FOX Transfer Factory Dropper Seat Post [Rider Review]

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Fox is a staple name when it comes high end suspension products. Their Transfer Dropper post is no different as well. It's arguably the most durable dropper post. Our friend just installed one on their Santa Cruz. See what they think!

Overview

By far the best upgrade I have ever done to my bike is to add a dropper post. I find that I use the dropper more than I shift gears now. Being a long-standing weight weenie that created spreadsheets to compare component weights on all of my bike builds, I initially deemed the weight penalty unacceptable. I was doing 100-mile races and felt every added gram was detrimental. This all changed in 2017 when I bought a new Santa Cruz Tallboy 3 that came with a RockShox Reverb dropper. While the bike felt sluggish compared to the Tallboy 1 it replaced, the confidence I had on the descents due to the dropper letting me get my weight back like never before was a game-changer. Yes, the new longer, lower, and slacker geometry also provided added stability but with the dropper in the up position, there was still apprehension on the steeper stuff. While the Reverb introduced me to droppers it had some issues; got stuck down once, very slow return to up in the cold, and refusing to go down. Kinks in the hose and bleeding problems were the culprits but this has left me with mixed feeling on the Reverb.

In 2018 when Santa Cruz reintroduced the Blur, I immediately ordered one as I wanted a lightweight full-suspension race bike with the new more stable geometry in the stable. The only downside was that none of the builds offered when the new Blur first came out included a dropper post; however, the frame was designed to accommodate an internally routed dropper. It only took a couple of rides on the new Blur to know it needed a dropper to fully unleash its potential. Still being a weight weenie at heart I installed a 150 mm KS Lev CI carbon dropper as it was the lightest option I could find. I did consider the original Fox Transfer at that time but ruled it out as it was a little heavier and its longer length would have limited me to the 125 mm version. The Lev CI started out great but developed side to side play fairly quickly that continued to get worse. I replaced the guide bushings which helped some but the side to side slop came back fairly quickly.

When I saw that Fox had redesigned the Transfer dropper post for 2020 and that the reductions in overall length would allow me to run the 150 mm dropper, I decided to give it another look. Plus, the Kashima coating on the Factory version would match my rear shock and fork. I ordered up a Fox Transfer Factory dropper based on past positive experience with Fox Suspension products, good reviews of the updated version, and liking the fact that the Kashima coating would match my rear shock and fork. I also liked that the dropper did not come with a remote lever that I would be discarding as I wanted to run a Wolf Tooth ReMote BarCentric dropper lever to best fit with my Fox dual suspension remote lockout. The Wolf Tooth lever is also low profile which allowed me to also mount my TOGS Thumbgrips to provide an additional top of the bars hand position on epic all day rides.

Final Thoughts

When the new Fox Transfer Factory dropper arrived, it felt robust and its Kashima coating was beautiful. It paired flawlessly with the Wolf Tooth lever (operates with greatly reduced force of other designs). On my first ride, I could not believe how solid it felt having no side to side play as compared to the KS Lev CI it replaced. I now have several hundred miles on the Fox dropper and it continues to perform flawlessly. The trouble-free operation more than makes up for the slight weight penalty over the KS Lev CI it replaced. I like that it makes an easily heard “click” when it returns to full extension. Since I run a seat bag, I also added a Wolf Tooth Valais 25 to the top of the dropper stanchion to provide a secure mounting point for the bag while protecting the stanchion from wear and the wiper seal from damage. An unexpected benefit of the Valais 25 is that with it installed the dropper also makes an easily heard sound when the post is fully collapsed. While I only have experience with internally routed droppers from RockShox, KS Lev, and Fox, I strongly recommend new for 2020 Fox Transfer.