Page 50 - MTBSA JAN 2020

ro is Shimano’s com- stems, and seatposts in the Pro I’ve been testing the Pro Koryak ON THE TRAIL
ponent brand whose line are rarely flashy, but they dropper post on my Orange P7
mission is (in part) to tend to be incredibly refined and hardtail over the past couple of
Pdeliver reliable, innovative solid items that should last a months, and I can confirm that
products that offer a good value long time. this dropper post lives up to the
to consumers. The handlebars, Pro label.

• 170mm travel (tested). INSTALLATION
70, 120, 150, and 170mm
versions available.
• 30.9mm diameter (tested).
The 70mm travel post is
available with a 27.2mm
diameter, while all others
can be had in 30.9mm or
31.6mm diameter.
• Weight: 535g
(170mm/30.9mm, actual)
• Replaceable air cartridge
• Single bolt head
• Shift lever style remote
included
• Internally- (tested) and
externally-routed models
available
• Aluminum alloy body
• Infinitely adjustable
• R4 326 MSRP (available at
Competitive Cyclist and
other online retailers)

Like other, newer mountain
bike dropper posts on the
market, the Pro Koryak features
a pinch bolt at the lever rather
than the base of the internally
routed post. This not only makes
installation much, much easier, Have you ever flipped on a light a “dumb” post. After a few It does let out a pretty a loud
it also makes swapping or switch, and thought, “Wow, that months of hard riding, the Pro thunk at the top of its travel
removing the post for transport light works great!” Me neither. Koryak reliably drops, and stays which is helpful to know when
a cinch. A fresh cable and But when I flip a switch and the dropped until I ask it to return. the seat is ready for sitting.
housing are included with the light doesn’t work, I immediately Ditto for going back down.
post. start cursing the bulb. Dropper IT’S NOT (TOO) AWKWARD TO
CONTROL
At the bar, the lever features a posts are sorta the same; we Truthfully a lot of sticky dropper The shift lever style remote
split clamp so there’s no need don’t get excited about what post issues have to do with the is intuitive to use and well
to slide the grip off during they do, we just get frustrated cable tension and not the post designed. The paddle size is
installation. I literally had the when they don’t do as they are itself. Still, Pro has done a good good, though it can be slippery
whole thing set up in 15 minutes, told. job with the actuator, cable, with certain gloves or when
and it was one of the most For that reason, I find myself and lever system making it easy used with a sweaty thumb. A
satisfying installs I’ve completed checking that a dropper post to dial in and to keep running nice rubberized coating would
in a while. doesn’t do certain things during smoothly, preventing some of be a welcome upgrade.
Pro uses a single-bolt clamp at testing. the issues that plague other
the seat and it’s actually quite posts I’ve tested. IT’S NOT HARD TO INSTALL
genius in its simplicity and IT DOESN’T HAVE ANY PLAY See the “Installation” section
My Pro Koryak hasn’t developed
operation. Not to say that it’s any — and I mean, not a single IT DOESN’T RETURN TO SLOWLY above.
perfect and a joy to use, but degree — of rotational “play” Return speeds on dropper posts
it’s less awful than the others at the saddle. The post keeps tend to vary quite a bit, and I CONCLUSION
I’ve fiddled with over the years. the saddle completely fixed think everyone can agree that The Pro Koryak mountain bike
Mounting the post to the rails and rattle-free for a solid, a slow dropper is almost as dropper post has proven to be
can be accomplished using just confidence-inspiring feel. bad as no dropper. Riders often easy to install and offers solid
one hand, and I didn’t lose any need to transition quickly from and reliable performance on the
nuts or bolts along the way. on the inside of where the rails angle. IT’S DOESN’T GET STUCK descending to climbing, and trail. While it doesn’t excel in any
Getting the saddle angle dialed attach, and they’re sorta held in The upshot is that angle is then One of the worst things a every second counts toward one area — it’s not the fastest,
was a bit tricky at first, until I place with friction. With a bit of set so the next time you swap dropper post can do is get making this feel smooth. I would lightest, or flashiest — it’s very,
understood how it works. There force, it’s possible to twist these the saddle, everything will still stuck, either in the up or down say the Pro Koryak is average very good at what it does. And
are two round plugs mounted rail supports to the desired be where you want it. position, rendering it essentially when it comes to return speed. that should please most riders.

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