Love them or not there is no denying dropper posts add to the fun factor for mountain biking. But, they gotta work! Unfortunately, reliability isn’t something that many dropper posts are known for. It really sucks to have a big ride foiled by a post that won’t stay up. I’ve always heard good things about the reliability of the previous Fox Doss so I was excited to put this post through the paces with my ass and thumb.
Details: Fox Transfer Performance – MSRP – $329 with lever, 31.6mm/125mm drop, 591 grams with lever
Available in 30.9 and 31.6 mm diameter; 100, 125 and 150mm lengths with or without the remote lever.
Despite some minor nitpicks I am a fan of the Transfer after 8 months of use on two different Ibis Ripley LS’s. The lever-action is smooth and the actual remote lever is one of the better “stock levers” on the market despite a relatively small contact surface. If buying aftermarket though, I would opt to purchase the post without the Fox lever. As mentioned previously in our Wolftooth ReMote Review the Transfer lever is $65 and the much nicer Wolftooth is only $60. I highly recommend the Wolftooth lever.
Installation is a breeze with cable head coming from the post and adjusted at the lever. Height markings on the back of the post are also a nice feature for seat-height reference. The post is a bit on the long side – Compared to other 125mm posts the Transfer is 45mm’s longer than a KS Lev and 25mm’s longer than a Rock Shox Reverb. This may be an issue for some especially if you want longer than 125mm dropper.
After months of riding in everything from dusty Arizona to some really wet western North Carolina spring conditions the actuation of the post remains the same as new with zero maintenance. I nearly use the post as much as my shifter from techy climbs to flat corners so reliability appears to be a strength of the Transfer.
[fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”]
From new, I had an issue that sounds to be fairly common with the post sinking 5-10mm’s after a few minutes in the saddle. I overlooked it for a while to see if it changed. It didn’t so I gave in and sent it in for warranty. This was a fairly quick and pleasant process with Fox until I received a post with more damage than it was initially sent in with. The post came back with 5-6 small nicks around the post slider. The packaging wasn’t damaged, so I assume it was damaged while being serviced. My email to Fox warranty regarding the issue was ignored.
Nitpicks:
- There is a small amount of play side to side (see the end of below video). Not a big deal as most other (not all) have similar issues and it hasn’t changed after 8 months of riding.
- The lever is pretty good, but a little on the small side and the cable fixing screw is in a very awkward place behind the lever.
- As the post reaches full extension there is a very noticeable clunk (video below). Not huge, since it’s nice to be able to hear that the post has reached full extension.
- The hydraulic cartridge is not user serviceable and has to be sent into Fox for any repairs. Considering the issues I experienced with my initial warranty I don’t really like this.
[/fusion_builder_column][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”]
Overall the Fox Transfer is one of the better posts out there. It’s probably the best dropper that comes with a complete bike build. After the initial warranty, the post has remained trouble-free. The action is smooth, quick and reliable. What more can you ask for? Well, I am riding another post at the moment that I like better. I’ll let that post remain secret till the upcoming review coming very soon. Hint: Canadian company.[/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]
