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EUROBIKE 2015 | Crankbrothers Highline dropper seatpost

01.09.2015
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Crankbrothers had far more surprises in store at EUROBIKE than just the new Mallet E-Pedal, and one of said highlights took the form of the very promising-looking Highline dropper post. After their previous model, the Kronolog, failed to really take off on the market, their newest creation should mark a change in the tide.

Details

Die Crankbrothers Highline-Sattelstütze: 125 mm Verstellweg zu einem Preis von rund 350 €.
The Crankbrothers Highline seatpost: 125 mm of travel and a price tag of around 350 €.

The highline is controlled mechanically but there are gas pistons in the post itself. With a diameter of 30.9 or 31.6 mm, the Highline measures 400 mm and offers a continually adjustable 125 mm of travel. A model with 150 mm travel is set to follow shortly. Including the control lever and cable, which will be internally routed, the post weighs in at 580 g and retails at 350 €.

Lever

Der Griff ist sowohl links wie rechts, oben oder unten montierbar und dank Kugelgelenk perfekt auf die Vorlieben des Fahrers abstimmbar.
The lever can be mounted on the left, right, top or bottom, and thanks to its ball joint, can be finely tweaked to suit the rider.

The Highline’s lever been painstaking well designed to ensure that you’re in control of it in any situation, largely thanks to the universal clasp which means that the lever can take pretty much any position on the bars. While super ergonomical, the actual lever still retains the shift-lever design and can be placed on either side of the bars to ensure an easy adjustment of the seatpost. The addition of a high quality Jagwire cable should relieve any weakness in the usage.

Seatpost

Hochwertige Igus-Gleitlager sorgen für ein reibungsarmes Absenken und zwei rechteckige Führungen im Inneren für die Verdrehsicherung.
High quality IGUS bearings promise a frictionless drop in the saddle, and two rectangular guides in the interior ensure no rotation occurs.
Der Gasdruckkolben macht die Highline besonders wartungsarm.
Thanks to the gas piston, the Highline won’t require much maintenance.

The actual highlight on the Highline is hidden inside where the gas-powered cartridge works, meaning the Highline seatpost won’t demand much servicing and – in contrast to many of its competitors – this will never need to be pumped up. The head of the seatpost is testament to the fine detail that Crankbrothers have bestowed on this seatpost – it’s very minimal in its design and is therefore also an interesting proposition for frames that are high. The post also features two Alan bolts to secure the saddle, which open outwards as you’re fixing the saddle, so there’s no need to fully unscrew them and you subsequently won’t have to thrash around on the floor looking for them as they attempt to roll off.

Die ausklappbaren Schrauben erleichtern die Montage des Sattels.
The fact that the Alan bolts unscrew outwards makes fixing the saddle much simpler.
Noch einfacher wird die Montage durch die Steckverbindung zwischen Stütze und Auslöseeinheit.
The new connector between the seatpost and the cablehose makes the installation even easier.

Even better: The seatpost is connected to the control lever via a sophisticated system that makes setting it up incredibly simple – after threading the cable and its sheath through the frame, you just have to plug it into the post and turn it by a quarter of a turn and ta-da, the connection is secured. The entire process takes just a few minutes so no more wild fumbling with the cable to reach tiny holes, or having the hassle of bleeding after you’ve set up a hydraulic seatpost system.

For more information visit: crankbrothers.com

Words: Daniel Schlicke Photos: Christoph Bayer

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