Adjustable height seatposts, or dropper posts, as they’re more commonly referred to, have been around for years but 2011 looks set to be the year that many more riders adopt the concept of being able to drop the saddle at the flick of a switch.

While the RockShox Reverb has undoubtedly been taking much praise since it launched recently, there are other options if you’re in the market including X-Fusion’s Hilo post, one of which has just arrived on my desk for testing.

The X-Fusion is considerably cheaper than RockShox’s offering, priced at £199.99. And unlike the Reverb, it’s also available in a 27.2mm size, along with 30.9mm and 31.6mm diameters too. So if you’ve been put off by a dropper seatpost because they haven’t been available to fit your bike, you’re now covered.

There’s 100mm of adjustability from the hydraulic internals, and a double key-way design prevents the saddle twisting, and there’s a small amount of setback in head, with a single bolt saddle clamp design. Inside the box there’s both a small lever that attaches directly to the post, or a handlebar mounted remote lever. We’re going to install the later: part of the beauty of a dropper post is being able to quickly hit the lever and drop your saddle as you’re beginning a descent or technical section where you want increased chuckability.The remote lever uses a simple gear cable to actuate the dropper mechanism. Weight for the post is 620g (1.36lbs).

I’m going to stick the post in a test bike and report back very soon with my first ride impressions.

£199 from www.upgradebikes.co.uk

www.xfusionshox.com