£360/£70 Premium gravel-specific dropper post
ENVE’S ALLOY DROPPER POST looks different from most of its rivals. The inverted design where the wider part of the post sits at the top of the seatpost makes plenty of sense for gravel bikes. Since the wider portion slides over the seatpost, you can use this dropper with saddle packs. Its 27.2mm diameter is what many gravel bikes use, making for better compatibility. It also has a much lower stack height, which will appeal to riders with smaller bike frames.
Because the air cartridge that makes the post drop is at the top of the post, it also means that, unlike most dropper posts, this one can be cut down, which would help shed significant weight on smaller frames. Not that the Enve post is hefty: my uncut test sample weighs in at 401.6g for the uncut, 370mm-long post. Add in 68.5g for the cable outer, 26.6g for the cable and 36.6g for the G-series lever and the total 533.3g compares favourably with FSA’s Flowtron AGX dropper at 510g (not including the remote lever and cables), Brand-X’s Ascend 2 (618g plus cable and remote), Crank Brother Highline Gravel at 369g plus remote and cable, and Rockshox Reverb XPLR at 597g.
Fitting is straightforward, though you’ll need a long 8mm Allen key. The remote lever is a smart design with an L-shaped trigger you pull to actuate from the hoods and push to drop from the drops. While it works ergonomically, it does stick up from the bar more than FSA’s slimline lever and the lever Shimano use on their Pro Discover dropper post.
Unlike a lot of gravel-specific droppers that double
