PNW Components make a number of dropper lever aftermarket upgrades and the Loam Lever is one of them. Ben has been putting it through its paces.
Can PNW Components revive the performance of a budget dropper post and will it be better than a more expensive offering? Ben Plenge has been testing out the Loam Lever to see what it can do.
Key features:
- Compatible with all cable-operated droppers.
- Accepts cable routing from either direction.
- CNC machined throughout.
- Injection moulded thumb grip.
- 22.2mm hinge, SRAM Match Maker X and Shimano ISpec models.
- 48g (22.2mm clamp version).
- £66.00 RRP
- PNWComponents.com
The Loam Lever from PNW Components promises to be the most ergonomic, most
adjustable and best dropper remote on the market, and for £66, it had better be all three.
Recently I have been riding a Haibike E-Bike which comes with an own-brand entry level
dropper post. Right from day one, it was stiff and hard to operate, especially as a crash
had left me with a bit of a sore thumb. I decided to fit the Loam Lever to this bike, to see if
it could elevate the performance of the post.
Fitting it was very simple and you can immediately see that this is a very well-engineered
and refined product. It offers a lot of adjustment, allowing you to fine tune exactly where
the lever sits in relation to the bars and to your other controls.
The improvement was immediate and rather surprising. It went from being a horrible
feeling post, to feeling as light and tactile as the best posts on the market. The lever
action is smooth and the small rubber pad offers loads of grip in wet conditions.
What do we think?
I would recommend the PNW Loam Lever as a great way to improve the performance of a
budget dropper post. At £66 I probably would not buy one to replace the lever on a quality
post with a good lever action unless the old one was broken.
We love:
- Easy to fit.
- Excellent adjustment.
- Transforms budget dropper performance.
- Well-engineered.
Could do better:
- Arguably not better than a quality dropper lever.
