BRAND-X ASCEND XL
£169.99
SPECIFICATION Weight: 617g, remote 33g • Drop: 100, 125, 150, 170 and 200mm • Sizes 30.9mm, 31.6mm • Contact: hotlines-uk.co.uk
Brand-x has added two XL (extra-long) lengths to the Ascend range, with 170mm and 200mm drop respectively. These are £30 more than the regular Ascend droppers, but come in the same 30.9mm and 31.6mm sizes and use an identical remote. This is an underbar 1x with a hinged clamp for ease of fitting, but the adjustment is minimal. You can shuffle it along the handlebar and rotate it, but the lever isn’t independently adjustable on the clamp. It also features a fiddly cable anchor assembly, which kept falling out when we were trying to get it set up.
We’ve got the 170mm model for this test and while the collar isn’t the thinnest, it has average insert depth. The head features a tiny bit of offset and twin bolt fixing for precise saddle adjustment.
On previous Ascend posts you could adjust the air pressure and resulting return rate, but there’s no such facility on the new XL. That said, it is pretty quick and does return with a satisfying clunk. It’s not the smoothest action compared to the Bike Yoke Revive, but it’s on a par with the Crankbrothers and Giant.
The inner cable quality isn’t that great and it did start to feel pretty sticky after a few months riding, so we’d definitely upgrade the inner before you even fit it. And if you want the post to feel smoother we’d splash the cash on a better remote too.
To keep play to a minimum, it runs on four brass sliders and there’s a simple Delrin bushing underneath the collar. A tiny bit of play has developed over the last few months, but it’s marginal.
This post works in exactly the same way as any other on test and yes there are smoother more durable posts, with better remotes, but we literally can’t fault the Brand-x Ascend for the price. Few droppers come in five lengths and none are this cheap – you can pick this up for £99 on CRC (the shorter posts are £89) making this a bargain and easily the best value post here.