Review: Thomson Elite Dropper Post
Thomson has a legendary reputation for producing the best quality products: precisely milled stems, well-shaped handlebars, and lightweight seatposts fill the portfolio of the time-honored company based in the United States.
Update May 2016: Check out our updated Thomson Elite Covert review
Thomson has now added a dropper seatpost with 125 mm of travel to that list, complete with an extremely confident name, the “Elite Dropper Post.” “Elite” is proudly displayed on the post, and elite is how it looks. The machining and finish of the Thomson post is exemplary, scoring highly with many well-engineered details such as micro-adjustments of saddle angle and clever sealing. The comfortable, compact remote lever impresses with its easy handling and nice design, but gets quite slippery under wet conditions. In addition, a barrel adjuster would have simplified the adjustment of the cable tension.
The construction of the post is a simple and elegant design, built to last and requiring minimal servicing. There is no need to regulate air pressure, and there is no adjustment for the extension speed. Instead, extension speed is regulated by pressure on the lever. However, most riders simply push it all the way down because even at full speed, the post extends smoothly and without a jarring end stop. On the whole, the post impressed us throughout our test. The saddle remains reliably fixed in the desired position and lateral or vertical play is nowhere to be found.
It has to be noted that the cable of the Thomson is mounted to the top of the post and therefore moves with the saddle; thus, careful routing of the cable is required to avoid interference.
Those who swap posts often and want to go without a remote can operate the post via an optional available lever mounted directly below the saddle.
With a price of 399 Euros, the Thomson is definitely no bargain, but you get a very high quality, premium dropper post with reliable functionality that impressed in our ENDURO long-term test.
Go back to the article: “Review: 8 Dropper Seatposts selected for testing”
You can read an in-depth feature about the group test and our conclusions in the actual ENDURO issue #008! As usual it’s free & only digital for iPad, Android-Tablets and Online-Viewer: Issue #008.
Update May 2016: Check out our updated Thomson Elite Covert review
Text: Aaron Steinke Pictures: Fabian Rapp