Product Review: SDG Tellis Dropper Post
SDG TELLIS DROPPER POST
Dropper posts have become an item many riders, including the EBA crew, can’t live without. The craze for seatposts that adjust up and down with the simple push of a handlebar-mounted remote has created fierce competition in the industry. Today, it seems like everyone and their mother offer a dropper post with some unique design element. SDG, on the other hand, decided to make a bulletproof dropper built to handle the abuse of year-round mountain biking. We routed the cable and clamped one of SDG’s Tellis posts to our trusty test bike to see if the well-known saddle company could produce a top-notch dropper.
Tech features: Although SDG is known for its line of saddles, the company wanted to take its product line a step further. What better way to do that than to manufacture a component that attaches the saddle to your bike. A dropper post is a fairly simple design, but creating one that works reliably and offers durability is a whole different story. SDG spent two years developing and testing the Tellis post around the world to ensure it could perform in the best and worst conditions. SDG offers the Tellis in four travel options, ranging from 100mm to 170mm. We opted for the 170mm post attached to our Santa Cruz Bronson.
Tellis posts are available in 30.9mm or 31.6mm seat tube diameters. SDG claims the Tellis can operate in negative-degree temperatures should you be crazy enough to ride in that kind of weather. The post features a sealed hydraulic cartridge system and comes with a handlebar-mounted remote. Speaking of the remote, SDG also claims its post has the lightest feel on the market, offering ease of actuation. Service parts should be easy to come by, and a two-year warranty is offered should you have any problems. The Tellis post retails for $270 anywhere SDG products are sold.
Field test results: Installing our dropper post was an uneventful process. We didn’t have issues with setup. We wouldn’t exactly want to train a monkey to do this task, but we’re confident most riders could pull off this job in their garages so long as they don’t run into issues with their frames’ cable routing. Once the post was installed, we were quite pleased with the results. The post offered a moderate return speed, which seemed to be the right balance between an awkward encounter and a late arrival. The remote offered a light touch; however, the rider has to sit into it a little harder than other posts to set it in motion. The remote is only designed to work with its own handlebar mount, so if you’re looking to clean up your handlebars with fewer clamps, you’ll have to opt for an aftermarket remote. Throughout our testing, the Tellis continued to perform well and offered minimal play in its fully extended position. Overall, the Tellis earned the respect of our test riders due to its ease of installation and consistent reliability.
Hits
• Reliable and durable
• Multiple travel options
• Light lever feel
Misses
• Requires an extra push to engage travel
• Remote has only one clamp option