Kind Shock’s long-awaited LEV seatpost will go on sale next week for US$395/£324.99. The main feature of the new dropper post is that the cable for its remote lever runs from the seat collar, not the seatpost head. The exit point can also be rotated 360° to suit different frames. This means no more leg rubbing or tire buzzing when operating the post.
The air-sprung LEV has already enjoyed success on the World Cup circuit, with Brian Lopes riding a prototype version to victory at the opening round of the UCI’s new XC Eliminator series. It comes in 30.9mm and 31.6mm diameters, with 75mm, 100mm, 125mm or 150mm of infinitely adjustable (within that range) travel.
The post uses a one-way roller bearing with a clutch-style lock to achieve its infinite adjustability; this design also promises to keep the post slop-free. KS will also offer a 27.2mm version with 100mm of travel, along with an OE (ie. only available to bike manufacturers) LEV with RockShox Reverb Stealth style internal cable routing.
Moving the remote cable input allowed KS to redesign the post’s saddle clamp. The LEV sports a new two-bolt, micro-adjust head that's both stronger and offers greater ease and precision of adjustment than the previous KS design. The remote lever is a slick little uni-directional carbon fiber number with a clamp that integrates with ODI lock-on grips. Claimed weights start at 430g for the 75mm post and average out at 500-570g with remotes.
The LEV’s slick fixed-position remote input rotates 360° and fully seals to the elements