PNW Components Cascade Dropper Post, 125/150/170mm Travel, External Routing

Excellent dropper for those with an older frame that lacks internal routing. Great functionality, easy to install, relatively lightweight, and very affordable. Plus, PNW provides great customer service. I have PNW droppers on my full-suspension and hardtail MTBs.Only nitpick is the levers are way overpriced in contrast to the actual dropper. Guess they gotta make their money somehow. Even so, this dropper should work with most any mechanical lever and 1.2mm shifter cable.

10/26/2018 Review:PNW Components. Never heard of this company before and I found out that BrandX, Tranzx, RaceFace Aeffect and other brands are from the same manufacturer and are cheaper by $50 compare to PNW. I knew this before I bought my dropper post but I invested that $50 since I've been reading about PNW's outstanding customer service compare to others. I hope I'll never have to reach out to them for warranty but only time will tell. So far the dropper has been PERFECT.I've been an active MTB/cyclist since 2003 and have had Gravity Dropper since 2010. I also have other dropper post such as (1) KS and (2) Specialized but I have at least (5) Gravity Dropper (Turbo, Descender, Classic). I initially wanted to buy the Fox Transfer but read a couple of reviews who had both FOX and PNW and they gave the edge to PNW. That's what got me sold.The dropper is very easy to install. Took me 15 minutes, not rushing. Ran the cable under top tube, on top of rear shock (Blur TRC) and used WolfTooth Remote. The remote is very easy to push. You can use your pinky to push the lever and there's not steps,stops or grainy feel to the lever unlike the GD. There's also no play. I didn't install the OE lever because I didn't like the up/down motion. I like the push-in motion like the shifters. The dropper itself is very solid, almost no play to the touch. It does require pressure to push on the saddle when you want to drop and there's also delay when you want the post fully extended. So if you're racing, this is noticeable but for leisure rides or Strava runs, it's ok.Doesn't slip down.No side to side play (well there is but maybe .5mm L/R)Easy to installEasy to push on the lever (pinky push)Not to mention it's $199 shipped!!12/20/2018 Review:PNW CascadeI bought the 125mm travel since my Gravity Dropper Turbo was maxed out at 100mm drop. The PNW Cascade has a low provide design compare to the Gravity Dropper Turbo which enables me to squeeze in an extra 25mm of travel.I like how the Cascade goes up and down smoothly with a consistent feel to it. It also doesn't move side to side when you're sitting and pedaling, although you can feel the side-to-side movement when held by hand but not much. Maybe 1mm side to side play unlike my 2019 Command Post IIRC. That post has 3mm side to side play and that's right out of the box! The Cascade is externally routed. I needed this for my bike that doesn't have internal routing, 2013 Santa Cruz Blur TRC. I replaced the remote with a mini-wolftooth lever, not the "light-action" version but the smaller version. Even though there isn't much leverage with the remote, the tension is very minimal. To be honest, there's almost no tension. It is very light to push unlike any other lever out there, and it's not coming from the lever! It's from the Dropper itself. I know because I also tried the stock lever and it feels the same as the wolftooth. You can push it with your pinky with ease! Dropping it, you just sit on it but it won't slam you all the way down. As a matter of fact, you may need to do a second butt bump to push the post to its lowest position. This only happens after few rides but eventually it'll go away. This is from your muscle memory and not from the Dropper since most of the Dropper post in the market are easy to push down and this one has a progressive feel to it. On the way up, its slow. Probably the slowest of all Dropper Post and this can't be adjusted. If I stand up and hit the lever, there is a delay before the saddle would reach the full extended travel. On any other Dropper, when I stand up, the saddle is right there following me as I reach the top. The Cascade has a slight delay and it's very noticeable when going over technical climbs. The Cascade doesn't feel heavy or light, it's probably in between the other big name brands. If heavy, maybe under 50g compared to big brands, so nothing to be concerned about for the weight.I've used the Dropper on dusty and wet ride and it's been very reliable. The feel of the post hasn't change from the day I bought it new. The Command Post, the feel changes depending on the weather and the GD gets clog up on wet rides. I now have 3 PNW's. 2x Rainier and 1x Cascade. I recommend this product to anyone not only because its good but because PNW has outstanding customer support!

A regular long distance road biker, i recently forayed into mountain biking, Got a bike without a dropper and decided to get one after few rides. PNW was the most consistent and had a full range of products available as a complete set. Hesitantly I dropped the big brands and decided on PNW, Gingerly at best.Ordered Friday and come Monday i go the delivery. The open Amazon package did not help but otherwise all looked good inside except a missing manual. (somebody might have ordered and returned and carelessly left the manual out)Just messaged PNW and almost immediately got a response from Aaron with a link to the manual.Meanwhile I had already installed the dropper as it was fairly obvious.Pros: Simple installation process, Excellent build quality, works smoothly, PNW stands behind their product and supports it, looks nice and fits well.Cons: cable sleeve was slightly short for my routing, lever worked was a bit fiddly to assemble properly.Overall an excellent product. Works first time out of the box even if was an open box (More an Amazon problem than PNW). The infinitely adjustable system works well and smooth - not too sudden a jump as with some branded ones.If i would have to buy it again it would be PNWAdvice: a) Measure your seat post diameter carefully - most people order without measuring resulting in frustration and returns. b) Dont cut the cable off when you are installing first time. Roll/coil the cable for the first few rides and then re-tighten - cup and cap the open end.

So I looked around for a good, reasonably priced dropper for a while, and finally found this PNW post. I looked at their website and liked their company philosophy. I work in a shop and get good discounts on gear like this, but I decided to order the Cascade anyway because I liked the company's ideals and it had the features I was looking for (cable-actuated, and actuated at the collar).As expected, the post was really meekly packaged, no extra fluff, but none needed in my opinion. As long as the post arrives in good condition, fine with me, and that was the case.This post is EXTREMELY easy to set up. I've set up many dropper posts as a mechanic, and some of them are real bears. This one ranks with the easiest of the easy. The cable is cut at the lever, you crimp on the provided cable tip, and it tucks nicely under the lever with a little clip that holds it in place. Very clean.The lever, which I realize is largely a personal preference thing, is very nice. It pushes downward and not in, so you can mount it either side easily. The noodle that attaches works well and the look is clean and it is easy to make adjustments.In use, the post is very smooth, with a rebound that is a relatively quick speed (probably a little faster than my KS Lev, but nowhere near the taint-destroying blast of a Command Post), and very smooth. I've used it on about a dozen rides so far and so far, it has performed perfectly every time, even coming through two nasty wrecks unscathed. If I experience any issues with the post in the future, I will certainly adjust and revisit/update my review.As it stands, I am extremely happy with my decision to purchase from PNW, and I hope that the post holds up to long term abuse. At this point, highly recommended.