PNW Components’ Loam Dropper made its name for being reliable and affordable. Although spendier, the brand’s second go at the Loam Dropper brings great performance, good durability, and plenty of travel in a new, shiny silver package. While it’s been dependable enough, it has needed a touch of care for consistent performance, and it’s a shame not to see a 240mm travel option, but for the price, it’s tough to go wrong.
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PNW Components Loam Dropper Gen 2 – Technical details
Although the second-generation dropper post brings a few PNW hallmarks to the party, such as its adjustable travel and rubberized collar (which can be swapped for different colours), the brand has brought a host of changes in a bid to elevate its reliable performance. The most obvious of which is the new silver colour that stretches over the whole of the dropper. That silver coating is a hard anodising and PNW reckons it’s just as durable as the black anodising that’s also on offer.
The new dropper is available in a wider range of travels, from 125mm up to 225mm, and, of course, each model provides a heft of travel adjustability in 5mm increments, so the overall travel can be shortened to match your inseam and bike size to a tee. Additionally, PNW has shaved off the chamfer that was found underneath the collar of the original post, allowing for deeper seat tube insertion and the ability to run more travel.
On that subject, the Loam Dropper uses a similar clamp design to what’s found on OneUp Components’ V3 Dropper Post, where the rail clamp sits slightly lower than the top of its head. Again, that allows the user to squeeze in more travel.
As for the cartridge, this time it’s a fully sealed dual-chamber cartridge, so there’s no adjustability for air pressure and return speed. However, the post comes in all of the modern diameters, so that’s 30.9, 31.6, and 34.9mm.
Just like all modern droppers, this one relies on stealth cable routing, so you’ll need an internally routed frame, and like many, the ball end of a cable joins to the actuator at the very bottom of the dropper. This then opens it up to be combined with a range of levers. I’ve got the limited edition Range Lever, but there are tonnes of compatible ones to choose from.
As for weight, the Loam Dropper comes in at 567g, which is seven grams more than claimed, but it’s competitive against the likes of Wolf Tooth Components’ Resolve dropper at 555g with the same travel and diameter.
PNW Components Loam Dropper Gen 2 – Performance
One thing that the new dropper carries over from the old is its smoothness. It’s mighty smooth when dropping and raising the post, and throughout my whole test, that’s not wained in any measure. The return speed hits a good balance between ball-strikingly fast and leisurely, which is a great thing, as PNW has done away with any kind of return speed adjustment. In my books, that doesn’t pose a disadvantage because pressurising an air chamber with a shock pump can be fiddly.
In all honesty, there’s not all that much to say about the Loam Dropper because it simply works and has done so reliably throughout the summer. That said, in the latter stages of my test, I did notice that it slowed down a touch. At first, I found that the post’s collar was a little over-tightened, so winding that back a hair brought a bit more pep in its step. A quick clean and a smidgeon of lube under the collar’s seal put life back into the post completely.
The travel adjust feature is a little different from what we’ve seen before, not in action but in how it’s designed. It’s the same as the old post, and many others with similar features, where you undo the collar and press the lever to reveal a nylon bushing, but its steps are rounded to help with longevity. Give this a turn and you’ll limit the travel by five millimetres. It’s a remarkably simple and easy method of travel adjustment that you’ll only have to touch once, if at all. Just don’t over-tighten it when putting it all back together.
With the new silver colourway, PNW has aimed to create a similar level of durability to its black anodisation, and it’s still looking incredibly fresh after months of use. With that silver colour, the brand is also bringing a welcome hint of ‘different’ into the black or Kashima-coloured world of dropper posts. Although it might be something of a fringe choice, I’m a fan, and the fact that it’s showing to be no different durability-wise is an excellent sign.
There’s incredibly little to dislike about the Loam Dropper. It’s reliable, especially with a touch of TLC, good-looking looking and nothing short of modern. But there’s one thing that will put a few people off – there’s no 240mm option. With many new bikes coming with uber short seat tubes, choosing the Loam Dropper will mean that you won’t be squeezing as much drop, or travel, in as possible. But those super-long droppers tend to be pricier, so the brand has hit a real balance here.
PNW Components Loam Dropper Gen 2 – Verdict
One of those pricier droppers is OneUp Components’ V3 Dropper Post. It costs £290, but it’s lighter, at a claimed 515g on the 210mm post, and it comes in a 240mm drop option. It also packs 20mm worth of travel adjustment in 10mm increments. It’s similar in dimensions, however, with the Loam Post’s stack height being 231mm, while a 200mm (adjusted) V3 Dropper is 230mm. The Loam dropper is only two millimetres longer in overall length, too.
Wolf Tooth’s Resolve dropper post is worth a gander. It also comes with travel adjustment, but it’s not as straightforward as what you’ll find on the Loam Dropper. It is built with fancy self-bleeding tech, however, its travel lengths are more limited. That’ll set you back £380.
If you look the other way, there’s PNW’s own Range Dropper. It comes in at £154, but it’s weightier, taller in stack, and its travel isn’t adjustable. That said, it’s still an excellent budget dropper post.
With an added bit of love, PNW Components has brought yet another mega-reliable dropper post to the market. Yes, it benefits from a little bit of a clean and regrease perhaps sooner than I’d have thought, but it’s an attractive, modern, and well-priced bit of kit. It would be good to see a longer travel option available, however.
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Cartridge: PNW Dual-Chamber Sealed
Routing: Internal
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