9Point8 Fall Line Dropper Post review

9Point8 posts have established a deservedly loyal following in its native Canada and they’re rapidly becoming a favourite elsewhere thanks to their impressive reliability, extensive stroke options and a unique modular head design. Just be warned — set up takes patience…

• Best dropper posts: buyer’s guide and recommendations
• Dropper post vs fixed post. Which is faster for XC racing?

The Droploc actuator mechanism is a self-contained slider barrel that screws in and out of the post for easy removal if you’re travelling. Exact positioning of the inner wire and outer cable slider is crucial for it to work consistently though, so be patient and accurate with set up.

The long, vertically mounted spoon-shaped remote lever increases leverage and reduces thumb pressure. It can be mounted left/right, up/down… however it suits.

Unlike the Race Face and Easton posts, both of which licence the DropLoc internals, the inner shoulders are chamfered to prevent cable wear, and if you’re running a single chainring, a shifter-style adaptor is available for £14.

The saddle clamp is solidly secure thanks to large titanium bolts and saddle angle is adjusted separately for easy, accurate set-up. The whole head can even be swapped for a £35 layback version if you need to adjust reach or just enjoy having your saddle further back like a conventional seatpost.

There are no 27.2mm diameter posts for steel frames but the 30.9mm and 31.6mm versions are available in a massive range of stroke lengths from 75mm to 150mm. Extra-long 175mm and 200mm stroke posts are available for £419 / $483.

So options are impressive — as is the dropper in action. Compression is silky smooth wherever you sit; return rate can be altered by changing pressure in the air spring (which is easy to get to with the post installed); and stop-point modulation is excellent in either direction. That relatively high price is repaid by impressive reliability even in the filthiest conditions.

Even when I did get an air leak, after several months of daily abuse, the mechanical brake still worked so I could drop and raise it manually. This all creates a post that impresses me the more I use it, making it well worth the set-up time and financial investment.