PNW Components are an exciting new player on the scene. Rider owned, the company is built on the ethos of offering quality products at an affordable price. With one of the best remotes in our test, can the Bachelor deliver good times on the trail?
Here you’ll find an overview of the best mountain bike dropper posts in review.
PNW Components don’t sponsor race teams or go crazy with huge advertising campaigns, choosing instead to let their products speak for themselves. If their new PWN Bachelor post and Loam Lever are anything to go by, they have found the winning formula. PWN carry a range of posts for all budgets, from the affordable and basic € 159 Ridge dropper to the € 255 Bachelor tested here. The top-of-the line Bachelor post is available in 150, 170 and a towering 200 mm drop. Made from 7075 aluminium, the post gives off a high-quality vibe, with neat laser etching, graduated insertion marks on the post body and the coolest logo in the group. The standard two-bolt head is basic and lacks any angle guide marks, but works well with no creaking or slipping. Inside the post is a non-user-servicable hydraulic cartridge, with an adjustable spring pressure that allows you to tailor the return speed. The post uses the common IFP system, thought the cartridge has an internal threshold valve to stop oil and air mixing should you lift the bike from a dropped post – a problem that plagues many other IFP posts.
We experienced no issues at all during testing. No binding, no creaks and the post has a three year warranty should any problems occur.
| Post | Price | Total length1 | Max insertion2 | Ride height3 | Stack height4 | Travel [mm] | Weight (incl. remote) | Mechanism |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PNW Bachelor | € 255/€ 74 | 500 mm | 275 mm | 225 mm | 57 mm | 125 – 150 – 170 – 200 | 590 g | Cable |
Installation is quick and easy as the cable length adjustments are made at the remote end. In our view this is by far the better option. The twin bolt head is simple to use and the conical nuts don’t fall out as easily as the standard barrel form used by other posts. In use the big DU bushing at the top of the post means no play at all. None at all! Actuation and operation are very smooth, and we found the best return speeds with an air spring pressure of around 275 psi.
On the trail, the only negative we experienced was that the big collar does mean that the post has a higher 57 mm stack height. That’s 17 mm more than the best in this test, which may be a factor for short legged riders looking for the maximum drop. Saving the best for last, we come to the remote. This is where PNW Components plays their trump card. The PNW Loam Lever is one of the best remotes on the market. It costs €74, but will improve the ergonomics of any post (except of course the hydraulic Reverb). The CNCed aluminium lever is compatible with all posts that clamp the cable at the remote and runs on a huge sealed bearing. It has a grippy, injection moulded pad for grip in bad weather and is available in five colours. Highly adjustable, it was the lever than got our test team most excited with no wobble or play, just responsive and tunable control. The Loam Lever is compatible with all mounting systems and even comes in 100% recycled packaging. Combined with the PNW Bachelor, it’s a fantastic combination.
Conclusion
The PNW Bachelor is an outstanding post. Reliable, good looking and offering perfect functionality. Combined with the Loam Lever it is a class leading package at a great price. If an ultra-low stack height is not your main concern, then this is the post we would buy.
Tops
- loam Lever best in test
- faultless performance
Flops
- stack height not the lowest
- no angle marks on saddle clamp
For more info head to: pnwcomponents.com
Here you’ll find an overview of the best mountain bike dropper posts in review.
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