When Seekrun announced its new wireless dropper post, the price turned heads. At 320, it costs less than a third of the price either major brand charges for theirs. In fact, its cost is competitive with mechanical dropper posts.
All of that could sound a little unbelievable but after couple months of riding a 175mm S7, it turns out it’s the real deal. It’s not just price, though. Seekrun’s added features neither established options offer.
Here’s our thoughts on how this very affordable option from Seekrun stands up to Fox and RockShox, and how it goes further to stand out.
Seekrun S7: Demystifying the wireless dropper post
Wireless dropper posts landed a few years ago as a curious mix of novelty and function. Mechanical dropper posts worked just fine, even if they could be finicky and annoying to install on some frames. Cutting the cables makes a dropper post massively easier to install or travel with. But with posts from RockShox and Fox sitting around the four figure mark for price, that seemed a bit steep just for easier installation, making it more of a novelty for riders with spare cash. Yes, they’re also slightly faster than a mechanical post. But, again, a four-figure buy-in plus more expensive service.
At $320, Seekrun presents an entirely different value proposition. That’s in line with mechanical posts, so your decision to keep or cut cables is based purely on performance.
Seekrun also addresses the disposability of some electronic bike parts which, as we’ve discussed before, doesn’t really sit right with us. Service parts are readily available from Seekrun Canada. Not just seals and cartridges. Every small part, down to the motor, is available from Seekrun and, depending on your mechanical aptitude, easy to service at home.
How easy? I met Jiahe Yang, who runs Seekrun Canada and BlackSheep Bike Inc. at the Calgary Airport through a stroke of convenient timing to pick up the 170mm S7 I’m testing here. Yang took the post apart and re-assembled it at the coffee shop table with just a single, very common (1omm) wrench.
Seekrun also aims for durability. The parts are simple and the design prioritises long-term durability over any weight savings.
Yang told me that combination of affordable, serviceable and durable were what sold him on Seekrun. He first bought a post for himself. Then decided it was good enough that he’s importing it. To make it less intimidating for customers not interested in servicing their own posts, Seekrun Canada is building a dealer base across Canada.
How can a wireless dropper post be $320?
So how is this post so cheap? Well, there are a few limitations. Some temporary, others might not change even with the new versions.
First, stack height could be a factor for some riders. The battery and electronics being mounted at the top of the seat post, unlike the current generation of wireless droppers from SRAM and Fox that position the motor at the seat collar, mean you need a bit more clearance to run the S7 for the same travel. For some riders on some frames, that could cause the tire to touch the battery, as with older Reverb AXS posts. The flip side is that that choice is what makes the S7 so easily serviceable.
Seekrun also does not include any adjustments to return speed. It goes fast or… fast. But it is plenty fast enough for mountain biking. (Seekrun also targets a commuter market with this post, who might appreciate a less forceful post return).
With durability being a main goal, the S7’s weight is also slightly heavier than its wireless competitors. But none of these are light compared to a mechanical post.
The other major current limitation is that Seekrun only offers travel up to 170mm. A 200mm post is apparently in the works, but is not available yet. Seekrun also does not offer a true 34.9mm diameter post. It just sells its 31.6mm post with an adaptor.
That price is also potentially the result of one advantage. Dropper posts are far from Seeskrun’s first product. The brand’s parent company, Higo, has nearly two decades of experience developing electronics systems for e-bikes. If you’ve used an e-bike, there’s a good chance you’ve already experienced their products. While Seekrun Canada is focusing on the dropper post, this the opposite of some small upstart brand. It is well established and very experienced.
Early review: Seekrun S7 just works
To be blunt, my experience with the S7 has been very positive. It is very smooth moving through its travel, with no sticking at the top or anywhere in its travel. Return speed is rapid. Lever position was finicky, but the lever feel is great. If this post is as durable as Seekrun claims, this is a big challenge to the “premium” competition.
To start with, though, instal was kind of finicky. Getting the seat angle set right wasn’t quite as easy as some other post head designs. Follow the instructions instead of winging it and it should be fine. Compared to any cable-actuated post, though? An absolute breeze.
I also found getting a perfect remote position tricky. The S7 remote also uses SRAM’s remote mounting design, so you can use other aftermarket clamps if you want.
The remote feel is great, though. The big button is nicer than SRAM’s tiny little pod buttons on the Reverb. It has a more tactile feel than a pod button, while still being much shorter throw than a mechanical dropper or even Fox’s Transfer Neo dropper. It’s easy to tell when you’re pressing the button and the post responds enthusiastically when you do. The S7 remote also uses SRAM’s remote mounting design, so you can use other aftermarket clamps if you want.
The post itself feels very smooth all through its travel. There’s no sticky moment before it moves, up or down. There’s no play or wiggle in the stanchion. While the top of the post is large, looking somewhat like a slightly bigger version of the original Reverb AXS post top, it otherwise looks like a more expensive product. It certainly doesn’t feel cheap, either.
Wireless dropper posts may be new to mountain biking but the wireless communication protocols that make them are anything but groundbreaking. In fact, Bluetooth, which Seekrun uses to help its remote talk to the post, was first introduced in 1998. So the idea that a Bluetooth version of an easily serviceable component, like a mechanical dropper post, would be impossible to service at home is a bit weird.
It also should be a surprise that another brand has come into this wildly overpriced space and made a product that works well.
There are newer Seekrun models that were spotted at various trade shows, including longer-travel versions. Some of those include new features that will suit mountain bikes (longer drop, adjustable drop via an app) and others that seem more commuter focused (like integrated rear lights). Honestly, as far as a no-nonsense dropper post, this one is already great. It goes up. It goes down. It does so smoothly and repeatedly. Durability remains to be fully tested but, after a couple months, is going strong.
Seekrun S7 is available in 30.9mm, 32.6mm and 34.9mm post diameters and four drop lengths (120mm, 120mm, 150mm and the 175mm tested here). The $320 price includes the remote, charger and one battery and a spare CR2032 coin cell battery for the remote. A spare battery is just $30. It is available directly from Seekrun Canada or through a network of local retailers from B.C. to Quebec.