Interesting…the inverted design is smart for gravel.
Just needed to add a suspension element. 
Yeah, I thought immediately about the suspension option as well. Sure would be nice to offer the double-duty device like that to justify it a tad more.
Agreed on the inversion working well for the small 27.2mm default size. May not matter in ways here with such a short drop, but it should be more structurally stable compared to the 27.2mm designs that are traditional with the smaller tube at the top.
Looks really clean overall and the ability to tune final length shorter is also a nice option. We’ve seen some options like this on the MTB side in the past, but they are more limited in scope. This makes far more sense in a drop bar application, and I suspect we may see other companies take this approach too.
Definitely…I would absolutely use this feature and hack off a decent chunk of the post.
How long until folks start sticking these lighter droppers on their road bikes?
I have a Sram AXS XPLR 75mm dropper on my gravel bike and use it all the time (don’t mind the weight penalty there).
Maybe it’s because I’m almost as tall as @Nate_Pearson but every bike is better with a dropper!
I gotta figure out a way to make this work with Di2…
I could almost see Archer Components taking the step of making a dropper actuator similar to their electronic conversion for mechanical derailleurs. Same concept and might be possible to squeeze into the seat post for at least some common frames and such.
Wouldn’t be direct Di2 integration, but could be electronic to avoid cable routing issues and would give more options for control buttons.
That would be a game changer for Shimano. With my AXS post, I can control it wirelessly with my shifters. If I decide I want to save some weight, I can swap out the post in less tham a minute.
I moreso meant that I need to find somewhere other than the seatpost to hold the battery. I’m good with mechanical actuation. Although If Shimano/PRO made a Di2 dropper with a built in battery, I’d buy it in a heart beat for a ridiculous price!
I don’t know why you couldn’t, that’s exactly what the lever is made for.
Ah, yes… that is an issue for many Shimano setups.
Oh, does the shimano lever have a way to clamp the cable? I use a SRAM left shifter, which requires the cable end to be at the shifter rather than the post. I assumed shimano was the same.
Still waiting on the dream dropper for my cyclocross bike (cable clamp at the dropper end, setback saddle clamp, and suspension).
- No, and it’s not necessary with this dropper.
- There is a cable clamp (circled in red) that clamps the pure-cable end of the cable. This is a common option with a variety of droppers. As such, it should work fine with the “roadie shift lever” style dropper actuator setup.
Edit: see Chad’s post below, looks like the needed part is included so it should work out of the box.
I just read the instructions. Looks like the “cable clamp” you circled doesn’t clamp the cable the way a KS cable clamp does. Instead it just fits over the cable end in order to enlarge it, the way OneUp/PNW do it for example.
So my read is no, this won’t work out of the box with a mechanical left shifter. You could probably hack it with the KS clamp though—might have to file it down a bit to fit (I did this with a OneUp post on my gravel bike).
Ah, OK. I was assuming the set screw was on the underside. I’d have to check sizing, but wonder if a typical clamp would work in that situation?
Pretty sure it would. Enve leaves the sides open where their “clamp” is so width doesn’t matter.
Just found this in their instructions:
Need to dig more, but maybe comes with both styles. The rest of the instructions assume the “converter” end in use, not the set screw version. So, not clear really.
Nice find! Missed that.