X-FUSION MANIC

£240

SPECIFICATION Weight: 570g, remote 52g • Drop: 100, 125, 150, 170 and 190mm • Sizes: 30.9mm, 31.6mm • Contact: upgradebikes.co.uk

It looks like X-fusion’s Manic dropper has gone up £20 since we tested it over a year ago, but it’s only the new 170mm version at this price, the shorter lengths are still £220.

At the heart of the Manic is a fully sealed, hydraulic cartridge, which does penalise the weight, but it also brings with it increased reliability and ease of servicing – if it goes wrong, you can simply plug in a new one.

Being cable activated and routed from the top down, the Manic is very easy to set up. To allow infinite adjustment to tilt and angle, the Manic BAT handlebar remote features a sort of ball-and-socket mechanism, which is locked down via a 10mm hex nut. It has a great shape, and while the hinged clamp allows easy handlebar installation, there’s no Matchmaker mounting option. We’d also recommend putting a dab of Loctite on the nut’s fixing threads because it can work loose.

The remote has a light action in the initial part of the stroke, but there is quite a lot of throw; if you have a short thumb you may struggle with activation. The action does feel precise and instant, allowing you to be really spot on with height changes, say when charging on undulating terrain. It’s not as smooth as the Oneup and Bike Yoke droppers, but it has a smoother top out.

Previously we criticised the X-fusion post for having a slightly higher ream depth – this is actually the amount of post that sits in the frame – but that’s offset on the Manic somewhat by its incredibly shallow collar. This reduces the drop height by 10-15mm and makes a big difference to saddle clearance. It also allows you to fit a longer post when you’re pushed for space or in between frame sizes.

A tiny bit of play has developed in the upper shaft during testing, but this is a sleek, efficient and great value dropper, with one of the best remotes, that’s fully adjustable to any angle.