OneUp Components Dropper V2 Seatpost

It seems like just yesterday when the first batch of dropper posts hit the market. These cutting-edge components had 100mm of travel and were an absolute gamechanger in terms of how hard you could shred a trail bike. Since the advent of mainstream dropper posts, manufacturers have continually pushed the limits in terms of available travel on these pieces of telescoping witchcraft. Fast forward a few decades and OneUp Components has introduced their popular V2 Dropper Post with a mind-boggling 240mm of travel making it the longest option on the market.

We received a post for testing back in January. Since then, we have spent almost 200 hours on this post in slop, snow, and dust.Continue reading to learn about the nittiest and grittiest of details.

Highlights

• Available in 30.9mm, 31.6mm, and 34.9mm diameters
• Additional travel lengths available: 90mm, 120mm, 150mm, 180mm, 210mm
• Travel can be reduced by up to 20mm w/ included shims
• Two-year warranty
• Remote sold separately
• Service documentation and small parts are readily available.
• Weight: 654-grams (measured. 240mm length, 30.9 diameter)
• Remote weight: 45.8-grams (measured) 
• MSRP $229.50 USD

Another critical question was whether or not more post-travel universally means more shred. Logic suggests that being able to drop your seat further allows you to get lower in dicey situations and be more maneuverable in the air. This post absolutely boosts confidence in the steeps. That being said, some riders might be impacted by side effects produced by such a long dropper post.

Some newer riders can develop bad habits from a saddle that is so, so low. Riders who have a tendency to retreat into the backseat when things get sketchy have plenty of room to do so with this post. This can remove important weight from the front wheel and make it easier to lose the front end.

Riders with bad knees might experience some discomfort with this post. After dropping the saddle into the lowest position, it can be an unpleasant task to lift your body weight back up into the attack position. The rider’s knees are so heavily bent after dropping this post 240mm, that standing back up can require some serious effort.

The Lineup and Initial Impressions

The 240mm post is simply a longer-travel version of the popular V2 post. The internals and technology are identical. The V2 post has been offered in multiple lengths and up until recently, the 210mm version was the longest available option. To our knowledge, this 240mm version is now the longest post on the market. In addition to this 240mm model, OneUp now offers this post in a 90mm version for riders of small and extra small frames. This dropper is available in 30.9mm (tested), 31.6mm, and 34.9mm diameters.

It might be a statement of the obvious to say that this towering telescoping post is a bit of a niche product. The insertable length of this post is right about 340mm. Pair that with a 240mm upper post and you have yourself a pretty rangy seatpost. Simply put, not many riders are going to be able to fit this seatpost on their bike. Your bike is going to need to tick a handful of boxes to even consider this dropper. The rider will need to have long legs, the bike’s seat tube will need to be able to accept a very long lower post, and your internal routing system will need to cooperate. Despite it being a niche product, we very much appreciate OneUp putting energy and resources into a product that might only appeal to a small segment of the mountain bike market.

The V2 Dropper Post carries a $229.50 price tag. Still, this post represents a strong value given the impeccable reliability and multitude of sizing options. The remote is sold separately. We tested the remote with a standard bar clamp. The remote sells for an additional $59.50 and is offered in Shimao I-SPEC and SRAM Matchmaker flavors. Riders are welcome to use any other cable-actuated remotes with this post.

A key feature of the post is the ability to reduce travel with shims. Users can install small pins into channels at the post head under the bushing to reduce the travel by up to 20mm. This allows users to fine-tune the post to maximize every millimeter of travel the frame can accept. This procedure is straightforward and OneUp has an easy-to-follow instructional video on its website.

Installation was mostly uneventful. Installing a cable-actuated dropper is a relatively painless process. Simply measure and route the housing, install the cable and remote, fine-tune the tension, and boom, ready to roll.

That being said, our large Canfield Lithium test bike presented us with an unexpected hitch. The layout of the internal routing system was an issue we hadn’t fully considered. It is critical to evaluate your internal routing design prior to buying such a long dropper. Some frames route the dropper cable down through the bottom bracket before turning up the seat tube. This system is most conducive for the deepest insertion of a seat post. The routing on our Canfield Lithium frame exits the seat tube north of the bottom bracket prior to re-entering the frame on the down tube. As a result, we couldn’t insert the post as deep as we would have liked into the frame. If we had, the actuator would be level with the internal routing port on the seat tube. This, of course, would create some highly undesirable bending of the cable and housing and prevent the post from operating correctly. Lucky for us, we slid the post up a bit and used a 10mm shim to reduce the travel. Our OneUp 240mm dropper now had 230mm of drop.

On The Trail

We spent approximately six months putting this long-travel dropper post through its paces. We rode this post in temperatures ranging from the high-20s to the high-90s (Fahrenheit). Our testing period included the wet winter and spring months. As a result, this post was no stranger to mud. This seatpost saw the vast majority of its action in Central Washington along with a handful of mid-winter trips towards Seattle to escape the snow.

Downhill Performance

On the trail, the operation of this post was familiar and intuitive. The OneUp dropper remote that we tested has a moderately light action. The mounting point on the remote has three holes that allow you to position the remote lever exactly how you like it. Upon actuating the post by depressing the lever, simply sit down and drop this monster into its lowest position. The dropping motion is smooth and free of friction. This post got blasted with substantial amounts of mud and the motion of the post still feels smooth as silk.

Upon dropping the post to its lowest position there is a loud noise letting you know you’ve bottomed out. We are confident in saying the bottom-out noise is one of the loudest among popular seatposts. To be fair, this noise is a non-issue. This thud has no effect on performance whatsoever. It is, however, worth mentioning when evaluating the post. The hollow-sounding clunk makes it perfectly clear you’ve bottomed out.

It is truly insane how much drop this seatpost has. When riding aggressive, steep terrain it is certainly confidence-inducing to be absolutely sure your seat is out of the way. This post replaced a 170mm SDG Tellis post on our test bike. The extra travel on the OneUp is extremely noticeable when the trails get scary and difficult. As previously mentioned, we reduced the travel on this post to 230mm. That means this post has approximately 26% more travel than our stock SDG post.

This seatpost really shines when the trail gets steep. You can get ridiculously low on your bike when the saddle is so insanely far out of your way. It also lends itself to more aggressive pumping of the trail and manhandling the bike through awkward sections. Simply put, an extremely low saddle allows for unimpeded movement on the bike. Riders who like to get boosty and throw the bike around will also love the post. In the air, you can get low on the bike to keep your speed or easily throw your favorite hot dog move.

One quirk that might be worth mentioning is how riders with old or “bad” knees will get along with this post. Once you drop the V2 240 into the lowest position, it can take a bit of effort to stand back up into the attacking position. Essentially, you need to pull your body weight up to the standing position with your knees heavily bent. Riders with knee issues might feel somewhat “stuck” after dropping the post and experience some discomfort when returning to a standing position. Depending on terrain, riders may only raise and lower their post a half dozen times per ride. Other riders who frequently ride more undulating, punchy terrain, might drop their post a hundred times per ride. This issue may not pertain to a large percentage of riders, but it is worth noting.

Another item worth discussing is whether this huge amount of drop can force riders into bad habits. There is a population of riders who will creep way into the backseat on difficult sections of trail. In situations where the rider could be sent over the handlebars, shifting weight into the backseat feels safe. Unfortunately, this removes weight from the front wheel and can cause the front wheel to lose traction. A seatpost with this amount of drop enables riders to get really far back where a shorter travel post and higher saddle may force you to be in a more confident position. If you have proper form when getting aggressive while attacking that rowdy chute or rock garden, this won’t be an issue. It could be an important consideration for tentative riders who are still dialing in their descending technique.

Climbing Performance

When it is time to climb, simply hit the dropper lever and the post returns to its highest position. The post has a pretty fast return speed that can be adjusted by altering the seatpost’s air pressure. When the post reaches the top of its stroke or high-point, there is an audible top-out noise that clearly lets you know it is time to sit down. We have ridden just about every popular dropper post on the market, the top-out noise made by the OneUp post is about average.

Speaking of air pressure, the suggested range for the V2 dropper is 250-300 PSI. We checked the pressure every month or so to monitor for any loss of air. We are happy to report the post held a consistent pressure throughout testing.

Grinding uphill is beautifully uneventful. The post didn’t slip or sag into its travel. Instead, it kept us perched in the optimal position to lay down some power. Some riders like to give the lever a little tap and lower the post a little bit when navigating an exposed section of trail or a technical punch. The OneUp V2 makes it easy to drop the post 10-20mm if needed.

Unlike a certain popular hydraulic dropper post, the OneUp V2 was not affected by near or below-freezing temperatures. While some seatposts will experience very slow operation in below-freezing temperatures, the OneUp was not phased. Riders who ride deep into the fall or are considering this post for use on a fat bike can be confident that performance won’t suffer when the mercury drops.

Our 240mm post in the 30.9 diameter weighed 654 grams. The lever weighed another 45 grams. This makes the OneUp V2 post one of the lighter options on the market. While seatpost weight may not carry the same level of importance as wheel or tire weight, many riders do value lightweight components. Given the insane amounts of drop this post offers, it is nice to see that it can retain a low weight.

Things That Could Be Improved

We thought the OneUp V2 240mm was the bee’s knees. Performance was flawless, the price is highly competitive, and this post can unlock extra shred for customers who can fit it.

We are hard pressed to find any significant room for improvement…but we will try. It would be interesting to see if OneUp could find a way to allow for just a hair more travel reduction. As it currently stands, you can reduce travel by 20mm on this post. If there was a way to allow for a 30mm travel reduction, it could inspire more riders to take the leap and try this ultra-long travel dropper. Yes, OneUp already offers this post in a 210mm version, but having room for 30mm of travel reduction on the 240mm post could serve as a bit of an insurance policy. If rider’s measurements were a little off and this post was just a bit too long, they might be able to salvage the purchase by shimming it further.

At first glance, we felt $59.50 was a little spendy for the OneUp dropper lever. After further review, with the constantly rising price of bike components, it is actually less expensive than other popular cable-actuated remotes from PNW components, Wolf Tooth, and FOX.

Long Term Durability

After receiving this seatpost, our biggest concern was how such a long-travel post would hold up to heavy use over a substantial period of time. Would the ultra-long upper post put a ton of torque on the bushings? Logic would suggest that the more travel a seatpost has, the more leverage and force are applied to the bushings.

We are happy to report that we have not seen an ounce of play in our seatpost. Our tester comes in at over 200-pounds with riding gear. Even with that weight rocking and shifting around on the post, everything is still tight and free of play. There is also no sag at the top of the travel.

Our Canfield Lithium test bike has a middle-of-the-road (by modern standards) 76.7-degree seat tube angle. It is possible that a slacker seat tube angle could have transferred a bit more force into the bushings of the post. Popular bikes such as the Specialized Stumpjumper EVO, Santa Cruz Megatower, and Commencal Meta AM / Meta TR all have steeper seat tube angles than our test bike. The Specialized Enduro and Ibis Ripmo are very slightly slacker.

Long-term durability was a key area of concern and we are thrilled to say the OneUp V2 240mm dropper passed with flying colors.

What's The Bottom Line?

The OneUp V2 240mm dropper is the longest dropper post on the market. The gargantuan amount of drop allows for enhanced shredding especially when the trail gets steep and frightening. In addition, riders can enjoy maximum freedom when pumping and jumping down the trail. Perhaps most important, our post survived our six-month testing period without developing an ounce of slop or sag. Sure, this may be a niche product that only a select group of riders can benefit from. Still, it is reassuring to see that the OneUp V2 continues to be the benchmark as it relates to performance, reliability and price point all while pushing the envelope as it pertains to seatpost travel.

Visit OneUp Components for more details.

About The Reviewer

Pat Donahue - Age: 34 // Years Riding MTB: 19 // Height: 6’ 2” (1.88m) // Weight: 197-pounds (89.3.kg)

Pat grew up riding the greasy, root-filled trails of coastal New England. He has been seen on an outrageous amount of bikes from short-travel trail slayers to full-on DH sleds. Since making his way westward, he has spent an unreasonable amount of time grinding up heinous climbs on the hunt for big mountain descents. His love for rough trails paired with his 200+ pound riding weight makes him an excellent tester of durability in MTB products. Pat is an industry veteran and has been working in the bike industry for over a decade. 

We’ve already spent a lot of time on OneUp’s droppers and we know that they deliver awesome performance at a good price point. But these days, more is always better, so to create v2 OneUp went back to the drawing board and added this whopping long 210mm version to their arsenal of slippery sliders. We've had one out on the trails to test, check out the details and our video review below to learn more.

OneUp Components Dropper v2 Highlights

• Lengths:120mm, 150mm, 180mm, 210mm
• 10mm travel adjust shims
• Cable actuation
• User replaceable cartridge ($60 USD)
• Diameter: 30.9mm, 31.6mm, or 34.9mm
• Weight: 698 grams (210mm,31.6mm, including remote and cable, verified)
• Warranty: 2 years
• MSRP: $258 USD including remote

Video Review

The OneUp 210mm dropper post was reviewed in Vital MTB's Gear Show, jump ahead to 6:24 to view it directly (or just sit back and enjoy the whole show!):

What’s rad about OneUp’s droppers? First of all, they’ve proven themselves to be reliable, which is easily the biggest bone of contention many riders have with this particular piece of equipment. Dodgy droppers, no thanks! We’ve collectively paid our dues there. Now OneUp’s droppers also come in a variety of different sizes and lengths, and because they offer possibly the lowest stack height and total post length of any dropper out there, chances are you can squeeze more dropper travel out of a OneUp dropper than anything else.

Not only does OneUp make the v2 dropper in a bunch of sizes – you can also easily adjust the travel of your dropper in 10mm increments. The v1 version used a plastic shim that could be cut to a specific length to achieve this, on the v2 OneUp has moved to a system based on a set of small little brass spacers instead. The 210mm version tested here can be set to 200 or 190 by just unscrewing the collar and sliding in a couple of the aforementioned spacers. As for the remote, it comes with a separate clamp, or it can be attached directly to your brake levers if you run SRAM or Shimano.

On the trail, the action of the OneUp dropper is smooth, quick, and fairly precise. A distinct clunk lets you know your post has reached full extension, but it doesn’t shoot up like a rocket either. The remote is fairly easy to modulate, squeeze it to less than full travel and you can easily fine tune your saddle height. Our only gripe with the remote is that it is positioned a little bit awkwardly. It’s meant to mimic the placement of the smaller shifter lever (from back in the days when we all had front derailleurs, you’ve probably seen one in a museum somewhere). It sits in the right place which is all well and good, until you press it. It then ends up traveling a bit too much forward, leaving you to stretch your thumb to get all of it. Other than that, thanks to the short seat tube of my bike and my long legs, I was able to run the full 210 mm with room to spare. I did actually find it a bit too much, my sweetspot is probably more around 180-190, but that’s what’s so rad about this one – you can shim your way to your own preferred number. And if at some point your dropper should fail, the internal cartridge is user replaceable (for just $60 if outside warranty). All that for just $250 USD, including the remote, makes the OneUp dropper one of our top choices today. We have yet to update our big dropper post Face Off feature to include the OneUp, but when we do, it will clearly challenge for the podium.

For more information, head on over to www.oneupcomponents.com.

About The Reviewer

Johan Hjord - Age: 46 // Years Riding MTB: 14 // Weight: 190-pounds (87-kg) // Height: 6'0" (1.84m)

Johan loves bikes, which strangely doesn’t make him any better at riding them. After many years spent practicing falling off cliffs with his snowboard, he took up mountain biking in 2005. Ever since, he’s mostly been riding bikes with too much suspension travel to cover up his many flaws as a rider. His 200-pound body weight coupled with unique skill for poor line choice and clumsy landings make him an expert on durability - if parts survive Johan, they’re pretty much okay for anybody. Johan rides flat pedals with a riding style that he describes as "none" (when in actuality he rips!). Having found most trail features to be not to his liking, Johan uses much of his spare time building his own. Johan’s other accomplishments include surviving this far and helping keep the Vital Media Machine’s stoke dial firmly on 11.

Photos and video by Johan Hjord