The Lab: Manitou Jack Dropper Seatpost in review
In the “The Lab” we present the latest products and put them through their paces for you. Some undergo long-term tests, while we check others out only briefly. This time we reveal how the Manitou Jack dropper seatpost fared.
Constant up and down. The Manitou Jack still works like on the first day and never let us down.
Up and down – it’s the daily routine of a dropper post. Luckily the era of crappy droppers is over. And like many other droppers, the Manitou Jack does a pretty good job. It locks the saddle into place in all positions, has virtually no play and stays firm even when you pull on it. This means you can safely hang your bike from the (lowered) saddle onto the bike-park lift. The Jack is available with either 125 mm or 150 mm of drop. Our tester Felix run the 150 mm version on his test bike — this has a total length of about 480 mm. The post is relatively long and you might struggle to push it all the way in with some frame designs. This is something riders with short legs might want to double-check before buying the Jack.
The remote sits at the top of the handlebars which means you have to stretch and twist your thumb to operate it. You can install the remote right next to the left or the right grip and the clamp is compatible with 2x shifters. After some time our tester Felix changed to a FOX Transfer-Remote which sits on the bottom left-hand side of the bars. The mechanical cable control of the Manitou Jack makes it compatible with many remote models. The most important requirement is the cable clamp on the remote and not the one on the dropper-body. This makes the installation process of the € 340 seatpost easier as the length of the tension cable can be adjusted from the remote-side on the handlebar. After three months of constant use, the sealed cartridge-system of the Manitou Jack still works smoothly and never let Felix down during this time.
Conclusion
The Manitou Jack does its job discreetly — and that’s a good thing. The attractive price makes it an ideal retrofitting-option for frames with older droppers or normal seat posts. The only drawback? The remote — but Manitou has promised they’re already working on it.
Strenghts
– Price
– Doesn’t move even when pulling
– Low maintenance
Weaknesses
– Ergonomic remote
– Extension speed not adjustable
Tester Felix
Duration 3 months
More info manitoumtb.com
Weight 599 g
Price € 340