With its Range dropper post, PNW Components set out to create an affordable dropper that lives up to modern standards. As such, it provides plenty of travel at a price that’s incredibly tough to ignore. In fact, there’s little to grumble about apart from its weight, but even then, its reliability places it among the best dropper posts on the market.
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PNW Components Range dropper post - Technical details
The Range dropper post is directed as an upgrade from solid seat posts or an upgrade that won’t break the bank. It revolves around simplicity, reliability and ease of installation.
To hit that simplicity goal, it employs a sealed air cartridge so that the user can’t adjust the return speed but the payoff is in its ease of replacement, which PNW states you can do at home. However, the brand does provide servicing should that be preferable.
Speaking of adjustability or lack thereof, the Range doesn’t feature the travel adjustment of the Loam dropper, but few at this price point do.
On offer are eight sizes with options of 30.9 and 31.6 diameters and 125, 150, 175 and 200mm travel. It’s available for internal cable routing only and a lever and cables aren’t included in the price. However, the brand offers a bundle that gets you everything you need, including the dropper, cable inner and outer, and a lever for less than £200.
Boosting value is PNW’s lifetime warranty.
PNW claims that this post in the 30.9mm diameter and 200mm drop weighs in at 642g. I weighed it at 646g but I’m not going to get upset about four grams – it’s certainly no featherweight.
As for measurements, this post comes with a 316mm full insertion length and a 249mm measurement between the saddle clamp to the dropper’s collar. It’s not the shortest dropper but is on par with most on the market.
PNW Components Ranger dropper post - Performance
Another one of the strap lines behind the Range dropper is easy to install. Get the cables routed; hook one end up to the dropper and the other to your chosen remote. For my time with the Range, I combined it with the Range lever – essentially a paired-down version of the Loam Level Gen 2.
The dropper post works incredibly well. There are no bells and whistles, so there’s not much that can be said other than it’s smooth and impressively reliable.
I’ve ridden this post throughout the summer, since a little before its launch and it’s not missed a beat. It’s smooth and prompt in operation, responding to lever inputs quickly and raising the saddle at a good speed.
Its action is smooth, too. It’s not quite as luscious as spendier droppers, but that can be forgiven, given its price point. Because it’s a sealed air cartridge, there is some progression when compressing or lowering the saddle, but for someone of my weight (95kg), it’s minimal. However, it might be an issue if you’re on the slimmer side.
However, the smoothness exhibited hasn’t changed throughout the test period, regardless of the weather. But if it does, the collar can be unscrewed, allowing for a mini-service where users can clean under the main seal and lubricate if necessary. As for the full service, PNW has a handy video guide on YouTube and it can be done with tools you’ll likely have lying around at home. After having a go myself, it’s as delightfully simple as the post itself. PNW also provides spares and the brand asks those on the hunt to get in touch to get the correct parts. My post showed no signs of wear, just a little mud around the actuator.
The cartridge is completely sealed and isn't designed to be taken apart. This means good things for overall longevity and, if something does fail, it'll be covered by the lifetime warranty unless caused by user error. In this case, PNW sells replacements.
The lever gets everything you’d expect of PNW but loses the bearing and uses a forged aluminium body. Importantly, its shape is spacious and hard to miss, and there’s the characteristic rubber pad, which makes it super comfy to use.
In terms of build quality, there’s very little to suggest that it’s a budget dropper. It looks great and feels equally as good. It’s not up there with posts four times its price, but, that said, PNW has done a fantastic job here.
PNW Components Range dropper post - Verdict
As it stands, few performance dropper posts come close to the price of the Range but there is one, the Brand-X Ascend. It’ll set you back £170 but you get both the dropper and a lever, though the lever isn’t as high quality as the Range’s. While friendlier on the wallet and lighter at 550g, it doesn’t pack as much drop as PNW’s offering.
Giant’s Contact Switch dropper post poses some competition at £135 with an over-the-bar lever but it doesn’t come close in terms of travel.
There’s then the KS e20i that comes in at £160 but like others, it doesn’t have a 200mm travel option.
The PNW Components Range dropper post is for those who aren’t fussed over bling but appreciate simplicity and reliability over weight. If it’s travel, ease of service and top build quality you’re looking for, you can't go wrong with this model.
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