I’m a fan of dropper posts on gravel bikes because where I live, descents can get pretty steep. My pick this week is the Crank Brothers Highline Dropper Post for gravel bikes. The challenge with dropper posts is that most of them are made in larger diameters—generally 30.9, 31.6 or 34.9mm. Most gravel bikes have a seat tube inner diameter of 27.2mm. That’s because larger diameter seat tubes give gravel bikes a harsher ride. And yes, you really can tell the difference. That’s because the stiffness that comes with an increase in diameter isn’t linear; rather, it’s a squared function.
The Crank Brothers Highline XC/Gravel dropper post comes in a 27.2mm diameter and four different travel lengths: 60, 80, 100 and 125mm, plus the 60mm comes in a short version so that it can be used in frames with a short seat tube or one with bottle bosses that limit seatpost insertion.
This is an internally routed dropper post, which means you will need to be able to route the cable housing internally through the seat tube, either through a port in the seat tube or one in the down tube in a frame that allows you to pass the housing above or around the bottom bracket.
The “Gen 2” remote (sold separately) for the Highline takes a different shape than the previous version and, if I’m honest, I like the old one better. The paddle for your thumb when in the drops is larger and doesn’t taper to a point. The Shimano PRO dropper lever is more to my liking and you can find it here.