Review: BikeYoke 213mm Revive Max 2.0 Dropper Post

May 5, 2022
by Matt Beer  
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The BikeYoke Revive Max 2.0 34.9mm post with 213mm of drop fits the bill for bikes with long reaches, and low standover heights. Why is that? Well, manufacturers have been increasing seat tube angles, pushing the saddle further forward because they position your body in a centered, upright posture for more efficient climbing.

That means the post is under your hips, making it challenging to lower your body for descending, which is why longer travel posts are becoming commonplace across all new generation geometry frame sizes.

BikeYoke Revive Max 2.0 - 213 Details

Diameter: 34.9mm
Travel: 213mm
Stanchion Diameter: 28mm
Weight: 690g post w/ hardware, 31g Triggy Short Lever
Price: €440 - post, €45 - Triggy Short Lever
More info: BikeYoke
The Max increases not only the outer tube to the largest industry standard, but more importantly, the stanchion from 25mm on the standard Revive 2.0 post that Dan Robert's reviewed last summer, to 28mm. There are four travel lengths in the Max lineup; 125, 160, 185, and finally the 213 option that goes for €440 through BikeYoke's direct sales website.

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Construction and Features

Not all dropper posts are made equal. 34.9mm seat tubes were built to increase stiffness through the frame, therefore larger seat post components should go hand in hand with that. Many of the posts that are equipped on frames with 34.9mm seat tubes use the same stanchion as their 31.6 or 30.9mm counterparts. Some bikes use a 31.6mm post and a shim to bring it up to the 34.9mm frame spec. This is simply a cop-out for reusing parts and totally erases the point of building the frame with the larger tube diameter. BikeYoke specifically chose a precise 28mm diameter stanchion on the Revive Max for a balance of weight and stiffness. Any thinner and they found that the post began bending too much, another cause of stiction.

Stefan Sacki, owner of BikeYoke, went on to explain why they landed on the specific stanchion size. "We could have also made 29mm and 26mm, but then, again, the wall thickness of the lower tube gets too thin and this means the post will be more sensitive to clamping force. You need to find a good compromise between maximizing the upper tube diameter but at the same time make sure the lower tube does not get too thin. It needs to resist the clamping force of your seat collar, otherwise your lower tube gets squeezed and deformed. Sometimes you can see this when posts are not clamped properly; either they slip inside the seat tube or they feel very sticky. That's why we went for 28mm and 25mm."

Like the regular Revive post, the hydraulic architecture does not rely on an Internal Floating Piston (IFP) for actuation. Instead, the open design only uses only two dynamic seals and can be bled in a matter of seconds by holding open the valve with a 4mm hex wrench, pushing the post from full height to the lowest position, and finally closing the valve before taking weight off of the saddle. Hence, the product name, Revive. The post should not be actuated when upside down or air will surely enter the system.

BikeYoke claims that the short list of seals leads to incredibly smooth action throughout the travel and includes a lever with a 4mm hex extension. Other well-executed touches are the laser etched instructions on the lower tube, such as the minimum insertion depth and a cable length cutting guide that came in handy for the install.

Dan went on to cover in full detail the operation of the Revive in his review and I wouldn't dare try to out-do his efforts to explain the system. At a glance, the Revive Max uses a ton of CNC-milled pieces, like the one piece stanchion and head, outer tube, actuator and housing stop, plus all of the pieces for the Triggy levers.

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A quick and easy bleeding system - from full height, place the Quick Reset Lever or a 4mm hex key in the valve, twist it open, then push the post all the way down and close the switch - no more squish.

Specs and Pricing

Regarding the Revive Max 213, like the name states, the total travel drop is 213mm, but the greatest asset is how this post takes advantage of the 28mm stanchion diameter and is only available for 34.9mm seat tubes. If you're looking for the same drop, but your frame has a 30.9 or 31.6mm seat tube diameter, check out the Revive 2.0. The total insertion depth is 295mm with the housing stop and actuator taking up another 32mm. A minimum of 130mm of post is required to stay inside the seat tube before you risk damaging the post or your frame.

As for the pricing and weight, the Revive Max posts starts at €360 for the 160mm travel post and climbs to €440 for the longest 213mm dropper on test here. That makes the Max only €10 more than the standard Revive, but the weight climbs by roughly 50g for the increased stanchion diameter to 690 g, including the clamps and hardware. Titanium bolts are also available for just under €25 to save a handful of grams and use a T25 head.

BikeYoke does provide a cable, housing and ferrules, which is a nice touch. The price doesn't include the lever because there are four choices: the original Triggy, Alpha regular or short, and the old school over the bar remote that will leave room for "Twin-Lock" lever configurations. They also produce other dropper posts, such as the shorter, lightweight XC-race Devine series, plus controls and contact points like stems, grips, saddles, and other trick finishing bits.

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Setup

BikeYoke provided clear and easy to follow instructions with the Revive Max 213 and the installation was fairly straightforward. Clamps and levers are sold separately to open up customizable options for the rider, depending on their brake setup and preferred lever positioning. The Triggy Alpha and Short levers can articulate to be positioned at your desired angle and clocking. They also include their own clamp and will work with SRAM MatchMakers or I-Spec interfaces. I preferred the short lever because it left enough space for my thumb, since I position the brake clamp band closer to the grip lock collar than most other riders.

Small complications that arose on setup were caused more in part by the bike on hand, a Norco Range, rather than the post itself. The seat tube on the Range is on the short side for a size large bike at 410mm, measured from the bottom bracket to the seat collar. That's great for standover, but not for trying to stuff a post with 213mm of drop into a seat tube that is interrupted by a shock and still achieve a 700mm saddle height. The size large Range is spec'd with a 210 post that has the same insertion depth length, but the actuator on the Revive Max protrudes a hair more. Luckily, the Max has a slick feature that allows you to rotate the off-center housing guide.

Many of the posts that I've worked on in recent years have purposefully relocated the grub screw that pinches the cable in place from the actuator at the bottom of the seat post to a more convenient location on the lever. That's not the case with the Revive Max. Despite the well laid out install directions, the housing must be cut perfectly to length because changing the housing length will require a new cable once the grub screw frays up the end. Due to the narrow window of saddle height I had to work with, this became a small nuisance and will be something that other home mechanics will have to come to terms with too. A neater approach would be to fix the dead end of the cable to the actuator and clamp the cable in a groove on the lever.

BikeYoke advises storing the bike right-side up and to leaving the post compressed about 15mm to prevent a hydro-lock where the remote can become still with temperature change.

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The BikeYoke Revive 2.0 Max has a longer actuator than the OneUp Components Dropper that came spec'd on the Norco Range. Even though they are basically the same travel, I had to raise the post slightly in the seat tube to keep the housing from pinching and holding the actuator open. That's more of a frame dilemma, but worth noting if you are trying to maximize the amount of drop.

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I prefer to run my levers further outboard and have had problems in the past with other shifters hitting my thumbs. Luckily, there are two "under the bar" lever lengths available from BikeYoke; the Triggy Alpha, and Triggy Alpha Short that I opted for. Even though the provided instructions make installation a piece of cake, I prefer when the cable is pinched at the lever and not on the actuator. That usually allows for the cable to be reused, should you need to change the housing length.

Riding

This was my first experience with a BikeYoke dropper post and immediately, the silky smooth system left me impressed. At first, I thought it might be that fresh "out of the box" action, but would that feeling disappear through a winter's worth of riding?

The Revive Max saw endless wet weather, filled with North Shore grit and plenty of bike washes. Upon close and frequent inspections, the stanchion remained streak free, which isn't a huge surprise because the recommended service interval for a lower tube service begins at twelve months or one hundred hours of riding. We're only half way through that period, but the Revive Max has showed no signs of quitting with only the bare minimum in terms of service, a simple seal wipe after each ride.

You might not be surprised to hear that the post is also uber stiff for my weight, but don't forget, it's towering at 213mm above the main seal. That's something I have noticed on other droppers that could lead to premature failure, or at the very least, increased wear and sticky performance. The Revive Max is bar none the smoothest post I've tried and still remains so after six months of torturous conditions. With all of those good things said, there is some fore and aft play, which is a compromise to avoid bushing stiction. It's most apparent at full extension, but I never noticed any rattle or noises while descending.

At the handlebar, the Triggy Alpha Short kept the post in operation throughout the test with just one set of cable and housing. Basic mechanics will tell you that a longer lever will be even smoother, but I required the extra room of the short version around the grip to keep the lever from rubbing my thumb. Like a SRAM thumb shifter, the lever can be rotated to please all ergonomics. The paddle section of the lever is riddled with drilled holes, possibly to save some weight, but more importantly giving excellent grip with wet gloves. Even the cable actuated lever action remained light and could be engaged enough to slowly raise the post and stop before reaching the top of the travel when desired.

I did find myself burping the open system every second ride or even more frequently if the bike sat for prolonged periods. I wouldn't exactly call it annoying because it didn't happen over the course of a ride, plus it can literally be reset in seconds, but it did become a routine before setting off, much like checking tire pressure. The nature of the post is built around this feature to avoid full tear down servicing, which I can appreciate and is a minor quibble that you sign up for with BikeYoke's design.

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Fox Transfer SL 200mm
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BikeYoke 213 Revive 2.0 Max

How Does It Compare?

BikeYoke is one of the few brands to offer a 34.9mm dropper post, especially with the massive 213mm of travel. Neither Fox or RockShox offers dropper posts in 34.9mm, so shims are needed to accommodate those posts in 34.9mm frames, and they top out at 200mm of travel. That newer C1 version of the Reverb does have Vent Valve technology to purge air from the system, but you will have to remove the seat before beginning that procedure.

Common cost effective practice for some brands is to reuse parts across different travel posts. For example, the OneUp Components Dropper does overshadow the drop of other non-proprietary posts on the market with their 240mm V2 option, however, the same stanchion diameters are used across their model range. They do increase the bushing overlap for their whopping 240mm dropper in the 34.9 size, though, to compensate for the increased leverage.

In terms of price, the Revive Max isn't the cheapest option. The OneUp dropper starts at €199, which is less than half of the price compared to the Max at €440. Does that old phrase, "buy nice or buy twice" actually apply here? I haven't had a problem with any brand of dropper post in a long time, but there is a noticeable difference in the stiffness of the Revive Max over all other posts.




Pros
+ Extremely smooth action isn't hampered by robustness
+ Increased 28mm "Max" stanchion optimizes larger 34.9mm seat tubes
+ Burping procedure takes a matter of seconds

Cons
- Frequent resets needed
- Reversing the cable orientation would make installs easier
- No travel adjustment






Pinkbike's Take
bigquotesIf you require radio-tower lengths to hit your peak saddle height or find yourself rebuilding dropper posts frequently due to blown seals or worn bushings, the Revive Max is a worthy contender.

As for value, it ranks high for its durability and ease of service, making up for the higher initial cost. The small nuisance of frequent resets to the hydraulics before a ride can't be totally ignored, but because it never bothered me on the trail and it can be performed in a matter of seconds, I can let that go. The bushing tolerance may be larger than some, but didn't cause the post to wiggle once seated. That is a trade-off for the silky smooth travel that the Revive Max delivers.
Matt Beer


Author Info:
mattbeer avatar

Member since Mar 16, 2001
360 articles

87 Comments
  • 75 1
 If you haven’t owned a bike yoke dropper it’s hard to justify spending the extra money, once you’ve owned a bike yoke dropper it’s hard to buy any other dropper. Their action at the lever is so silky smooth and I’ve had one of my revive post for 3 years with no service and it still works flawlessly and has that butter smooth feel. And Sacki is awesome!
  • 7 16
flag vectorforces (May 5, 2022 at 10:05) (Below Threshold)
 We’ll have to agree to disagree. Got a PNW and a BikeYoke on different bikes. My next post will be a PNW for all those reasons
  • 6 1
 I second this. I have the Revive Max on one of my bikes and a OneUp on the other bike (didn't want to but couldn't beat the insertion depth), and the difference is night and day.
  • 1 2
 @vectorforces: Yeah, I currently own a Bike Yoke Revive 2.0, 9point8 Fall Line Type R and a OneUp. I'm not afraid of dropping coin for droppers posts, but for my 4th purchase coming up I will go a OneUp again. The best upgrade to the OneUp was a Light Action Wolf Tooth remote.
  • 6 0
 Have to agree, comparing to the OneUp I had previously the BikeYoke is super smooth and doesn't start rattling 3 rides after a seal clean & lube.
  • 1 1
 @ZSchnei: Ok, but does OneUp works? Preferably without play..
  • 1 0
 @Joecx: it's weird, my Bike Yoke makes noise (knocks when climbing seated) and my OneUp is silent while they seem to have the same amount of very slight play.
  • 13 0
 @pakleni: I re-read my comment and realized it made zero sense. What I meant was that the Bike Yoke is WAYYYY smoother. It's night and day, and now when I use the bike with the OneUp and can't help but notice how rough it feels.
  • 13 0
 @vectorforces: I have a bike yoke, a PNW, and a one up oddly enough.

The PNW is closer to the bike yoke in function, but closer to the one up in price, which makes it a good option to split the difference.

If you don't need absolute lowest stack height but don't want to pony up for the bike yoke the PNW is great.

The one up works fine and has lowest stack, but it's an attention whore. I really have to clean and lube it every few rides to keep it at its best.

The bike yoke seems apocalypse proof and never needs anything. But it's the most expensive of the bunch and is only a 185.
  • 1 0
 Exactly the same story here. They're so good I'm spending an extra $100 vs other cheaper options and getting the V2 for a second build. I expect it to last 3-4 years as my v1 with zero issues other than the occasional resets (and I mean once every year and I live at 2800m of altitude). And btw Bike Yoke's 'reset' itself is the best feature on ANY dropper, fix the air bubbles in matter of seconds. Actuation and feel are bar none, best dropper out there for sure.
  • 1 2
 The inability to adjust travel, thus having a fixed height only is reason for me not to own a BY.
  • 1 0
 Can't say enough good things about the bike yoke posts. Totally agree with 'bikepartsspecials'. Works great, never fails (my riding group has 3 or 4 amongst us now over 5 years), easy to service, available and reasonably priced parts. The best.
  • 1 0
 @vectorforces:
Pick a dropper....
  • 25 0
 The constant reset is not my experience. I have an og 160mm one. I will always take time to pimp bikeyoke. Probably the longest lasting, most durable part on my bike that requires the least amount of maintenance. One Ups and the other replaceable cartridge systems are cheaper up front but with enough cartridges and downtime, they even out.
  • 9 0
 I've had four bikeyokes on various bikes over the last few years, my newest is a 213, 31.6 V2, which is about 18 months old with ~3000 miles on it. I only ever have to reset mine if I actuate them when they're upside down, which means I'm either hanging the bike up, or cramming into a car, both of which are fairly rare events for me. The reset is 10 seconds without tools...

Only other maintenance is my roughly annual clean and rebuild with the $25 kit, takes about 30 minutes on a dreary winter day.
  • 7 0
 Two BikeYokes for me and multiple thousand miles later I have yet to reset either one.

One thing I do that may or may not have an impact is that I keep them in the lowest position when storing the bike between rides and after rides when transporting home.

I honestly don’t believe the reviewers need to reset the post. Makes zero sense to me given my experience and the experience of friends (>5) who also use BikeYoke.
  • 2 0
 Yeah I’ve had mine for almost 2 years and never had to reset it once! Probably time for maintenance…
  • 1 0
 My Revive 2.0 is fairly new, but so far really, really good. Only time I have to bleed is after an upside down extension. That certainly can happen, on maintenance or loading the bike in the car for example - my tip is to let the oil rest, so the bubbles disappear and then reset the post. If you try to bleed right after the event it will be spongy. My fox transfer started to die after 6 months, had it rebuild on guarantee and sold it off...
  • 1 0
 I have had a BY for about 3 years and I find it requires a reset only when hanging the bike on the wall vertically for a prolonged period. I usually need to do a reset then, if it’s just been on the bike stand it’s perfectly fine.
  • 17 0
 Thank you, Pinkbike, for the review:
A few kind of important things I found, I would like to correct, though and maybe they can be edited in the original review, because some of the points gave the review a negative touch.:

1. Pinkbike:
„Any thinner and they found that the post began bending too much, another cause of stiction.“
Not quite correct, as this this would imply our standard REVIVE bends too much. We are a big fan of the 34.9 standard, that is true. And we did increase the upper diameter to 28mm for the reasons mentioned. But that does not mean the small er diameters bend too much. They do bend notiecable more and the MAX are much smoother, yes.

2. Pinkbike:
„The price doesn't include the lever because there are three choices: regular, short, or the old school over the bar remote that will leave room for "Twin-Lock" lever configurations.“
We actually have four remote options:
2.1. The original Triggy
2.2. Triggy Alpha short (angle adjustable and ball bearing, short paddle)
2.3. Triggy Alpha long (angle adjustable and ball bearing, long paddle)
2.4. 2X remote for „twin lock“ or 2-by drivetrain applications
3. Pinkbike:
„Despite the well laid out install directions, the housing must be cut perfectly to length because changing the housing length will require a new cable once the grub screw frays up the end.“
and
„I prefer when the cable is pinched at the lever and not on the actuator. That usually allows for the cable to be reused, should you need to change the housing length.“

You slide the cable clamp onto the inner cable, then clamp it close tot he nipple and trim the nipple off. Then you have the open end for the front, just as we show it in our videos and in the manual. Not any different to any other other dropper out there regarding the ability to trim the housing afterwards.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=_lnNAMx64G0
www.bikeyoke.de/media/products/Manual_Revive_ENG.pdf

4. Pinkbike:
„In terms of price, the Revive Max isn't the cheapest option and if you're purchasing one outside of Europe, you'll have to accept the fees associated with international shipping.“
Nope: We do have distributors all around the world who carry our products. Speaking of USA and Canada fro example, you can buy local or online at hundreds of dealers. You do not have to buy from us in Germany. In fact, the US is our biggest market, which is really cool and I am supper happy (and yes, a bit proud) of what we’ve achied with our little team so far.

On a side note, I’d be interested, why Matt needed to „revive“ the post so many times. Usually you only need to reset, if you lay the bike down or hang it on the wall for a longer period of time, or if you actuate it, while it’s not upright. Other than that, frequently required resets are not common.
The Quick Reset Lever is also something I am missing, because this does away with the need for a 4mm Allen key. Every aftermarket post (for OE it is an option) comes with this lever and this handy little piece can be attached to and left on the post at all times. A reset is then only the mattter of literally a second.
  • 1 0
 The whole cable installation in the remote snafu is beyond bad. Matt does a good job in general, but that's not a mistake that should be made by someone who makes a living reviewing bikes and components. Guess Levy's off the hook over the wrong travel review.
  • 7 0
 @dancingwithmyself: Yeah, I am also a bit disappointed, especially because Matt asked me about this specific topic about a week ago and I explained it to him. I even gave a link to our installation video, which also can be found above.
I mean it works the way he did it, but it's not the way it was intended and definitley leaves a cheap impression on our design, which is totally unneccessary. But I won't complain, I can't change it anyway. I generall try to not take any influence on review results or impressions. We want honest reviews and real life feedbakc for the readers. We also do not hand-pick products. We just take them off the shelves and send them out. Much in reviweing is subjective (feel, looks, ...), and that is perfectly fine for me. But if hard facts are not correct, I would like these corrected. It's a shame that those would then only be corrected after the review is way back down the road already. The deed is alread done and one who already read the article will likely not see the update (if it gets updated in the frist place)
For example the thing with orders from Europe. All major markets are taken care of dedicated distributors for their countries. No need ot order from Germany. And we've had US distribution with BTI since 2016.

Wrong travel review? Did I miss something?
  • 1 0
 @Sacki: Levy made a somewhat understandable mistake of quoting the wrong rear travel in a review that was taken down.

However, if at my job I did the equivalent of thinking that was the correct way to install the cable in the remote, I’d get fired and I wouldn’t protest. It was shockingly incompetent. Can’t believe there hasn’t been any response or correction.

Apparently Matt’s a great rider and might have good feedback on a bikes overall performance, but how do you trust any comments of a mechanical nature? Bad for BikeYoke but it’s so, so cringeworthy I also feel bad for Matt.
  • 1 0
 @dancingwithmyself:
I personally don't want to make too big of a deal about it. I don't want to be hard on Matt. Mistakes happen. Anywhere. We also make mistakes. I am disappointed, yes. But reviews are voluntary and independent and we do not pay a cent for it, so I am happy to get a review in the first place. I do not have any claim on it to turn out the way I wish.
The nipple incident and the exclusive European availability were sad to read, but I'll get over it. No hard feelings. Just disappointed, because it was discussed and explained before.
  • 20 9
 I just picked up a 34.9, 200mm travel PNW Loam Dropper for $160 (less than half the price of this BikeYoke dropper) and it has Adjustable air pressure, Tool-less Travel Adjust, Lifetime Warranty, Lower Insertion Depth (yea yea, 13mm less travel I know), Customizable colors, Great Customer Service from a company of riders, Easily Serviceable, you don't need to spin a bolt every so often to keep it working well, did I mention lifetime warranty?... Honestly, I don't know why you would buy any other dropper.
  • 1 0
 As a fellow PNW Loam rider. the only thing I don't like about it is that you have to unweigh the saddle a bit to get it to drop, which is a bit counter intuitive. Other than that it's splendid value for money though.
  • 1 0
 Love my Loam, I got it pre-release and I have about 2k miles on it and still works like a charm. In the meantime I have serviced my Fox Transfer twice my KS once. I know of two different people who broke the heads off the Revive 2.0 (Not the max). One of them is a racer and often breaks stuff so it wasn't a surprise to me. The other just rides a lot (4k miles/year) and his broke a little under 2k miles. The loam on his other bike has a little over 3k miles and it is still one piece.
  • 12 0
 It's interesting, I see some people saying that they do have to reset their seatpost fairly often, but It's something that I have not personally experienced on either BikeYoke post I've owned over the years. I'd guess that I reset mine maybe every few months, if that?

While I will say the BikeYoke dropper posts are the smoothest of any I've ever used, I will admit they are not the most cost friendly at the initial purchase. Thankfully, I've had my first bikeyoke dropper since right when they first released, so maybe cost ends up being less meaningful in the long run?
  • 5 1
 I'm a card carrying member of the Bikeyoke master race, but they're not the only nice post out there, or the best value... having messed with plenty of PNW and Oneups, those are both great options.
  • 3 5
 just get a oneup
  • 15 0
 I never understand this sentiment, sure there are always less expensive products available that are pretty good!! It's a weird thing to say about a seat post, but my revive might be my favorite thing on my bike. PNW makes good products, and they are definitely going to be less expensive than a bike yoke. But even with that lifetime warranty I've had a PNW cartridge fail in the middle of a long day in the saddle. And then I had to ride with my seat post all the way down for 10 miles. They were great to deal with and replaced it no questions asked but when you only ride once a week it's still a hassle.

Like all the other people in the Bike Yoke cult, once you ride one for a while you start to understand why they cost more and (in my opinion) why they are worth it. They are so smooth and enjoyable to use and it is one thing on your bike that works flawlessly from day one.

Keep using your PNW, they make good products for a great value. But to say you don't know why anyone would buy any other dropper is a bit hyperbolic. Will I ever buy a pair of Trickstuff brakes? No, but I can absolutely understand why someone would even though XT/Hayes/Sram are perfectly fine brakes.
  • 5 2
 Revive has better lever actuation, better durability, and is the gold standard for droppers. These things can be worth the extra cash to some folks.
  • 2 3
 I have nothing against expensive high end parts, it just feels like this dropper is Very expensive, but the functionality isn't really better than that from a $160 dropper. Even if the Bike Yoke "feels a little better" are you guys actually willing to pay $300 more for an incremental improvement in lever feel? If you are, great. I'd personally rather save the money for bike park days, better tires, brake upgrades, etc. Its going to be hard to convince me this post is actually worth $460.
  • 5 0
 The Loam is an impressive post for the money. If the only thing you care about is moving the seat down, it does it great. But if you are finicky about the lever feel and how the post returns/lowers under your butt, BikeYoke is top notch and very noticeable difference vs. PNW, Oneup etc.
  • 8 2
 @misteraustin: $30-$50 for a replacement cart + $100/hr of my personal time to replace said cart.

After 2 carts, they're cost equal.

Rebuildable vs replacing carts makes eco hippies happy.

Not having your post shit on you mid ride and you're 12 miles from your car....I'll pay extra to avoid that.
  • 3 0
 @OCSunDevil: I agree with what you're saying. Maybe the disconnect for me is that a dropper feel doesn't seem like it would really improve my riding experience much. Brakes on the other hand are so directly integral to the riding experience, and for that, I could be convinced that the Trickstuff brakes are worth the extra cash. Run a PNW Loam dropper instead of the bike yoke, and a GX drivetrain instead of AXS and voila! You saved enough cash for Trickstuff brakes! For me, that's a way better riding experience. Not trying to harp on anyone! You can all buy whatever parts make you like your bike more.
  • 3 0
 As a former SDG and PNW dropper rider, and a current Bike Yoke (2nd one) and OneUP dropper rider, I gladly pay more for the Revive because it's WAY smoother than any of the others. That's a big deal when you're in the saddle for hours on end.

Resetting the post takes 5 seconds -- and I've only done it to one post (bike was upside down).

Many of the people I ride with use the Bike Yoke Revive, and have for years. They just keep working, and with the suggested service, we don't need a lifetime warranty. Sure, it's a nice to have, but some products are built well enough to avoid that.

When I spend thousands on my bikes, details like a dropper post matter so I will not cheap out. I think others would agree.
  • 2 0
 @misteraustin: All good man, I totally see where you're coming from. I actually got my seatpost on sale at Jenson. It was an open box special so it was like 30-40% off. Had I not gotten it on sale I'd probably still be using a PNW, but now that I'm used to it I'll probably pony up for a full price one next time I need a seat post.

LOL, I was actually a little nervous using brakes as a comparison, didn't want to start a brake war inside of a seatpost war. Have a good one dude!
  • 2 0
 @greenblur: this basically the argument to buy Chris king stuff. Only is worthwhile if your gonna hang onto it for an extended period
  • 1 1
 Lifetime warranty means nothing when you're without your bike for 1 month waiting on a replacement. Or even a week for that matter.
  • 1 0
 @greenblur: hippies? Everyone should care about waste.
  • 1 0
 @OCSunDevil: That's sick, I'm sure if I tried one I would have a hard time going back to something cheaper, sometimes maybe ignorance is bliss! lol
  • 10 0
 Easily the best dropper available in this size and diameter, the Revive sets the standard for droppers in general.
  • 10 1
 I've had mine for over a year and only had to reset once. Best post out there by far.
  • 7 0
 Jagged scratches on the post body -- tight fit in the ol' seat tube?

Definitely looks like a predecessor to a post I'll someday own
  • 1 5
flag WaterBear (May 5, 2022 at 8:22) (Below Threshold)
 Looks like what happens when you twist back and forth while inserting. Also get your minds out of the gutter.
  • 6 0
 @WaterBear: It's actually what happens when a seat tube was not honed out properly. It's a finishing quality issue on the bike it's installed in.
  • 1 0
 probably sharp edges on the split in the seatclamp
  • 6 0
 Just out of interest, did you check the post's air pressure? I was having to burp my old style Revive a lot and then realised the pressure was too low. Now I've pumped it up I've not had to burp it since.
  • 2 0
 This is a good point, definitely something to check. I find the same issue if pressures are too low.
  • 1 0
 That’s the first thing that I thought. I’ve had my Revive for over 4 years. Recently developed a little up and down play and needed resetting. It was down about 100psi. Aired it up and the post is flawless once again
  • 6 0
 Couldn't you just use a Wolftooth or similar lever to make the setup easier? Just clamp both ends of the cable, and get a barrel adjuster at the lever end of things? Or is that a bad idea?
  • 2 1
 @jwestenhoff Yes, not sure what he's talking about. My Bike Yoke takes the finished end of the cable at the bottom of the post, no fastener or grub screw required. And I use a Wolf Tooth lever with the cut end of the cable at the lever. Adjust tension, works perfect.
  • 2 0
 @jwestenhoff actually, just remembered there is a grub screw at the bottom of the post (confusing it w/ my OneUp). But yeah, the rest of what I said is still true.
  • 1 0
 Wolftooth light action makes most droppers feel pretty good. If you can find an old Fox DOSS lever, they have even more leverage than WT.
  • 1 0
 You don't have to install that way on the BY remotes. Can cut the cable and attach like normal remote. At least on all the ones I've seen. Can't believe people aren't losing their minds over this part of the article. If one of my buddies showed up to ride with that remote setup, I would give them such a hard time.
  • 1 0
 That's the way it is to be installed:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=_lnNAMx64G0
or here, page 11 in the manual:
www.bikeyoke.de/media/products/Manual_Revive_ENG.pdf
and the remote end will then look like this:
photos.app.goo.gl/N2EQAqZY5EuymmhV9
We had sent them the latest version of the Triggy Alpha with the small puch for the cable end, so that is also a new updated on the remotes.
  • 5 0
 These guys make great stuff but I’d also mention that Stephan is a stellar person. He helped me fix a dropper once, via internet, and it wasn’t even his dropper lol. Bike Yoke doing well to represent good MTB companies.
  • 4 0
 ^This. My wife's Rimpo came with a Bike Yoke dropper and kept fraying/snapping cable at the lever. After going though a few cables, figured something was off with the machining of the lever so emailed them. In minutes Stefan replied asking for my number and called me, walked though a few things and came to same conclusion. He had a new lever sent out right away which fixed the problem.
  • 1 0
 @gasmanxj: That's awesome. Any company that people all over the world can tell good stories about has a bright future. Stick with your plan Stefan! Being reachable shows the world you believe in your stuff and hold yourself accountable to a degree that others obviously just won't match. Its stuff like that that made me a rabid Bontrager customer (pre Trek). I wouldn't even consider another post at this point.
  • 5 0
 My Revive 185mm has worked great for yrs now. Unless my bike is upside down and I raise the post I almost never need a reset. Not sure why its stated, "Frequent resets needed"?
  • 4 0
 I reset revive 2.0, 31.6mm twice in one year - first out of the box and then after about 10 months of intensive use. Same story with a Revive Max.

Dropper post buyers guide:
You want price/value and the shortest insert length? Go buy One Up (if you do not mind extra maintenance and some extra $$ for spare cartridges over time). PNW is good stuff too.

You want a reliable, smooth and super easy DIY service at home dropper? Go get a Bike Yoke.

Do you want the same level of reliability of early generations RS Reverbs with an extra expensive service (no DIY, pressurized with nitrogen), slow-release out-of-the-box? Go get a Fox Transfer.


If you've ever rebuilt any reverb and then seen a video of how easy and no special tools needed is Bike Yoke Revive, it is unbelievable. Bike Yoke took everything good from hydraulic droppers and made it reliable and simple enough.
  • 2 0
 This feels so good to read. Thank you for everyone who recognizes and appreciates the effort we put into making the Revive. Thank you everyone in this thread! This means a lot to me and the team!
  • 4 0
 Totally agree “once you’ve owned a bike yoke dropper it’s hard to buy any other dropper”.
Also, add a Wolftooth-type” long throw lever with bearings and the Revive gets even smoother. None better!
  • 4 1
 Could size specific seat tubes be the next trend??

It doesn't make sense to have these XL and XXL bikes with 470mm seat tube lengths. Being 6'7" I will not even consider a bike with less than 490mm otherwise my seat post will be sticking out too far and highly leveraged. A long travel 31.6 seat post just feels wrong - it flexes too much and I know from experience with OneUp.

Let's see a XXL bike with > 500mm seat tube length at 34.9mm. I'm sure my tall friends could get onboard with that.
  • 4 0
 have the revive 2.0 and transfer

the bikeyoke is by far the best post ive ever used, more responsive than the transfer which is a tad bit too slow/soft on the return IMO
  • 2 0
 I’m surprised it’s not been mentioned, but unles there’s been a design change you can run your cable in either direction, if you look under the dropper lever there is a grub screw and the bottom of the post takes either the finished or cut end of a cable.
  • 2 0
 replaced a Fox that died after 2 years, money well spent. The only time that I have to reset is after the bike lays on its side in the car with the dropper down. Hands down the best post on the market. I have a cheaper frame with better parts.
  • 2 0
 Loose-ish bushings is a fact - not a dealbreaker given all the other plusses. But as the post wears, BikeYoke has great, affordable rebuild kits, that don’t include the top bushing. Sacki? Why?
  • 3 2
 With all due respect, this statement: "Well, manufacturers have been increasing seat tube angles, pushing the saddle further forward because they position your body in a centered, upright posture for more efficient climbing." is BS.

Steep seat tube angles are a by product of pushing a longer front center and still needing to seat the rider in reach of the handlebars.
  • 1 0
 Love my bike yoke revive droppers, better than any thomson, fox, or oneup post I've tried. They definitely have their quirks with how you store the bike causing squish, but like you said the reset just becomes a 2 second pre-ride check. As far as cable install; just clip off the molded barrel on shift cable, mount their barrel, and use that end at the actuator then finish install and set tension at lever like you normally would. The only post I've used with less play when fully extended were thomson droppers which were great but required yearly expensive damper services and have definitely fallen behind product wise. Plus for me, the fact I can fully rebuild the revive myself is 100% worth any of these quirks.
  • 2 1
 Bike reviewer can't install a cable correctly, look at the cable end at the remote? Why is this guy a bike journalist? Is he a diversity hire?

Look at the post bike mechanics use, it's almost always a Bikeyoke.
I've owned and worked on just about every post under the sun, they're all absolute garbage bar the bike yoke.
  • 4 0
 Oooh, that machining on the seat clamp is really nice.
  • 1 3
 That's a weird way to say "unfinished"
  • 4 0
 Should've gone with 27.99 diameter..
  • 1 0
 Unfortunately for me, that "fore and aft play" mentioned makes noise when I climb, and my Revive 2.0 is only 160mm.

Other than that, it does have the sweetest action of all the droppers I've ever owned.
  • 1 0
 Sounds more like your seatpost clamp is loose or the frames seat tube is flexing causing it to rub against the dropper posts lower tube. If the bushings in the dropper are making a noise it'd be clunking, at which point they're worn and should be replaced.
  • 1 0
 @nrb251: Nope. Swapped out for another post, no noise. Put the Bike Yoke back in, noise. And the post is about 6 months old, noise started almost immediately. And it is a knock, not a creak.
  • 1 0
 @krka73: Mine did the same until I checked the saddle bolts and noticed they weren't tightened evenly. I sorted it out, no noise. It was on me that it did that, the Revive is a stellar dropper.
  • 1 0
 @grotesquesque: Oh how I wish that was it.
  • 1 0
 @krka73: If that's not it, try contacting Bikeyoke support. They should be able to help you troubleshoot more efficiently, and if something is wrong with the post, I'm sure they can sort you out.
  • 1 0
 If it fits and cost is no object-this is the post to get.

Otherwise, PNW posts are good, OneUp are really good.

Nice to see that droppers have gone from “worth having but unreliable” to “lots of good choices”
  • 3 0
 Unless the stanchion is 28.99mm, I am uninterested
  • 1 0
 Still relavent
  • 2 0
 Companies need to adopt a lower stack actuator such as OneUp.....
  • 1 0
 Laterally stiff, vertically compliant.
  • 1 0
 Nohing my vecnum cant beat, besides no resets...







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