First Look: Fair Bicycle's Drop Best Offset Saddle Clamp is Universally Compatible

Apr 4, 2024 at 6:45
by Jessie-May Morgan  
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Fair Bicycle has announced the Drop Best UC, a universally compatible version of their offset saddle clamp. It is a direct replacement for your dropper post saddle clamp, introducing 27mm positive or negative offset, dependent on how you orient it. It essentially allows you to steepen or slacken your effective seat tube angle to find a more comfortable effective top tube length and thus, seated pedaling position.

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The OG Drop Best was only compatible with Rockshox Reverb Dropper Posts

When Marco Giarrana and Valetin Wendel first launched the Drop Best in 2021, many riders were disappointed to learn it was compatible only with the RockShox Reverb Dropper Post. Now, almost any post that runs vertical mounting bolts (M5, M6 or M8 ) can be used with the Drop Best UC to adjust saddle position beyond the range permissible by simply sliding the saddle to either extreme. That applies to both dropper posts and some proprietary fixed posts found on road bikes - more on that on Velo.

Older bikes tend to have a relatively slack seat tube angle, and riders may well be looking to steepen their effective seat tube angle for a more comfortable climbing position. It can help give a more direct feeling to the pedal stroke, biasing your weight further forwards, something that can help keep the front wheel down on steep, technical climbs. I reckon the Drop Best could have been a good solution to the seat angle issues I encountered with the Pivot Shadowcat.

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There will also be a smaller contingent who find they'd like to slacken off their effective seat tube angle. Not everyone is a fan of the trend towards steeper seat tube angles, and for good reason. A shorter effective top tube length puts more weight through the rider's hands, which can be uncomfortable if you're pedaling for a long stretch along the flat, or if your local trails are more undulating. It certainly seems to be a trend that best services the winch-and-plummet crowd.

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Whether you want a steeper or a slacker effective seat tube angle, the Drop Best UC puts an additional 2° of adjustment (fore or aft) on the table. That example is in the context of a 680mm seat height and 76° starting angle. Importantly, it allows for independent adjustment of saddle position and saddle tilt.

The Drop Best UC is machined from 7075 aluminum and weighs a claimed 139 grams in its lightest configuration. There is no specified rider weight limit, but it's recommended to stick with the posts maximum weight limit to be on the safe side.

Fair Bicycle don't offer an exhaustive list for compatibility, but it is fairly comprehensive, covering most of the well-known and popular dropper seat posts on the market. Most notable are the Bike Yoke Revive and Divine, Crankbrothers Highline 3, PNW Loam, SDG Tellis, Fox Transfer (2020, 2021 & SL), the RockShox Reverb and the OneUp V2. It's also sort of compatible with the OneUp V3, but the clamp does need to be filed down by 2mm - something we are told will not void your warranty. Fair Bicycle are already working on a better solution for the OneUp V3 post.

Those with access to a 3D printer can check compatibility themselves, as Fair Bicycle have an .stl file available on their website for download, so you can print a sample clamp.

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For MTB, there are three versions of the Drop Best UC. One is for use with M5 bolts, the other for M6 bolts, and the third is for the 2021 Fox Transfer. The only difference between them is the hardware kit. Fair Bicycle also sell the specific hardware kits separately, for those who want to switch the Drop Best between posts. Pricing starts at $134 USD / $182 CAD / 125 EUR / 125 GBP / 119 CHF. Clamps are sold with a lifetime warranty against manufacturing defects. Fair Bicycle will also offer Individual crash replacement solutions at cost plus handling expenses.

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175 Comments
  • 53 2
 Was any testing done to see what the effect is of this on the dropper - when the seat is weighted it will create a rotational force on the dropper when the bushing overlap is at its lowest? Does that matter? (I hope I've explained that ok!)
It might be minimal or nothing? Just interested really as, if I was interested in one of these, that would be my first thought...
  • 22 27
flag hg604 (Apr 8, 2024 at 0:27) (Below Threshold)
 It actually reduces that, as the line of force (gravity) through the saddle now passes closer to the bushings. Should improve durability rather than harming it.
  • 85 1
 Hi slimboyjim
If you are as slim as your username, you sure needn't be worries .)
Jokes aside: We were also concerned about this when we first started that project around 2020. We just didn't know. After all the DROP BESTs we have sold, we know that zero posts have been damaged. The general feeling we have, is that after initial failures, when droppers came up back around 2009/10, most manufacturers have invested in forging toolings and engineered very robust guide/pin systems. The only post that we had fail was in external lab testing, way above the MTB requirements and we could narrow this down to a manufacturing issue of the post itself, since multiple identical items passed the identical tests afterwards no problem. From a riding point of view we now have quite a vast experience abusing many different posts with a DROP BEST UC on them, and again, no failures.
  • 20 5
 @hg604: U sure about that? ^^
  • 9 1
 @FAIRbicycle: What feedback on your product have you received from the dropper post manufacturers?
  • 14 0
 @boozed: Surprisingly none yet!
  • 9 2
 I suspect increasing forward offset (steepening seat tube angle) should be fine as it will load the dropper post more top-down and less fore-aft. But I doubt that increasing rearward offset (slackening) should be as pain free as indicated, especially in flat-ground pedaling situations, which would be one of the few reasons one would like to increase seat setback.
  • 2 27
flag boozed (Apr 8, 2024 at 4:33) (Below Threshold)
 @FAIRbicycle: I mean you've asked them whether they approve of its use with their products, right?
  • 10 1
 @boozed: There is no reason to.
  • 14 0
 @boozed: The manufacturers will always say no to this because they haven't tested it themselves. That doesn't mean this isn't a good product (though I have no clue if it is or isn't).

There are lots of add-ons to bikes that manufacturers simply can't test because of the sheer volume of products.
  • 10 0
 @boozed: No, we haven't. As far as we know, no one in the industry does that in similar cases. The answer would be no-no-no 100% of the times. But we do have the experience that it works. As mentioned somewhere here in the comments, with all the DROP BESTs we have sold, zero seatpost failures so far (and of course, zero DROP BEST failues too .)
  • 7 2
 @wilflucky: @hg604 is right. As long as you're using it to steepen the STA, it will reduce the load on the bushings. Go try compressing your dropper by pushing down on the back of the saddle and again by pushing down on the front. You'll notice a significant difference in friction.

The one issue I can see with this product is that it puts more load through the post head. Some posts used to break in this area (old Bike Yoke Revives, for example), so I'd at least not be willing to try this if I had one of those posts or if I were pushing the manufacturer recommended weight.
  • 2 0
 @wilflucky: sounds about right to me? Worse torque at the original seat clamp, but reduced torque at the bushings (unless the post is already near 90 deg) since the riders weight will be more closely centered over the bushings.
  • 10 1
 @boozed: who cares, good gawd people, what the eff.
  • 3 0
 From my experience, the slacker the actual STA, the less smooth the dropper tends to operate in-general. I'm sure the amount of impact this product would have on the dropper would totally depend on varying factors. How heavy is the rider, what's the actual STA, how did they orient this product? etc. Apparently everyone slams their seat forward anyway (especially PB reviewers Smile ) so not sure this is all that much different.
  • 2 0
 @DaneL: of course he's right, don't understand the downvotes. Don't even need to understand physics, just try that trivial experiment you describe.
  • 1 10
flag Sluni (Apr 8, 2024 at 9:37) (Below Threshold)
 @FAIRbicycle: @FAIRbicycle: If you never ask you will never get a Yes as a answere. If this is your work practise ...
  • 1 4
 It's like running a hub a couple millimeters short and binding the Fork lowers in the dropout.
  • 2 0
 @FAIRbicycle: Just wanted to say how much I appreciate an honest answer to a real product question. And I agree with and understand why your doing what your doing.

This is a GREAT product for people with long legs and to give new life to older frames. I could see how in some extreme cases that it "might" cause a bit more wear on your dropper post? BUT, I'd 10000% take a little extra dropper post maintenance over a bike that doesn't fit right... ANY DAY!!!

Not really related, but just thinking about how we ran those bent Thomson posts and rode frames that were too small back in the day to have a lighter and fast-handling bike! Smile I'm going to size down on a hardtail for my next build to have a play bike for the pump track again that I can still ride greenways with the fam. So depending on what I end up buying, I'll be looking into this product to help get my pedal stroke!!

Thanks!
  • 3 0
 @FAIRbicycle:
Just a quick thanks for the response. It's good to hear and learn something new! Best of luck with your endeavour!
  • 1 0
 @Sluni: All good, we just did it and no one in the industry is pissed about it. Believe me, we are connected well enough that it would have fallen back on us by now .)
  • 2 0
 @stiingya: So cool, keep them wheels rollin', and especially the ones of the kids Smile Thank you!
  • 2 1
 @ridedigrepeat: And I never said it's a bad product.

But does it affect the seatpost's warranty? That's a pretty important question. And apparently a controversial one...
  • 5 0
 @boozed:

1) it is up to the customer to ask

2) you perfectly know that all manufacturer will say yes it void's warranty, because they usually don't want to lose money.

3) if your seatpost fail, you don't have to tell the manufacturer you were using this, so who cares?

4) FAIR Bicycles would get bad press eventually if people's dropper start failing left and right because of this, so the market would adjust.
  • 2 0
 You're right, sometimes my dropper doesn't properly slide when I sit more towards the front end of the saddle. I'm also tired of those slack, miscalculated seat tube angles, it will put you way too far back, especially when you have a long inseam. I've seen WC riders turning a setback seat posts 180 deg. around to make up for it.
  • 1 1
 @DaneL @st-lupo
Pushing the sattle on the front end does produce more friction compared to pushing the saddle on the rear end (closer to the center of the post) - Right?

So the DROP BEST would even add to the distance to that center of the post meaning that you would push even more on the front end (like bolting a longer saddle onto the post)
  • 1 2
 @wilflucky: Yep, the analogy i used to describe the binding on the bushing creating more friction liken to a hub that doesn't properly fit a drop out and clamping would causes the fork lowers to bind the bushings. that's why some forks have a pinch bolt axle design.
  • 1 0
 @likeittacky: I just don't understand how @DaneL and @st-lupo think that the DROP BEST would minimize friction - maybe just my english is too bad to understand it lol
  • 1 0
 @wilflucky: if you push straight down rather than in line with the seat tube, pushing on the front will produce less friction (you get the least friction by pushing towards the bushings)
  • 2 0
 @DaneL, @wilflucky, @likeittacky, @hg604: check my working on this, had to dust off my high school physics:

Assume a fully extended seatpost at an angle of 74°, 240mm distance from top bushing to ~81.5kg rider's butt (800N vertical force) centred on seatpost axis. The perpendicular force on the lever arm applied at butt is ~220N. so 220N x 0.24m = torque at top bushing = ~53Nm

Install the Drop Best UC in the forward position and use all 27mm offset. It's now 234mm from top bushing to butt in a straight line (lever arm) at ~80.4° to the top bushing. The perpendicular force applied at butt is much less: ~133.86N x 0.234m = torque at top bushing = ~31Nm

So the torque at the post's saddle clamp will increase, but there's a ~40% reduction of torque at the top bushing.
  • 1 0
 @mmcvl: Thanks for putting numbers on it. While I knew it's a big difference by feel, I had no idea how big.
@likeittacky, @wilflucky: The vector of force, or angle you push is the critical metric here. If you were to push directly at the angle of your seat tube, you'd have the lowest friction pushing at the middle of the clamp, in line with the seat post.
The problem is that with slacker seat tube angles, assuming you're using your weight to push the seat down and not "pulling" yourself forward at the same time, the angle deviates further from the seat tube's angle, causing the exact issue these floating fork axles are trying to solve. In that case, sitting on the front of the saddle *on a level ground* will actually help the post slide. Just like this gadget will help.
It's easy enough to try when going on a slight uphill, sit on the very back of your saddle and try to drop your dropper, then try the same on the front of the saddle. With some posts like the Transfer you may not notice much as it just falls down, but most droppers will show a significant difference.
  • 25 4
 Really handy for older bikes with slack seat angles, but whose going to pay £125 to move thier seat forward a bit, especially when those with this problem on older bikes probably need this becuase they can't afford a newer bike.
  • 28 0
 One of the guys behind fair was just recently on the skids and giggles podcast. According to him this is just the price of things if you care about the wellbeing of everyone in the supply chain. And as someone who designs and orders parts in small batches regularly for my day job, I am not surprised by the prices
  • 41 0
 Hey maglor
We had the same thoughts when we launched the original DROP BEST. But we just launched it to see what happens. And it happened that many people are jumping onboard the train of riding their bike as long as possible (just like that famous & great patagonia ad: the best jacket is the one you don't buy). We are very happy about that and it gave us a green light to launch the development of the DROP BEST UC, which took about 4 years, as there are sooo many factors to be considered. As for the price: We could have made this somewhere, somehow and it would probably be 50.- But our believe is that we only source stuff from companies we would also gladly work at. That goes down to the US made standard bolts with Swiss coatings, to the cardboard box Made ins Switzerland from 100% Swiss recycling paper. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
  • 5 25
flag tempnoo1 FL (Apr 8, 2024 at 0:48) (Below Threshold)
 @SleepingAwake: so if I ask bossman at Ztto to make some and he does could we knock 1/10 off the price? I don't think many people really care about welfare, I've seen a lot more Ztto dropper levers than Wolftooth.
  • 5 0
 @SleepingAwake: i'm not surprised either if it's made properly and ethically but i'm wondering if it prices itself out of the market, its unique enough some will pay it but alot of people won't be as willing to give it a try at that price, or will put the money towards a new frame.
  • 7 1
 You could take the STL file to a metal 3D printshop and see what they charge Smile
  • 4 3
 @SleepingAwake: Why don't let someone significantly poorer than us and with less rights make it? /s
  • 3 3
 @Vindiu: *fewer
  • 5 0
 won't it make old bikes feel even tinier though
  • 2 1
 @milanboez: bikes with slacker sest angle habe longer top tube length, which means they feel longer when seated. Especially when paired with a long legged rider the seating position is way far back than what we find at todays bikes with steeper seat tube angles. I have an old Banshee Phantom and a rather modern Titan and both feel very different uphill. On the Phantom my bum is way back even though the seat is all the way forwards in the rails. That results in a less weighted front wheel which is bad in technical and steep climbing. This thing could be a solution.
  • 1 0
 I am worried a bit that the seat is going to be too far forward in the lowered position.
  • 1 0
 @Vindiu: well first of all - not my company, nothing to do with them.

But educating consumers and creating a market niche and afterwards regulations and oversight is probably the only way to improve the status quo where prices are driven into the ground on the back of individuals. That's how i see it at least
  • 1 0
 Fair point. But this could be handy for taller riders.
  • 6 0
 £125 is nothing compared to the price of a new bike. I bough an angleset for similar reason (didn't want to buy a new frame).
  • 4 3
 Now that the technological solution has been found it is just a matter of time untill the invisible hand of AliExpress delivers an economical one.
  • 5 0
 TBH yeah they're pricey but that's downright affordable compared to a new bike. Especially if your current bike is pretty good in most ways but this (and is old enough to not be worth much on the used market).
  • 2 0
 @Muckal: A good application could be new-ish bikes that already had some of the longer-lower-slacker treatment but without the steeper seat tube angle.
The first generation YT Jeffsy from 2016 is an example, again particularly for long-legged riders who don't mind the still-moderate reach that much, or can otherwise upsize without running into seat tube length / standover issues.
  • 1 0
 - double posting -
  • 10 0
 $250 for one of these and a new angleset can give an old bike fresher geometry for a lot cheaper than a brand new bike,.
  • 5 0
 @jansibar: another is for seriously steep seattube hardtails, like the honzo esd. Slackening the effective sta makes it much more manageable considering that a hardtails sta steepens when sagged.
  • 1 0
 @opignonlibre: £125 is 8.2% of a £1530 Edit frameset, for example. But if frames are being re-used, I too am chuffed
  • 1 0
 @FAIRbicycle: When you say "us made standard bolts", you don't mean imperial, right? Living in north America I learned what is standard in the world is really called the opposite here, and I don't want any of that nonsensical sizing on my bike. It's enough that pedals are imperial!
  • 3 0
 @MrDuck: Yeah, and one's threaded the wrong way!
  • 8 0
 @MrDuck: Don't worry, it's all metric! But these US made bolts are something else really. We are very glad to have found one of the veeery few western standard fastener suppliers. Everything else comes from countries/factories where it's just not OK, whether social wise nor eco wise. These US workers can go home proud every day and will have time and money to ride bikes too, so in our eyes that's a win-win.
FYI: It is possible to get any bolt made fair and eco, say in Germany, but you will need to buy at least 50'000pcs of each dimension. In case of the DROP BEST UC that means we would have had to buy around 500'000 bolts to stock all the dimensions needed. It's a difficult situation for small guys like us. We have literally spent weeks of work to find suppliers for all the hardware, which are made somwhere fair and willing/able to supply such a small outfit like us. Economics...not easy. But when we found them, it felt special and made it totally worth it!
  • 5 1
 Strange that saddles manufacturers don't offer some saddles with custom rails allowing to mount them more forward.
I mean, for the price of that thing, you could get a saddle that brings the same improvements without having to customize (and adding weight & complexity) your current dropper post.
Just saying...
  • 3 0
 @SleepingAwake @FAIRbicycle @maglor

Thanks for the shout out re the podcast! Here's the link to the episode:

skidsandgiggles.com/podcast/ep76-marco-giarrana-fair-bicycle

Or find it on my pb blog.
  • 1 0
 @FAIRbicycle: Nice work on putting the effort in! It does suck when you buy a product and found some "Made in Myanmar" on it, though it's a much bigger debate than a pinkbike comment.
Starting to worry about the US workers in the past decade ish too, but hopefully the next boss down there doesn't go full Mao Zedong anytime soon! Smile
  • 20 0
 This is absolutely a cool product! The price is fair, for people who would upgrade to a different frame, because of too slack a seat angle. I owned at last four bikes in the past which I might have kept if they had a steeper STA. In fact I wished for exactly this product a couple of times. I am long-legged though and my current frames are steep enough...
  • 2 0
 @znarf: I remember way back when I used to have a WTB SST saddle that had a real long nose, used to perch that bit of skin between my a-hole and sack to get the perfect climbing angle. Longer than 15 meters steep hauls were a tad uncomfortable though and got hellish after 50.
  • 8 0
 I adapted the 9point8 offset head to fit the OneUp V3 posts on two of my bikes. Machined shims to mate up the radii and some minor reshaping of the head to get the saddle angle I needed. The posts function great and seem up be holding up fine. I would’ve just ordered these and saved myself some time if they’d been available earlier!
  • 6 0
 I have been waiting for you guys to come out with a universal option ever since the original came out. This is another great option to have in the war chest for people who like to f*ck their bikes up like me. Ruin your Top Fuel with a 140mm fork and an offset bushing? Sorted. Running an eye to eye shock which probably wasn't what the bike was originally designed around and need to claw back some seat angle? Done. Purchase a one generation old Trek slash with a somewhat bizare combination of short rear end, long reach, and somewhat slack seat angle? With this, you're now a crafty consumer! Look at you on the most modern geometry while saving money!



Ordered one!
  • 6 0
 Is it too early to name Product of the year?
Price on second hand 2019-2023 Scott Ransom should now increase with 30% Wink
www.fairbicycle.com/product-page/drop-best?currency=EUR
  • 4 0
 Haha, I was personally thinking about scouting a cheap last gen Ransom to do just that Smile
Thank you for the good vibes!
  • 5 1
 This is a fair bit cheaper than the Switchgrade, which is obviously different in function, but they both objectively aim to improve climbing. I've had good, noticeable results/feelings with in the past by moving my seat forward. I'd love to try this on my 153, which can use all the climbing help it can get. And I feel like it isn't money down the drain if you can... transfer... it pretty easily to another post/rig.
  • 5 6
 this products is a "non-moving" products. SwitchGrades are. You cannot compare them
  • 6 1
 @vhdh666: They both aim to improve your climbing position. For me as a consumer, I am definitely comparing them. This is a simpler, less expensive solution. Some have also claimed the angles of the switchgrade are a bit much except for the steepest terrain, so this drop-best is still appealing to me.
  • 5 1
 @vhdh666:

You absolutely CAN compare them: they are both seat post modifications. And since you can’t use both of them at the same time, it makes sense to compare them to see which one might be better for you. The switch grade was the first thing I thought of when I saw this…
  • 2 0
 Switchgrade may cost more but has way more benefit. You can run a very nose heavy orientation for steep climbs and then simply flick it the opposite way for the steepest of steep descents to have your trail bike feeling like a true downhill bike. I have one on each of my trail bikes and I won't look back.
  • 2 0
 @iduckett: if I didn't already have a Switchgrade I would be looking at this closely for sure. I am one of those commenters who finds the Switchgrade angles a little too much for my use case. (The angles do make sense for the people who stand to benefit most from it, so I can't fault Aenomaly.) I think I might have a similar conundrum with this product, though: the slack STA on my 2018 frame is fine for most of my riding, and I only notice it when I'm trying to climb something heinous.

All that to say: I definitely agree the two products compete. I don't think either one is objectively better, it's just a question of what you want to get out of your post-topper.
  • 4 0
 Just ordered. I can't stand the steep seat tube angle on my enduro-ish 160-150mm bike. It weird to climb in most scenarios, and level ground or rolling terrain flat out sucks. There's no room for body english or weight transfer on these short top tube/steep seat angle bikes. I'm finally going to be able to pedal this damn bike on flatter ground, and enjoy it. Really looking forward to this product. This just pushed my next bike purchase back many many years, and saved me at least 4-5 grand in the process. Thank you Fair Bicycle for bringing this to market. I hope you get buried in orders.
  • 5 1
 Did my own testing on a Fox Transfer on a Mondraker Foxy XR 2012. After running the seat fullt front because of tghe terribly slack seattube angle, the dropper stopper working and had to be turned backwards to work.
  • 5 0
 Universally compatible?! Does that mean I can finally use my favourite SDG I-Beam seat on my dropper?
Looking at you @SDG-COMPONENTS (Still no I-Beam dropper in sight)
  • 11 0
 Not THAT universal Smile
But really like the I-Beam concept too!
  • 1 0
 @FAIRbicycle: Do these work with Bike Yoke droppers?
  • 3 0
 @minesatusker: absolutely!
  • 6 0
 We're dropping something tomorrow that'll bring that idea much closer to reality! Wink
  • 1 0
 @SDG-COMPONENTS: It's a non I-Beam dropper. I'll stick with my OneUp until you do. I bet I'm not the only one.
  • 4 0
 @FAIRbicycle: Concratulations! Cool and very useful product idea beautifully executed!

BTW: Despite having really short legs, I run my saddle slammed forward all the way from 2003 to 2019 on plenty of different bikes.
  • 2 0
 I'm glad to see this being made and sold! I am one of the people who does not like steep seat tube angles, especially on a cross country bike. With the current trend of steep sta, with some brands I either have to ride a bike that's too big for me, or have an uncomfortable, less efficient pedaling position. This will open up a lot more possibilities and make most bikes work for pretty much anyone. Well done!
  • 3 0
 This product is so sorely needed and really can make a lot of outdated bikes relevant again. You'll just need to upsize when picking out that old frame. Great job Fair Bicycle!
  • 2 0
 Thank you, really appreciate it!
  • 2 0
 The only thing surprising to me is that this solution to fit issues hasn’t come out sooner. I have issues with the steeper seat tube angle bikes fitting properly. Feet are too far back which creates more lean on the bars. I’ve ordered mine and look forward to a better fit.
  • 1 0
 We were also kind of surprised this didn't exist anywhere...and it never made sense to us to run these slack seat angles. I remember in the 90ies some manufacturers (GT for example was suuuper slack, but love my GTs) argued there is some kind of advantage on the decents...just never got it Smile
  • 1 0
 If, say, someone had immediately hopped on the OG Drop best the same day the product drop was announced, loved the product, and now unfortunately has it sitting purposeless because they have moved on from the Reverb droppers... would there be any hope in retroactively making the V1 compatible with a oneup V2 post?
  • 1 0
 If you really wanted to: yes. But you'd need to do some machining and we can definitely not guarantee for the safety of the result. Plus, you would ad quite some stack to your V2. The new DROP BEST UC keeps with the stack of the V2.
  • 1 0
 @FAIRbicycle: Cheers, I appreciate the info!
  • 3 0
 Nice. As someone who always has to have his seat all the way forward on the rails (on every bike I've owned) this is an interesting solution.
  • 4 0
 Goodness, those Process’ were so sick looking. Never got to ride one though.
  • 3 0
 Yeah, agree! Paid way to much back in '19 when I bought it, but just wanted that silver/black color. Every time on the trail it feels so low, sturdy and just sick to ride Smile
Funny the new plastic Decathlon trail bike is basically a 1:1 copy...
  • 1 0
 Great project and I appreciate your transparency and principles with the pricing. I do want one for my AXS reverb but I imagine there wouldn’t be a ton of market for that. I do think that gravel bikes with the xplr reverb would appreciate the option as that post is only available as a straight post.
  • 2 0
 Thank you, AXS version is coming early summer if all goes well. Will be in the news again. Thank you for the gravel input as well!
  • 3 0
 OMG!!! the price is... less than a grocery trip! I love my Salsa Horsetheif but I've been told the seat tube angle is not modern enough. Curiosity can be fixed now.
  • 1 0
 I just bought one for my OneUp droppers, am hopeful this will allow me to get in a better position on my bikes!

(On a side note - why do bike designers use the same seat tube angle on a size small and xxl? please fix this!)
  • 1 0
 i have the OG drop best, it does exactly what they say. Only draw back is that old bikes have short reach numbers. Now
@FAIRbicycle needs to make a toptube extender to move the fork 50mm forward and maintain the same head angle. maybe add in a stack adjustment while your at it.
looking forward to using the v2 drop best with a oneup post.
  • 2 0
 Thank you, really appreciate your support!
No worries, the TT extender is in the works, right along with the dropper stem!!!
Smile
  • 3 0
 Can you team up with the Aenomoly Switchgrade people (because I need something that combines this and that...)?
  • 4 0
 We were thinking about that too .) We'll see, it's propably possible, but will likely ad some stack to the post.
  • 2 0
 Yes, I love my switch grade but fore offset combo option would be the ultimate !
  • 1 0
 Excellent idea for a product. My older KS seatpost had an offset seatpost head top part that I ran in in reverse for exactly the same effect. Pricy for a small part, but good to know it's for the right reasons.
  • 3 0
 Something like this and a -2 angleset could make some older bikes like the Kona 134DL into a cool bike again
  • 2 0
 And cramped. Steep seat tubes and slack steerers are why bikes are so long on paper.
  • 4 0
 We need to normalize buying 2016 bikes a size bigger than anticipated and throwing an angleset and offset seat on. Only issue I foresee is seat tube length, guess just gotta be prepared to hacksaw that a little shorter. Especially given how cheap bikes of this vintage have become, might as well spend 1.5k on a kitted out build and 400 on geo mods.
  • 1 0
 Ive been interested in this but am concerned about bushing wear. Could be the v2 oneup post but ive gone through two posts running my seat slammed forward on my mk2 capra.

All that being said…. Id still try it.
  • 4 3
 The fact that this product exists shows hos tone deaf the bike industry is to the consumer. I am left to build my own bikes, but to find a welder without getting scammed is proving difficult.
  • 1 0
 This is a neat idea. I'm sure some will moan about the price but for one it's cheaper than a new frame and secondly who knows how much time etc. went into its R and D plus manufacturing etc.
  • 2 0
 Thank you, that's our thought exactly, that's why we made it. Keep the older frames running as long as possible .)
Plus optimize position for those who need it, and actually quite a bit of pros are trying it, companies using it to experiment with new geo for upcoming bikes etc.
We know how many hours and cost, but we try not to think about it, because cringe Smile
  • 1 0
 I'm sure it been said somewhere in these comments but how about a saddle with longer, or repositioned rails? That should be enough for most bikes and certainly is a lot simpler.
  • 1 0
 Bring back the IBeam!
  • 2 0
 Great idea, my Mondraker Foxy 2017 is too long when sat down, this might give the bike a new lease of life
  • 8 0
 Exactly why we made it: Ride the bike you have, school the guys on the new fancy stuff Smile
  • 1 0
 @FAIRbicycle: does the M6 version fit a Brand X Ascend XL? If so, how much stack will it add? I am running a 200mm Ascend slammed and have about stack to give left...
  • 1 0
 DROP BEST UC will fit the Brand X Ascend XL. We don't have one here/measured, but we have the regular Ascend, of which the head looks absolutely identical. On that, DROP BEST UC has 3.5mm lower stack. You then could take out up to 8mm of spacers from the DROP BEST UC, depending on the seat angle of your bike and the saddle angle you like to run. Hope that helps!
  • 1 0
 Can you make a reference table on your website that shows which hardware to get for which post? It's easy to measure but I want to order today and my bikes are at home.
  • 4 0
 You can actually find this info in the compatibility chart you can find here: www.fairbicycle.com/manuals
Basically the only M5 posts out there are all Bike Yokes, Fox Transfer 2020 and older, Transfer SL and the Thomson droppers. For those you need to get a DROP BEST UC M5 or an M5 hardware kit to convert from a DROP BEST UC set for M6 or Fox F21. Everything else is M6. So for those you want a DROP BEST UC M6 or an M6 hardware kit to convert from a DROP BEST UC set for M5 or Fox F21.
The exception: If you have a newer Fox Transfer (2021 or newer, the one with the weird head), you need a DROP BEST UC F21. But also for these: You can convert them by getting an M5, M6, F21 or even a road hardware kit.
Sorry it's a bit complex, but that's because it is complex .)
  • 2 0
 @FAIRbicycle: thanks for the followup. Coming from an eCommerce background myself, I'd highly suggest linking these compatibility charts under the Tech Specs bullet or formatted as an image on the product carousel. You have several other bullets for compatibility but nothing about choosing the right kit for your post.

The easier and faster you can present this information to buyers, the easier and faster they'll enter their credit card info Wink
  • 1 0
 @GTscoob: Thx, pro insights Smile
  • 1 0
 I have one of the original ones. Was only for rock shox but I made a shim to retrofit to a one up- Ni Issues what so ever. I am fat with a dad bob to!
  • 1 0
 I have a nice old Kona Process 153 which I mulleted and run with a OneUp 210mm post. Can I maybe daisy-chain 2 or 3 of these together?
  • 1 0
 Sweet bike! But in the case of daisy-chaining I would suggest you find a local welder to work on your dropper instead Smile
  • 1 0
 @FAIRbicycle: Are the units in stock or are doing another production run because I’ve not received a shipping notification yet.
  • 6 8
 Dear Brands. If you see anyone riding one of these on your bikes, that means your geometry is a complete failure and you need to revise it ASAP. This is a great indicator of being wrong in your geometry concept. Sincerelly, riding world.
  • 5 0
 Geometry being "a complete failure" sounds a bit harsh. More like "the seated pedaling position isn't or everyone". The bike is probably pretty good otherwise (including geometry for standing riding) or someone wouldn't have bothered investing in this clamp.

Sincerely, the world whose riding encompasses more than just sitting and spinning pedals.
  • 2 1
 Why is there no saddles with rails that allow more forwards shift?? Would be a much simpler solution.
  • 3 1
 That puts alot of torque on the rails. The reason for every saddle I've seen destroyed has been from running it all the way forward.
  • 2 0
 @RonSauce: you have never crash damaged one to death? Lucky!
  • 4 6
 It's getting real "fire and forget" at Pinkbike. Like, zero proofreading from the "editors". Typo in a caption, both spelling and capitalization of the brand the article is about! And an unintentional emoji substitution. How do you miss the emoji thing? It sticks a big yellow circle on the middle of a paragraph! Really shows you care.
  • 1 0
 Cmon m8
  • 1 0
 Maybe it's Throwback Monday?
  • 1 0
 Come over to LW and read my articles Wink . I proof mine a ton yet still always find something hahah, need someone to keep me on it!
  • 1 1
 @Dhjmn: Exactly what I said! "C'mon, mate, can't even ensure the product on review is spelled correctly?"
  • 3 0
 @adventuresbycole: LW?
  • 1 0
 @justinfoil: The Loam Wolf dot com
  • 2 0
 How about fitting Rockshox AXS dropper?
  • 1 0
 It's in the works. Hopefully ready by summer.
  • 2 0
 Omg exactly what I need for my shadowcat as well!
  • 4 0
 That's why we made it. Because it's not like bike companies all got it by now, and only make reasonably steep seat angles. No, there is a constant stream of new bikes coming our way with slaaack seat angles. In 2024. We don't know why, but they to it Smile
  • 2 0
 Problem is you need a reach to match the forward position.
  • 1 0
 Nooo, just add an 80mm stem, duhh. Smile I had a friend who added long stems to his old bikes when the long-reach trend started a few years back Big Grin
  • 2 0
 Not pretty but definitely super handy! Or should I say seaty lol
  • 6 5
 every (sit down an pedal ) bike NEEDS this.... then I saw the price !
  • 12 0
 Thank you! About the price: As explained above, we are very thorough with fair trade, it's all machined in Switzerland and every part is sourced from countries with very high social and eco standards. And remember: We ship to most countries of the world taking care of all the sales tax and custom charges for you, that is in the price as well. And we actually have many customers from the UK, I guess many tinkerers in the UK .) Our way of thinking is: Rather spend the 120.- or so bucks on something and NOT having to buy the next fancy carbon piece of waste, but keep riding your bike to the end. Plus, everything, yes down to the washer and packing tape, is made by people who have a great wage (actually at our CNC supplier, you can read that on our website, stated by the supplier himself, the minimal wage is 4950.- CHF a month, and everyone there has min. 4weeks of paid vacation. That is just what it costs to employ and insure people properly. Even Taiwan is faaar off from that.). It's just what we believe in, so we do it this way.
  • 4 0
 @FAIRbicycle: awesome company ethics, honestly. I wish you all the best. I'm just too poor to be ethical with my MTB bike parts :'D :'D :'D
  • 2 0
 @naptime: Thank you, Totally understand. It's not easy. And just to be clear: We do not make a living of our products yet. That is very hard to achieve with our approach, but possible once the product portfolio is big enough and with products that fulfill a purpose and are not just another this or that .) Either way, just go ride.
  • 3 0
 @FAIRbicycle: I respect the sentiment. But I think it's also fair to appreciate that Switzerland is one of the highest-wage countries of the world (see your message). So the asking price for someone with a Swiss wage is effectively much lower than for people in most other countries. 120 may sound like peanuts in Switzerland but not elsewhere.
  • 2 0
 @naptime: Just take it one step at a time. It wasn't before I was 38yo until splashed on a custom British steel frame made by people I knew were very happy to produce it. Until then, I was happy enough to have a frame to ride. In this case you can look at it this way: considering these clamps fit so many different seatposts, chances are you'll be taking it from bike to bike for years to come. So maybe with that it mind, it might appear a bit less expensive.
  • 1 2
 @vinay: I'd rather just buy a cheap Chinese copy.........
  • 1 0
 Or a frame with good geo in the first place, modern bike sizing is jacked! I'm 6ft an mediums are too Fkng long
  • 2 0
 @naptime: It doesn't really matter what they call medium or large, does it? Just go with the geometry that suits you. I'm 6ft tall too, have 460mm reach (and 35mm stem) on a frame that was labeled "large" and it feels just right. I see many frames now have 460mm reach on medium now so yeah, maybe if I'd get one of these I'd go for a medium rather than large. But it isn't about the name, it is about the number.

That's regarding reach of course. I don't care too much about seated geometry for my riding and I don't know the numbers either. But I suppose the same applies. That said, the clamp in question allows you to tweak effective top tube once you're already happy about your reach and stack. So it does give you more options to make something work for you.
  • 1 0
 @vinay: so if I was to go in to a shop an buy a medium shirt I'd expect it to fit me... Not small or XLarge, if I but a pair of shoes in my size I'd expect them to fit not be too smol or too big

Does that make it any clearer? Modern bike sizing is JACKED! I've gone from upsizing in aboot 2007 when I got back in to MTB to now down sizing, sometimes even a small........
Yay bike industry
  • 1 1
 P.S if bike sizing was any good there'd be no need for this product.....
  • 1 0
 @naptime: Shoe sizing goes in quarter inches (I think) so sizes shouldn't shift. Medium is supposed to be the average so if the majority ends up going for L or XL, there is something wrong and the reference should shift so that the majority is on size M again. This has happened in the past few years so that sizing is nicely jacked as you like to point out. Same goes for clothes when the sizing is given in medium etc. Which indeed implies that a size M in South-East Asia is much smaller than a size M for the North American or European market. My boots are in mm, but appended by an S, M or B (for the width). So it is a bit of both, with the length being strictly the measured length whereas the width is in categories which may not be too strictly defined.
  • 1 0
 @vinay: that must be why in my own country im 6ft an riding a small......................
  • 1 0
 @naptime: Goes to show there is no single "perfect" size or geometry. Glad there is a frame size that works for you and considering you're posting under this article, good there is a little clamp available now to help you achieve your favorite seated geometry. As a little and skinny 11 or 12 year old I was already buying my shirts in size XL even though even now a size L would fit me just fine (and even M would work, probably). Still buying them in XL though as a rusty old man Wink . It is a matter of taste and good these options are available for people to get what works for them. Try before you buy if possible. Otherwise better go by reach and stack (for standing riding) or effective top tube and seat height (for seated riding) rather than S/M/L.
  • 2 0
 Good idea that.
  • 1 0
 Does this work with the newer Fox Transfers? (22', 23')
  • 2 0
 Yes, from 2021 onwards they have the *weird* head (which actually works very well, low stack und super robust). For those we will have to chose the F21 version of the DROP BEST UC.
  • 1 0
 How long before we are just sitting on the handlebars?
  • 1 0
 Great for stiff office types with no hip hinge.
  • 1 0
 KS Lev Compatibility? Thanks!
  • 1 0
 It is compatible with all KS posts, you need the DROP BEST UC M6 (since all KS posts use M6 bolts).
Thx!
  • 1 0
 @FAIRbicycle: Great. I'm doing a restomod to a 90s hardtail and it's a bit too slack in the STA for my liking. This would be awesome to have.
  • 1 0
 Will it work with a Wolf Tooth Resolve dropper? Or Crank Bros Highline 7?
  • 1 0
 No, it does not work with those two. WT because their tube sticks through the clamp, and CB because their contact area is convex and not concave. If we see demand we would need to make specific versions for these.
  • 2 5
 You're only employing and insuring people properly if you can stay in business! Best of luck with it. But agree price isn't worth the benefit. Consumers aren't charitable if it's too pricey I suppose time will tell.
  • 1 0
 Nowadays seat angles are finally dialed. This'll be hard.
  • 2 0
 @mtb-daniel: That actually corresponds to our gut feeling. But the reality seems to be different: There is a demand for adjusting rider position, and the reasons are very individual, we learned .)
  • 1 0
 @FAIRbicycle: As stated earlier: I personally really appreciate you're offering this product!

During all those years since 2003 I just got along without something like this because I am lucky to have short legs...
  • 1 3
 And the most pointless product of the year award goes too...
  • 2 1
 Honestly, when we made the first version for Reverbs only, we sometimes thought the same. But since then we learned that there are many needs of vastly different riders (from the occasional tri racer to even DH people using it to avoid tire buzz on the saddle and many more...) that it actually makes a point .)
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