Simple, Affordable and Long Travel

Dropper posts have become a necessity for the modern trail rider and have changed the way that frame designers approach the future. The prices have been high, and durability, along with serviceability, have been questionable, but riders have been willing to make certain sacrifices to get that extra clearance when descending. E*Thirteen released a prototype of a new dropper at Eurobike last summer and finally released the production model a couple months ago.

Within the last year, we have tested droppers from Fox, RockShox, Bontrager and Crankbrothers, and put the TRS+ post up against the rest of the batch. Over weeks of riding in wet and dry conditions, our test riders came away with some interesting feedback on the new TRS+.

Tech Info: E*Thirteen makes some big claims regarding its new TRS+ post, especially when it comes to the simplicity of the design. The TRS+ is a completely mechanical build that uses springs (as opposed to a hydraulic cartridge) to actuate the travel. This post can be taken apart by any savvy DIY mechanic or local bike shop. E*Thirteen designed the TRS+ with two different travel options—125 or 150 millimeters, with four preset increments in each. We opted for the longer 150-millimeter post that is set at 150, 125, 75 and 0 millimeters.

The most notable design feature is the new lever that sits comfortably on the left side of the bars in place of a front shifter. The lever has plenty of room for adjustment and gives riders the ability to dial in the lever throw. A nice touch is grip tape on the lever for a little extra confidence. It offers a user-friendly design, a reasonable price of $280 and a weight of 578 grams for the post.

On the Trail: The TRS+ is one seriously long post; there is no way around it. We were a little surprised at the overall length of 527 millimeters for the 150-millimeter-travel post. For comparison, the RockShox Reverb is 480 millimeters in overall length for the 170-millimeter-travel option. This makes the insertion length longer than other 150-millimeter-travel posts on the market. Fortunately, once installed, the 125-millimeter preset increment fit our main test rider perfectly in terms of leg extension. We installed the remote lever and dialed in the lever throw to our desired position with no hiccups. Dropper posts are only as good as their remotes, and the E*Thirteen remote is one of the best that we have used thus far.

Once on the trail, our test riders were impressed with how smooth the travel felt and how quickly the post would drop when we pressed the remote. The internal spring makes a bit of noise when activated, but nothing that bothered our test riders when riding. The grip tape on the remote made the lever easy to find on high-speed, technical descents and kept our thumbs from slipping on rolling bits of trail. The return of the TRS+ is quick. It jumps up to the full travel in the blink of an eye. Finding the preset 125-millimeter increment was difficult on rolling terrain, though.

For the price, the TRS+ performs well and is easy to work on. If you are looking for your first (or last) dropper and aren’t concerned about weight, the TRS+ is a good option. Just be sure to measure your minimum insertion length to make sure this post will fit your current setup.

Hits:

• Consistent

• Durable

• Affordable

• Awesome remote design

Misses:

• Long insertion length

• Heavy

THERE ARE SO MANY WAYS TO GET ELECTRIC BIKE ACTION