By my count, the latest Fox Transfer dropper post, released earlier this year, is the fourth iteration of this popular seatpost. Known for their high-performance Kashima-coated forks and shocks, it stands to reason that the Fox Transfer should be a high-performance product too, and generally, that’s been the case. But with excellent options available for less money from brands like OneUp, the Fox option hasn’t stood out in the past. Will that change with the latest version?
Fox Transfer key specs
- Factory and Performance Elite versions
- Cable-actuated
- Cartridge design
- Adjustable travel
- 30.9, 31.6, 34.9mm diameters
- 120mm – 240mm drop options
- Weight: 672g as tested (31.6x210mm)
- Price: $339 for the Factory post, $289 for Performance Elite
- Buy from JensonUSA
The new Fox Transfer dropper post, like the old one, is cable actuated, with the cable head fitting into the bottom of the post, and is compatible with most remotes that clamp the cable at the remote end. Mirroring the brand’s forks and shocks, it comes with a gold Kashima Factory version, and a lower spec Performance Elite version with the ano black coating, though both are pretty much identical in performance.
Available in standard 30.9, 31.6 and 34.9mm diameters (sorry, no 27.2mm), the Transfer post has travel options from 120mm up to 240mm, where previously it topped out at 200mm. Additionally, the travel on the Fox Transfer is downward adjustable in 5mm increments — up to 25mm — via the supplied plastic shims. The head has gone back to the old, less bulky looking design, and they’ve lowered the stack by reducing the height of the seal head. While Fox doesn’t list the stack height of the post, the stack height of this 210mm-travel Factory post on test here is an impressive 35mm from the bottom of the seal head to the center of the rails, which is only 5mm taller than the OneUp Components V3 dropper post.
The other big news here, as you might have guessed by the inclusion of travel shims, is that the new Transfer post is now user-serviceable. Where the old post required pricey servicing at a Fox service center, the new one is not cartridge-based, but Fox claims it’s serviceable at home with basic tools. This means it should hopefully also be relatively reliable. Another bonus is that the cartridge air pressure is now adjustable, so you can tune the rebound speed.
Installation
Installation is much the same as any other mechanically-actuated dropper post. The two-bolt clamp head is easy enough to use, and the fit and finish is nice, with quality hardware included. The cable head fits into the same metal barrel as previous versions, and anchors at the bottom of the post. The actuator looks roughly similar, if not the same, and once fitted, the cable tension is easily set. Airing up the post is also easy, with the recommended air pressure laser-etched onto the valve cap on the top of the post. Overall, installing the new Fox Transfer is pretty simple.
Performance
The new Fox Transfer is aimed at the more high-performance market, however the price is pretty reasonable, presumably to be competitive with more affordable cartridge-based droppers. Performance is good — the action at the remote is light and easy to push, and the post goes down without too much force. However the post does feel notably harder to push down at the end of the travel; not that it’s difficult to get down, but the pressure ramp up is noticeable, whereas on most other posts it feels pretty linear. As a result, I was unable to completely drop the Transfer every time.
The return is speedy but smooth, with a very audible top-out ‘thunk,’ which I like. Hearing the sound means I know when the post is at full-mast and I can put my weight back down. Older Transfer posts suffered from not topping out fully without a little help. This hasn’t necessarily been the case on this version, though sometimes if not allowed to spring back up from deep in the travel, it does slow down a bit toward the end. I’ve also found that if not allowed to come up quickly, the post might stop just shy of full-mast, and it requires second push on the remote to fully top out.
Reliability and serviceability
I put a good number of hours on the Transfer dropper, including the week of BC Bike Race, blowing past the recommended first 25hr service interval. Fortunately, the performance has not degraded. I did grease the seal head to attempt to remedy the issues mentioned above, which was a case of just unscrewing it and adding grease, but this didn’t completely solve the issue. However, overall performance has improved slightly with time. I think that, as with some posts, it can be a little sensitive to seat clamp torque binding the post lower tube, though even fully backed off the Transfer still isn’t perfect.
The travel-adjust procedure is super easy, and the steps can be found here, along with instructions for all other service procedures. Adjusting the travel is as simple as unscrewing the seal head, inserting a plastic spacer, and screwing it back on again, The 25-hour service is simplet too, and mainly consists of adding grease without the use of any tools. I did take the lower tube off to check out the 125-hour service, and while I was short of a couple of tools at home, this too is a relatively simple procedure easily taken care of in any decent shop. The 300-hour service looks a little more involved, but again not particularly scary and it requires no specialist tools.
Unlike previous Transfer posts, the head of the post has relatively little slop, and is pretty solid and quiet.
Pros and cons of the Fox Transfer dropper post
Pros
- Affordable for a ‘high-end’ dropper post
- Cable actuated
- DIY serviceable with basic tools
Cons
- Costs $100 more than a OneUp V3 dropper post
- Occasional top-out hesitancy
- Air pressure does not feel consistent all the way through the travel
Bottom line
Overall, the new Fox Transfer is an improvement over the previous version. While it costs more than a cartridge post, it’s relatively inexpensive as ‘high-end’ dropper posts go. I appreciate that it’s fully serviceable at home, and doesn’t require throwing a cartridge in the garbage to repair it, though time will tell if this is a good thing or not. I like the action of the post, and while it’s not perfect, it operates smoothly and has a satisfying top out, but I do think it could be better, especially when a OneUp V3 costs $100 less and does the job just as well, with fewer issues and with the same drop options. That said, the Transfer is the only other post with a 240mm drop option that I know of, and the only one that doesn’t use a Wintek cartridge.
Riders who want a blingy addition to their bike will likely enjoy the Factory version of the Transfer as an interesting aftermarket choice, and those that find either a Performance Elite or Factory Transfer as OEM spec on their new bike won’t be disappointed.
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