The  Brand X Ascend 150mm Dropper post is an internally routed post that is a bargain buy and one that works well as long as you look after it. It has a long overall length though so might not fit in all bikes.

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Brand X is a Chain Reaction Cycles brand with an array of dropper post options from a 27.2mm, 105mm drop that is externally routed to 170mm internally routed droppers. Each post is infinitely adjustable and comes with a pretty ergonomic shifter style paddle too. There is a lack of adjustment as to where this can be positioned other than by moving the clamp though. 

Installing the post is an easy affair, everything you need, plus instructions are in the box. The cable is routed from the lever and inserted in the bottom of the post so you could upgrade and use an aftermarket lever if you wanted to. Once installed the post action is pretty smooth, it doesn't return that quickly though but it is fast enough. I did find the action got slower as the post was used more in dirty, muddy conditions.

You’ll soon know if you need a new cable or need to give your post a little TLC as the post will return slowly and also won’t return to full height leaving you to pull it up the last bit. Conversely, my long term test post has behaved pretty well with just one outer and inner cable change in about 4 months but I’ve ridden a couple of test bikes with the same post and these have not returned to full height a few rides in. My advice is to keep the post clean and well lubed and change the cables at the first sign of trouble, swapping out the supplied cable to another better quality one helps too. 

The only other thing you will have to think about is the overall length of the post – it’s long, at 480mm, meaning that if you have a kink in your seat tube or a smaller bike frame then this post might not insert far enough in the frame for you. I was on the edge with the seat tube on my Cotic Rocket, the post and I were only just compatible when fully extended. Our Jon wrote a handy guide about how to figure out what length dropper post you need, you can check that out here. At 610g it's not the lightest post but at this price, it would seem churlish to complain about 100g or so. 

Do that and you will have a bargain post that will give a lot of bang for your buck. It’s not the most refined but you can improve things by swapping to an aftermarket lever for better feel. And the cherry on the cake is that it's less than £120 on CRC at the moment (at time of publishing) so if you are looking for a cheap upgrade or a dropper for a second bike then the Ascend will do the job in hand for less than its rivals.

• www.chainreactioncycles.co.uk

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