[First Ride] PNW’s 200mm ‘Loam’ Dropper Seatpost

PNW Components recently sent us a sample of their all new Loam seatpost, which comes in at $ 40 less, 18mm shorter and roughly 40 grams lighter than its predecessor – the Bachelor. There’s more to the story with a host of other updates and smart features to go over. We’ll be running a long term test over the coming months, but for now here is a breakdown of the new seatpost’s features and highlights.

Details

• $ 199 USD
• Diameters: 30.9mm 31.6mm 34.9mm
• Max travel: 125mm, 150mm, 170mm, 200mm
• Adjustable pressure
• 597 grams (our scale, 31.6mm X 200mm)
• Tool-less Travel Adjust
• 3 year warranty

The collar receives an update with new graphics and a rubber band, which makes travel adjustments much easier. Since the brand is located in well…the PNW, they designed things around bad weather. Low viscosity hydraulic fluid and temperature resistant seals help keep things moving freely when it’s cold and nasty outside.

You can also color coordinate your ride with the 8 colors shown above, or black as standard.

Travel adjustments can be made in a few seconds by simply rotating the white plastic travel limiter shown above.

While the actuator shown above might look pretty familiar and run of the mill, upon closer inspection you’ll notice that it runs on a linkage with two small parallel plates. As a result, the action at the lever is very light and super smooth.

The head is pretty standard – it uses 5mm allen keys, but I’ve found they’re a bit longer than most, leaving room for a wider array of seat angles. Removing the parts from the head reveals the valve, which you can adjust to get the perfect return speed.

The seatpost comes in at a fairly competitive 597 grams, excluding lever. Our version is the 31.6 X 200mm travel option. It earned part of its 40 gram weight loss by switching from a steel to an alloy cartridge as well as a redesigned and strengthened stanchion.

First Impressions

After a super easy setup, I’ve only gotten one ride aboard the new Loam seatpost. So far, so good but it’s way too early for a long term review. It has no play, is both highly and easily customizable all around and has very smooth action. Time will tell how it fares in the long haul, but I think it will be competitive at just $ 199. We’ll keep you posted on progress in a few months.

www.pnwcomponents.com