DT Swiss has launched its 232 series of cross-country mountain bike components, which includes a brand new fork, rear shock and, most interestingly, a funky inverted dropper post with a class-leading low weight of just 369g (claimed).
DT Swiss D 232 One inverted dropper seatpost
The key product in DT’s new 232 range is the D 232 One inverted dropper post. The headline spec of the dropper is its – in the context of dropper posts – feathery weight.
Weighing a claimed 369g, the D 232 One is lighter than most mainstream droppers on the market.
For context, the BikeYoke Divine SL weighs a claimed 385g and the Vecnum Nivo comes in 10g heavier. The latest generation wireless RockShox Reverb AXS weighs 650g.
As far as we’re aware, only the FRM OBI1 (which is very similar in design to the D 232 One) is lighter, weighing a claimed 295g.
The press release is quite vague, but it appears the position of the mechanically-actuated seatpost is controlled solely by a large spring. There are no fussy pressurised internals, which should boost reliability, and reduces weight too.
The upper portion of the seatpost slides on a plastic bushing. A series of ball bearings contained in a cage on the top of the spring — known as a thrust bearing — allow it to rotate as it compresses, reducing friction.
The post offers up to 60mm of travel in three steps. This isn’t a huge amount but should be enough to tuck the saddle away during the rigours of XC racing.
The seatpost also boasts tool-free maintenance.
Again, it’s a little unclear from the press pack, but to service the dropper, it appears you only need to unscrew a large lockring to access its guts.
The internals can then be cleaned and regreased in a process that, according to DT, should take less than five minutes. All of this can be done without removing the post from the frameset.
Fitting the post in the first place should also be a fairly painless affair because the cable clamp is located at the lever end.
The dropper is only available in an internally-routed layout and comes in 27.2–, 30.9–, and 31.6mm diameters.
While options have existed on the fringe of the market for some time now, given that DT – a huge brand that is unlikely to invest R&D budget in a passing fad – has thrown its hat into the ring suggests there is a real appetite for lightweight droppers in the XC racing world.
DT Swiss 232 One inverted cross-country dropper seatpost key specs
- 60mm travel
- 27.–, 30.9– and 31.6mm diameters available (31.6mm uses a shim).
- 369g claimed weight (30.9mm version, post only)
- Internal routing only
- Tool-free servicing
- 0mm offset
- Carbon head
- £435 / €499 / $566
DT Swiss F 232 One XC fork
DT Swiss has also launched the F 232, a short-travel XC fork that shares much of the tech seen in the D 535 trail fork that launched last year.
The F 232 has a claimed weight of 1,480g and offers between 100– and 120mm–travel. The fork is only available for 29er wheels.
It is built around DT Swiss’s three-position Incontrol damper. This offers the three usual compression modes: fully-open, trail (or ‘drive’ as DT dubs it) and fully locked out. A remote lockout lever is available.
The F 232’s dual air chamber damper includes a bypass that ensures the pressure in the negative chamber is higher than the positive. This reduces breakaway force, in theory making for a more supple fork.
The fork’s spring curve is said to be tailored specifically for XC riding. The fork’s progression rate can also be altered by adding or removing up to three volume spacers.
The F 232 also utilises the brand’s “Topology Optimisation” technology. This is essentially a really fancy way of saying that the casting for the lowers removes material in certain areas to reduce weight.
In the press material accompanying the launch of the forks, DT Swiss has made a real song and dance about the fork’s supposedly class-leading stiffness-to-weight ratio.
It’s worth pointing out that, in the graph illustrating the fork’s torsional- and “bending”-stiffness to weight ratios, DT Swiss has not identified which forks the F 232 was tested against.
Likewise, it has not actually quantified these characteristics, so these graphs should be taken with a very large pinch of salt.
DT Swiss F 232 One fork key specs
- 100–, 110– and 120mm travel
- 1,480g claimed weight (not including axle)
- 32mm stanchions
- 51mm offset
- £875 / €999 / $1,135 (including remote), £850 / €979 / $1,113 (excluding remote)
DT Swiss R 232 One rear shock
DT Swiss has also launched a new rear shock, rounding out its new 232 range.
The R 232 is said to have been tuned specifically with XC riding in mind, with a similar dual air chamber and bypass as seen on the F 232 fork.
By closing or opening the high- and low-speed compression channels, the shock allows you to switch between the usual three compression modes – again, open, “drive” and fully locked out.
A standard and remote lockout version of the shock are available.
DT Swiss R 232 One rear shock key specs
- Trunnion mount availability:
- 165x40mm
- 165x45mm
- 185x50mm
- 185x55mm
- Standard mount availability:
- 190x40mm
- 190x45mm
- 210x50mm
- 210x55mm
- Claimed 230g for standard mount (190x45mm), 300g for trunnion mount (165x45mm)
- Adjustable low-speed rebound
- €406 / $463 (standard version), €429 / $486 (remote version). UK pricing is not available.
