Shimano Koryak dropper post
The Shimano Koryak post is a 120mm travel cable actuated post from Shimano’s PRO division.
What is it?
Weighing in at 520g for the complete system including lever and cables, the Koryak is a 120mm dropper post. It is cable actuated for simplicity, reliability and easy installation. It is available in 30.9- or 31.6mm diameter options, with an ‘infinite’ or non-indexed selection of height positions.
The stack height of the post above the seat collar is not too tall thus allowing proper fit with many riders on a variety of frames.
The smooth downward movement and quick, responsive upwards rebound of the post is provided by a replaceable air cartridge. We do not know at this time if the air pressure is adjustable or if the rebound speed of the post is damped or can be controlled by the lever actuation.
Two levers are available, an over the bar lever and this under bar lever in the photo. It features excellent machining and integration with Shimano brake levers.
Shimano’s OPTISLICK cables offer optimum performance in the face adverse conditions. The cable can be easily detached at the seatpost end for easier installation and servicing.
Two lever options are available, a regular up/down lever which can be mounted on the left or right of the bars in conjunction with left and right shifters. Or more ideally, a Firebolt-style lever (compatible with Shimano I-Spec II) for those running 1×11 or a DI2 Syncro shift 2x drivetrain with only one right-hand shifter.
The head is a no-offset, low profile, one bolt unit that uses friction to lock the saddle angle in position.
What we think
We have waited a long time for Shimano to come offer a dropper post. This is lucrative market with opportunity as there is no perfect solution so far. This year, many promising products have been introduced that offer better performance and value than previous efforts. We’ve long dreamed of a world where we can buy an XT dropper post and expect robust performance. Or even better is an SLX dropper that’s affordable so we can put one on every bike in the stable.
This one is not quite what we expected, coming in under the PRO division of Shimano. But we’ve used a few PRO products and have been pleased so far. The integration between the levers and handlebar real estate look promising.
The cable receiver uses a normal entry with the removable end on the dropper side. This allows easy release and installation of the post.
A one-bolt head is less than ideal for us because it relies on friction to hold the horizontal position of the saddle in place. It either slips on hard impacts or gets frozen in place during adjustments. 120mm is barely sufficient these days too as 150mm drop lengths are becoming the norm.
But we hope this is the start of Shimano’s continued participation in the category as more droppers from them are introduced. We also hope the price (not yet announced) is attractive and aggressively positioned.
For more information visit bike.shimano.com.
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