasn’t a time when I was standing on the pedals for much longer than I needed.

When the post drops, there's some resistance that feels as if it’s coming from the carbon quill. This doesn’t add miles to your legs, but feels a little grainy through the saddle when dropping the post.

This went unnoticed after a couple of actuations and I carried on using the Highline Dropper 11 without thinking about the resistance.

After plenty of use, the post remained as solid as its first ride, with very little in the way of rotational play between the top and bottom halves of the post.

Crankbrothers Highline 11 Dropper bottom line

Crankbrothers' Highline 11 Dropper offers premium looks and a solid feel at a relatively low weight. However, this weight saving comes at the small expense of dropping function from the carbon quill.

If you're looking for a relatively light dropper post with high-end hardware, you should consider the Highline 11 Dropper – but there are lighter and cheaper options out there.