Fox Shox Transfer Dropper Seat Post: Rider Review

Our "Rider Review" article series features honest reviews from verified purchasers of Worldwide Cyclery. They contain the photos, thoughts, feedback & overall review you are looking for. 

For those looking for a reliable, high performing dropper post, look no further than the Fox Transfer dropper post. Years of abuse, thousands of customer testimonials and the Transfer just can't be beaten. In this review, one of our customers, John Connolly, gives his take on the Transfer post. John now has two Transfer post on both of his bikes! That's a good sign!

My trail bike (Santa Cruz Nomad Mk3) had a Thomson 150mm dropper on it. Last year I sold that post after a warranty issue and got a Fox Transfer (31.6mm x 150mm Internal). The Fox Transfer has been trouble-free since installation in my Nomad, so I bought a 2018 1x Fox Transfer Dropper Post (30.9mm x 150mm Travel, External) for my new Surly Ice Cream Truck fat bike, which came with a fixed post.

I ride some pretty burly terrain. I live in Salt Lake City, Utah, and regularly travel to St. George (Zen, Gooseberry Mesa, etc), and Moab (Enchilada, Capt Ahab, Mag 7, Jackson's, etc) in the offseason for the Wasatch. During the summer, Wasatch riding is world-class! Three thousand foot climbs and descents are the way it is here. The ups and downs are also steep. Climbs at 20% grade at 10 thousand feet are in my ride arsenal, and descents of over 100% not uncommon either! I ride with a lot of out-of-towners, or folks who move here from elsewhere since I founded an MTB club here. They often show up with fixed seat posts, which is fine for where they came from. BUT NOT HERE! Here anything which is not pure XC needs a dropper post. Riding is just easier, and you are faster, and most importantly much safer! Once you get used to using it, you'll often be using the dropper lever more than the shifter!

Like my first Fox Transfer dropper post, the 2018 version was a very straight forward installation. The most complicated part of it is getting the length of the housing correct since you can never make it longer (without purchasing a new housing), so I prefer to sneak up on the proper length. Trim a couple of inches, and ride a bit, if it's not enough to repeat the shortening. Note that the external Fox Transfer does NOT come with a lever, nor the cable and housing, you must purchase these separately. The only thing I ever have to do to these dropper posts is when they begin to stick a little bit, I notice it both up and down with a slower action (it remains silent). A light application of some fork grease (wipe down excess) restores the post's smooth action, like new! The post should not feel dry and sticky, that's when I know it needs a quick lube.

Conclusion:

I love the infinite height adjustment. I spend a lot of time in mid-travel positions, it's a lot more stable on undulating terrain, and I can still pedal with some power, unlike the lowest seat position. I can't imagine trying to ride a bike here in Utah without a dropper post like the Fox Transfer. The other advantage I don't see advertised about the Fox Transfer is it operates flawlessly even in sub 0˚F temperatures. Many other dropper posts stick, or do not return when it is cold out! I'm very happy with both of my Fox Transfer dropper posts! - John Connolly​