7.3 seatpost

Internally-Routed Dropper Post Installation

Internally-Routed Dropper Post Installation. Step-by-step procedure for bike maintenance — tools, time, and what to watch out for.

Difficulty ★★★ advanced
Time ~45 min
Applies to Bikes with internally-routed dropper posts (mostly MTB, increasingly Gravel)

Tools

  • Cable cutter
  • hex keys
  • dropper-specific cable end (housing ferrule or barbed insert)
  • torque wrench
  • grease

Procedure

  1. Determine cable routing path

    through your frame — usually through the seat tube, exiting at the BB area, routed forward to the lever.

  2. Install the lever

    on the handlebar at desired position. Tighten clamp.

  3. Run the cable from the lever down to the BB area

    , threading housing through frame guides as designed for your frame.

  4. Insert the housing through the seat tube

    from the bottom upward, until it exits the top of the seat tube.

  5. Connect housing to post

    depends on post brand:

    • OneUp: cable routes to the bottom of the post, secured with a barb fitting.
    • RockShox Reverb (cable-actuated AXS): wireless, no cable — just install the post.
    • Fox Transfer: cable secures at the bottom of the post head with a small clamp.

  6. Pre-fit the post

    into the seat tube to confirm cable length is correct.

  7. Once length is set

    • Cut the housing to length.
    • Cap with appropriate ferrule.
    • Connect cable end to the post per the post's instructions.

  8. Apply grease/carbon paste

    to the post stanchion below the seat tube clamp area.

  9. Insert the post

    , set height, tighten clamp.

  10. Adjust lever cable tension

    so the post actuates when the lever is pulled fully but doesn't actuate at rest. Most posts have a barrel adjuster on the lever or post for fine-tuning.

  11. Test

    push the lever, the post should drop when weighted; release, and the post should rise smoothly without sticking.