For 2017 KS is releasing the LEV Circuit electronically actuated dropper, bumping up most of their posts to 175mm of travel and the light weight carbon LEV Ci now comes in longer travels versions now, including 175mm.
LEV Circuit
The new KS LEV Circuit is an electronically actuated dropper post that utilizes a hydraulic cartridge that offers infinite adjustability and comes in 100, 125, or 150mm of lengths of travel and 30.9 and 31.6mm diameters. The Circuit uses a piezoelectric motor located at the collar and is powered by a Lithium Ion battery that resides in the bottom of its outer tube. The motor is supposed to last for around 600 cycles before the battery needs to be recharged through its USB power connector. For protection and durability, the motor and transceiver reside together in a waterproof alloy housing. The saddle is held by a carbon fiber lower cradle and a micro adjustable head clamp with titanium bolts. It features their adjustable air sprung hydraulic cartridge, hard black anodized stanchions, one-way roller clutch bearings and an alloy mast.
An electronic Southpaw style handlebar remote communicates wirelessly via the Bluetooth 4.0 protocol to the motor’s transceiver for the droppers actuation. The wireless remote has a 3-axis adjustment to facilitate fine tuning the positioning and is powered by a coin cell battery. The Circuit will weigh between 538 to 608 grams, depending on the travel and should cost just under $600.
My brief show floor testing of the Circuit dropper post consisted of several iterations of the going up and down, and the lag time between the remotes input and saddle movement was almost indistinguishable compared to its regular brethren. The motor made a slight buzzing noise during actuation, and the remote had a distinct button like click to its tactile feel. Quick mini taps on the remotes paddle provided incremental movement of the saddle while holding it down pops the saddle to its top most position. I could easily see myself being happy with the speed of movement of the saddle throughout its travel.
LEV Ci
The new LEV Ci has a one-piece molded UD carbon fiber mast that utilizes a hydraulic cartridge that offers infinite adjustability and comes in 65, 100, 125, 150 and 175mm lengths of travel and 30.9 and 31.6mm diameters. The saddle is held by a carbon fiber micro adjustable head clamp with titanium bolts. It features their adjustable air sprung hydraulic cartridge, hard black anodized stanchions, one-way roller clutch bearings and a recourse ultralight cable system. The weight saving with the carbon fiber mast is around 200g compared to its regular brethren, and the 150mm comes in at 423g, and the 175mm is 458g, which is pretty darn light for a dropper post. It comes with an ODI lock-on compatible remote with a carbon fiber lever.
Misc Posts
The LEV, LEV Integra, and LEV DX all get the new 175mm travel length while the LEV Si gets bumped up to 150mm. Most of the posts get the redesigned head and saddle clamp system which is supposed to be more reliable, robust and quieter (no squeaks). The OEM spec’ed LEX Si dropper post uses a new cost saving keyway system.
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