OneUp Dropper Post

Dozer

Heavy machinery.
Staff member
Well my 170 One Up dropper is going back to the awesome folk at MTB Direct for warranty.
A couple of issues.
My 170 only measured out to about 165ish mm. No biggie.
It was always a bit rough. Slick honey helped that somewhat. Again no biggie.
I never really really liked the cable connection at the post where the outer activates the mechanism. It seemed to snag on my frame routing occasionally and would start sagging and I’d have to stop trailside and fiddle with it. Closer to a biggie.
But the biggest issue was that i couldn’t do the seat clamp up tight enough to stop the post moving around without it binding. So I ended up riding around with a lose seatpost hoping it would improve. It didn’t. Definitely a biggie!
Apparently there was a batch that were extremely susceptible to clamp pressure.

So I’ve been offered a new replacement One Up post or credit toward a different brand. Still in two minds as the price is so damn good and just hoping I got a lemon that was built on a Friday arvo.
Or wether I should splash out an extra $200 for a 185 Revive.
Decisions.

But seriously the good folk at MTB are so easy to deal with. I’ve had a couple of warranties for various things and they never give you a hard time.
I rarely even look elsewhere now when buying gear.
Great to hear the support you're getting from Mountain Bikes Direct, thats first class! Bummed that your post is giving you grief but it does sound you won't have much luck with a new OneUp as the things you're describing aren't exactly the fault of the design. It's also perhaps a problem that your routing may present the same issue with another post?
 

creaky

XMAS Plumper
Great to hear the support you're getting from Mountain Bikes Direct, thats first class! Bummed that your post is giving you grief but it does sound you won't have much luck with a new OneUp as the things you're describing aren't exactly the fault of the design. It's also perhaps a problem that your routing may present the same issue with another post?
I've not seen one of these posts in the wild but ....

I can't imagine that seatpost clamp pressure required differs much between frames (unless the post OD was undersized). Thus that issue is not likely to be frame specific.

Further, the issue stated with the cable routing actuation would be specific to the 'different' outer actuation design of this post and less/not an issue for a normal inner actuated mechanism?
 

Isildur

The Real Pedant
Or wether I should splash out an extra $200 for a 185 Revive.
Decisions.
Well, I don't have any long term experience with the Revive 185mm (only about a month on my new Ripmo), but I can say it's the nicest post I've ever had the pleasure of squishing. The lever and cable feel is really nice, the post actuation is he smoothest I've felt and the Revive feature sounds great, so far I haven't had to use it though.
 

gippyz

Likes Dirt
I have 2 One Up (150mm and 170mm). The 170mm i have is flawless. I would go as far as saying it's almost as good as the BikeYoke except that the BikeYoke requires lighter action to actuate (oh I like the reset thingy as well, so handy to have).
The 150mm one has had issues. It requires more force to drop down, won't fully extend (last 10% is not always obtained), and the pressure seems to drop all the time. Might have been a very slow leak in the seal - won't know until i take it all apart.
Tbh, if I can spare the extra cash, I would go BikeYoke (yes I have one). However, don't have much to complain about the One Up given the price tag :p
 

Nambra

Definitely should have gone to specsavers
Totally agree with you @gippyz. Already had a BikeYoke and took a chance on a OneUp 170mm to save some coin and have no regrets, but if money were no object it would be the BikeYoke for sure. The BikeYoke is just that much smoother. I have the OneUp set up with a BikeYoke lever and you can definitely feel the difference - it takes more effort to operate the OneUp post. It is new though, so I’m going to give it some time and see if it loosens up a bit. I’m wondering too, if dropping the air pressure to the minimum level will make it a bit easier to operate.
 

Tim_the_Clyde

Likes Dirt
Had my one up slow down. 2min to lube the bushing and seal with Sram butter. Better than new and didn’t need to use a tool.

Take that reverb....


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

EsPeGe

Likes Bikes and Dirt
But the biggest issue was that i couldn’t do the seat clamp up tight enough to stop the post moving around without it binding. So I ended up riding around with a lose seatpost hoping it would improve. It didn’t. Definitely a biggie!
Apparently there was a batch that were extremely susceptible to clamp pressure.
Out of curiosity are you using any type of carbon paste or similar? Even if you don't have a carbon frame the stuff is really good for things like this. I use bugger all clamp pressure on my bikes when I use the paste. I can recommend the MucOff one, it holds really well and it smells so good you could eat it.

I've got the 150mm OneUp dropper and it's awesome. Easiest dropper I've ever installed. Returns so fast I'm worried about my nuts though.
 

Jpez

Down on the left!
Out of curiosity are you using any type of carbon paste or similar? Even if you don't have a carbon frame the stuff is really good for things like this. I use bugger all clamp pressure on my bikes when I use the paste. I can recommend the MucOff one, it holds really well and it smells so good you could eat it.

I've got the 150mm OneUp dropper and it's awesome. Easiest dropper I've ever installed. Returns so fast I'm worried about my nuts though.
Yeah sure do. Shimano brand I think. Never noticed if it’s smells fantastic or not though.
No there’s definitely a fault. Literally a bees dick turn of the Allen key to tighten the seat clamp will bind it up.
I think peoples experience of how easy this dropper is or isn’t to install might have a lot to do with their frame and routing.
My frame has some tight bends and tight entry into the frame so it’s easy to mess with the actuator if you move the post up and down.
Once I worked out what was going on it was fine but initially I didn’t consider it easy to install for that reason.
 

Stredda

Runs naked through virgin scrub
My 150mm travel post is still going fine so I'm happy with my purchase and MTB Direct were great with the sticking issues with the first one.
 

Nambra

Definitely should have gone to specsavers
Yeah sure do. Shimano brand I think. Never noticed if it’s smells fantastic or not though.
No there’s definitely a fault. Literally a bees dick turn of the Allen key to tighten the seat clamp will bind it up.
I think peoples experience of how easy this dropper is or isn’t to install might have a lot to do with their frame and routing.
My frame has some tight bends and tight entry into the frame so it’s easy to mess with the actuator if you move the post up and down.
Once I worked out what was going on it was fine but initially I didn’t consider it easy to install for that reason.
I saw recently that BikeYoke has come up with the Squeezy collarless seat post clamp, which is supposed to reduce uneven clamping caused by the top collar and might prevent sensitive dropper posts from binding. Sounds good in theory, but could be just another solution to a problem that doesn't really exist?
 

Jpez

Down on the left!
In essence, this is what makes all mechanical jobs easy.

I'm surprised to hear the Megatrail was tricky, I thought the cable port jumped into the seatpost where it had straightened out, which usually just makes it a "push it in until it pops out the top" affair.

Seat tubes with kinks in them make baby jesus cry.
Yes true. But some designs are better than others and the outer cable moving the actuator is not good design in my eyes. Too many variables can bring it unstuck.
I found both the dreaded Reverb(bar bleeding the fucker) and Ks Lev less of a fiddle to install

Your right the GG frame isn’t that bad really. It’s just the grommet is as tight as so that’s the issue for me.
Suppose I just prefer the Ks Lev style of actuator.

But In Saying that I’m getting another one. Just can’t go past the price and besides the average actuator design its a pretty decent post and reportedly mine was a bad batch.

And yep MTB Direct are absolutely awesome dealing with this. Got nothing but good stuff to say about those guys. They now get 9 out 10 purchases now days.
 

Jpez

Down on the left!
I saw recently that BikeYoke has come up with the Squeezy collarless seat post clamp, which is supposed to reduce uneven clamping caused by the top collar and might prevent sensitive dropper posts from binding. Sounds good in theory, but could be just another solution to a problem that doesn't really exist?
Yep saw that and considered it for about two seconds, then said fuck that they should be able to make a dropper that doesn’t bind!
 

hifiandmtb

Sphincter beanie
I didn't realise the outer moved with the design, that doesn't seem right though!
Yeah, does - bit shit.

From here:

I appreciate all the responses. Folks are totally right, this post requires housing to be able to move freely to work. The inner cable is stationary at the post attachment, and the housing needs to be able to move towards the post when the remote lever is pressed. This design seems to be so absurd to me so I double-checked and still can't believe it.
In my case, the post is inserted all the way and, despite 460mm seat tube, there is little space between the cable attachment at the post end and the hole where cable enters the seat tube. Making it worse, the hole is pretty right and has some short tube guide inside with somewhat sharp edges. And the cable bend radius is tight, too. And then it enters the down tube with a similarly tight cable hole. So when I install the post and need to push it down into the seat tube, I have to pull the housing out at the bottom or it won't move. Now the housing needs to move freely for some 7mm or more for post to work. It actually drags the housing through holes and the housing does not return back all the way. I was able to pull it down by hand and it eliminated the play in the remote completely. I assume the post will stop extending by itself. But as soon as I operated remote once, it started again.
Some frames suck for the One Up. Others are fine.

Kinda pot luck. The only One Up I've played with is on my mate's Ripmo - works fine there.
 
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creaky

XMAS Plumper
Poor design as it relies upon frame design, which they don’t control, to work reliably. Surely it wouldn’t have been hard to actuate like 90% of the other manufacturers? Or is there something about the one up post that make inner-actuation unviable ?
 

Isildur

The Real Pedant
Kinda pot luck. The only One Up I've played with is on my mate's Ripmo - works fine there.
Funnily enough this was exactly the reason I went with a Bike Yoke vs One Up on my Ripmo. With moulded cable routing (not ported like my previous HD3 and Pivots), I could envisage over time that movement, combined with the super rad Sydney sand, causing unnecessary wear on the frame at the 3 points where the dropper cable routes in the frame.

So far 2 months into the Bike Yoke and no dramas at all. Nicest post I've used. Although, I was I guess one of those anomalies who had never had a problem with any of the Reverbs I've owned or looked after - 2 on my bikes and 2 on the wifey's bike :)
 
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