Enve drops into the dropper game
Enve drops into the dropper game
Dropper seatposts have quickly become an almost-must-have item in mountain biking, and they’re starting to make ground in gravel, too.
Such growing interest in dropper posts on gravel bikes has seen the likes of RockShox and Fox (sold under Easton branding) produce short-travel gravel-specific models, and now the trend is only made clearer with Enve entering the space with its high-end upside-down G Series gravel-specific dropper that provides just 40 mm of travel.
Upside-down
At first glance, the new Enve dropper is a close match to DT Swiss’s 232 One dropper which features a fixed lower section with a carbon composite topper that telescopes up and down. Designed for dropbar riding, Enve’s approach is centred around a single 27.2 mm seatpost diameter and a shorter 40 mm drop whereas many of its direct competitors sit between 50-70 mm.
The upside-down design allows for a super short stack height (140 mm minimum) that should work well with frames that leave only a little exposed post. The G-Series dropper offers a 350 mm total length and can be trimmed down to just 220 mm, something that knocks about 50 grams off the starting weight.
At 395 g the G-Series dropper is beaten in weight by the Fox Transfer SL and DT Swiss 232 One, both of which offer an increased amount of drop but surprisingly also cost more than the G-Series’s US$325 asking price, too.
The low stack height sees Enve move to a simpler and well-proven two-bolt clamp design. Those needing a 30.9 or 31.6 mm seatpost should be pleased to hear that the 27.2 mm post includes shims for such frames. The post is for use with internal cable routing only.
Similar to some other popular designs, such as the OneUp dropper, Enve has chosen to use a sealed cartridge for the infinite travel control of the post (travel can be set at any height within the 40 mm range). Such cartridges are impressively reliable these days, and complete failures often only call for a new cartridge rather than a detailed service. Enve will offer full service and rebuild kits, with all repairs achievable without speciality tools.
The post carries Enve’s five-year warranty.
A new lever
In addition to the dropper is Enve’s new G-Series dropper lever (US$65), a 35 g item that’s sold separately from the seatpost.
This dropbar-specific lever offers a dual-direction push and pull design that can be used from the hoods and the drops. The lever is also canted and textured for what Enve claims to be improved function and ergonomics.
Enve’s dropper post can be used with the vast majority of aftermarket levers on the market, and Enve’s lever can be used with most other cable-actuated dropper posts.
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