[Review] SDG Tellis Dropper

When we heard that legendary saddle maker SDG was launching a dropper seatpost, it certainly made sense. Shortly after the launch, we got our hands on a 150mm version and installed it on our daily trail bike to put it through the paces. Read on to see what we thought of the “Tellis”…

Details

• Internal Routed, Infinitely Adjustable Design: 125mm and 150mm Travel
• Fully Sealed Alloy Cage / Stainless Tip Cartridge System  
• 3D Forged Head w/ 7075-T6 Forged Clamp
•  Keyway System Ensures Minimal Play
• Easiest Installation – Cable Head Attaches At Base
• Cold Weather Approved – Tested Down To -20C
• 1x Lever included w/ Premium Jagwire Lex Slick Housing, Stainless Cable & Hardware
• Global Backend Support, Service Parts & Instructions Readily Available
• $269 USD

The ‘Industry Leading Featherlight Thumb Actuation’ holds to be mostly true, in the sense it is easy to depress the thumb paddle, but not necessarily noticeably easier than some other options available.  The lever body is sleek and easy to install, featuring a small hinge, which makes it so you don’t have to remove the grip and front brake lever for installation and removal. 

The clamp is just like that of other posts, SDG didn’t utilize their I-Beam system, though we’d hope to see a post with that option in the future, as it’s incredibly easy to install and adjust I-Beam seats, saving time, and curse words.

The all black post has an efficient dust wiper, we simply wiped it down and put some drops of wet lube on the seal here and there, like that of a fork seal. We never experienced issues with the post having side to side or vertical play, even after the test period, everything has remained tight. Something that did stand out about the Tellis is its short stack height, 440mm and an additional 27mm for the actuator. A great option for bikes with shorter seat tubes.

The post weighs 552g (30.9x150mm), 36g (Lever), ~87g (Housing & Cable), a reasonable weight in comparison to other options.

On the Trail

The 150mm post was perfect for our size medium Giant Reign. We’d imagine a 170mm version may be the ticket for some taller riders with longer legs and larger frames. The Tellis works as it should, and over our test period of a few solid months of riding, we’ve found that SDG packed all the features a good post should have into a sealed cartridge, affordable and serviceable product. The replacement cartridge kit is only $44.99 USD.

The lever action is smooth and easy to actuate, which can be crucial when suddenly dropping into a steep chute, or quickly up shifting for a steep punchy climb. The Tellis is infinitely adjustable, something we very much like, and it raises/drops at a well controlled speed, not overly fast, where it might catch you off guard, but not painfully slow where you’re waiting for it. The post’s cable is clamped at the lever, which makes for an easy install, or cable swap. We found some cable slip during the first ride and needed to re-tighten the set screw, after which everything ran smoothly. The small raised bumps on the concave thumb paddle indeed help with grip, which is nice, as the last thing you want to worry about is missing the lever or sliding off of it.

Overall

The SDG Tellis post is incredibly easy to install, requiring only rudimentary tools, and just 15 minutes of your time.  Between spare parts being available online, helpful customer service, and a very fair price point, we’d recommend the Tellis to any rider considering a new 150mm dropper.