FIRST LOOK: BikeYoke Revive dropper post
With so many dropper posts on the market, ease of servicing sets the BikeYoke Revive apart.
The market has been flooded with dropper posts over the past year. With most bike manufacturers now creating their own dropper posts, and many brands making sure they have one in their line-up, the range of quality and performance on the market is huge. Overall, this is great, as it means bikes at a lower price point are coming equipped with a dropper post.
The long-term reality of this is there are a whole lot of posts out there which get stuck down, rattle all over the place, need frequent service, and they just detract from the riding experience. Even posts from leading brands can be a little hit and miss, requiring attention out of the box to work at their best. One of the dramas of servicing some dropper posts, especially if you need to send them away, is how embedded the internally routed models end up in your bike. You may well be removing your bottom bracket and even fork to get access to the hose or cable outer for fitting. Some bikes are easier than others – and some are nightmares.
The BikeYoke Revive dropper post
Enter BikeYoke with the Revive dropper post. While it won't solve any routing issues and design of your frame, their design does aim to solve reliability issues. More on that below. We first spotted one when we took a look at Jared Graves' Specialized Stumpjumper ahead of the EWS round in Derby.
BikeYoke Revive Posts are now imported into Australia by GTG Imports, along with a few other choice brands. The post comes delivered in a nice cardboard tube befitting some aged whiskey or a fine red wine. Instead it's just a dropper post – but then, it's not any old dropper post.
The lower section of the post has a great finish, not disimilar to a Thomson seat post. It's even got a guide on there for how much cable to leave exposed for the cable-actuated hydraulic post.
All this looks pretty standard. Cable-actuated hydraulic posts are the most common on the market. But where the Revive shines is inside. BikeYoke have removed the IFP (Internal Floating Piston), sort of in the same way that Trek have with their RE:aktiv Thru-Shaft shocks. It eliminates lag for actuation, but most importantly it removes a seal that can (and does) blow, meaning your post needs to be sent off for servicing.
The Revive also has a reset switch. Or port. Well it's a 4mm hex head that lets you release air from the system and lets you reset the hydraulic system when you open it and compress the post. In this way, you should be able to keep the post running with no major maintenance. That's pretty much unheard of for dropper posts.
Fitting the BikeYoke Revive Dropper post
We were sent the 125mm drop model in 30.9mm, with the iSpec lever mountaing. There are also 160mm drop models and sizing for 31.6mm posts. You can get post lengths of 365mm and 435mm. Plus you can use a standard bar mount. Pricing starts at $414.95 from Mountain BIkes Direct.
Fitting is much like any other dropper. Thread the housing through your frame, read the instructions to get the length right. Read them again to make sure you don't cut the outer too short, then fit it all up.
The lever assembly was super simple to mount, and has a really easy action. What's nice is the iSpec mount can be moved inboard and outboard via two bolt holes, but also around the bar – unlike an iSpec shifter, helping you get the right position.
All in all – setup was a cinch. The cable actuation was spot on from fitting as recommended, and the post's return is crisp, the drop is infinitely adjustable, and there is zero side to side play. All this means it works exactlyu as you want it to – every ride.
Check out our review on how the post performs in our next issue, out late August. If you want to make sure one lands in your letterbox, and you want to save some cash – why not subscribe?
