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Killswitch automatically opens your rear shock when you drop your post, locks it for climbing

Killswitch automatic shock lockout activated by dropper seatpost
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Killswitch automatic shock lockout activated by dropper seatpost

If remembering to drop your post is more than enough mental acrobatics while riding, fiddling with your rear shock is probably asking too much. So Killswitch takes all of that remembering out of the equation by syncing your dropper post with your rear shock. Drop the saddle and it opens the shock all the way up, making it ready for descending. Raise it back up and it puts the shock in its firmest setting…

Killswitch automatic shock lockout activated by dropper seatpost

Killswitch works by putting a physical plunger switch on the shaft of the dropper post. As your saddle comes down, it depresses it and pushes the cable through its housing to actuate the shock’s compression damping control.

Killswitch opens up the rear shock when the dropper seatpost is lowered
Drop the post for descending and the shock opens up.

Their initial design is only for Rockshox Monarch rear shocks, but other sizes are in the works. They’ve gone to Kickstarter to raise the funds to fully develop the product’s range to fit more brands and models, and you can nab one for as little as $95 on early bird. They’ve raised more than half their $15,000 ask as of this post, and other packages are up for grabs, too.

Killswitch locks out the shock when the dropper seatpost is extended
Raise it up and the shock is locked out.

If your shock has three modes, you’ll be giving up the middle setting for now, but there’s also a manual disconnect built into the system. It’s made of three parts – a compression knob bracket, shock body bracket and seatpost bracket, plus the necessary cable to connect them all. Their timing is interesting with BMC having just launched a similar concept on their Speedfox trail bike.

Check out their Kickstarter campaign page for more details.

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Seraph
Seraph
6 years ago

I’m not even sure where to start on this one…

Luiggi
Luiggi
6 years ago
Reply to  Seraph

Start by pushing!

Don’t bother to get up from your chair, I’ll show myself the way out.

Chase
Chase
6 years ago

Pretty nice idea.
However there are many times on rougher climbs and flats I ride in Open mode while climbing with post extended. I assume this would not permit that, correct?

Dirk Bergstrom
Dirk Bergstrom
6 years ago

This solves a problem that I do not have. I’d rather have a one thumb lever on the bars that controls both front & rear suspension, and a separate one for the dropper. The overlap between dropper position and shock lockout is far from complete.

iloveschlampe
6 years ago
Reply to  Dirk Bergstrom

I’d rather have a one thumb lever on the bars that controls both front & rear suspension””

That is an option for some of the Fox range as we fitted out my wife’s bike like that. As for other brands, I’m not sure.

LLOYD FLANDERS
LLOYD FLANDERS
6 years ago

arghhhhhhhhh, design for the sake of it

LLOYD FLANDERS
LLOYD FLANDERS
6 years ago

someone has a 3D printer at home and too much time

mnorris122
6 years ago

Hahaha I love it. BMC made that Speedfox that’s needlessly complicated and proprietary, and then these guys announce this very simple $100 device that works with any bike with a Monarch.

Tim
Tim
6 years ago

#firstworldproblems

me
me
6 years ago

Xshifter can do this seamlessly, wirelessly, and coolerssly.

Jeremy PASTEL
Jeremy PASTEL
6 years ago

Well this comes a bit late now our trail bikes are efficients climbers with shocks wide open.
Maybe it does have interest on Enduro bike with no good kinematics.

ELEVEN_g
6 years ago

Ummmmmm….. *walks out door, gets on bike and rides off*

Raymond Epstein
Raymond Epstein
6 years ago

Here’s a novel idea. A full-suspension bike should never ride like a hard tail. If this is what you are after then acquire a hard tail and be done with it. Otherwise, ride a bike with a suspension system that does not need a lever, button or other gee gaw to make it perform better. IMHO, on a properly tuned bike you’ll never need these neither up nor down.

Michael Myers
Michael Myers
6 years ago

I will note that some WC DH riders are experimenting with lockouts, and the majority of WC XC riders use them, so there must be some merit, no?

Ghostparty
Ghostparty
6 years ago
Reply to  Michael Myers

The DH guys are experimenting with steeper compression settings, not lockouts, and bear in mind that they have 8″ travel super soft bikes that they also need to sprint on – not exactly a normal, real-world situation for most riders. WC XC courses are also a super specific situation, with many having long tarmac-smooth buffed sections that again, don’t resemble the riding most riders do. You can also guarantee that those lockouts aren’t being used on climbs with any rough elements, as the ability to climb seated and the extra traction that suspension gives are benefits too big to give up. Unless you are in one of those two very unusual situations, or you do a lot of riding on tarmac, then lockouts don’t make a lot of sense. They’re a throwback to “hardtails are always more efficient!” flawed thinking from 20 years ago.

Bogey
Bogey
6 years ago

I do not want my suspension settings tied to the position of my dropper post. I use my dropper frequently during a ride but rarely use my shock lockout switch. When I do use my shock lever I’m generally switching between full open and the middle position with only the odd time in full lockout (road climbs only).

I can see how this may be sort of useful to riders with long road climbs followed by long, rough descents but at that point don’t you just flip the shock lever and drop the seatpost once anyways?

RidingBackwards
RidingBackwards
6 years ago

I prefer using Scott’s patented Twinloc remote system. Lock out only when you need it.

Micah
6 years ago

This would make more sense if it switched to the middle position. Any kind of technical climb would be harder with the suspension locked.

Padrote
Padrote
6 years ago

every time I see something like this it reminds me that there’s a lot of people out there who care a lot more about flipping knobs, changing suspension settings, and waxing endlessly about gear range than they do actually riding bicycles

Erik S.
Erik S.
6 years ago

I can’t see much use for this item. Here in Pennsylvania, we use droppers all of the time but for for non-racers lockout isn’t used nearly as much. Our climbs are usually very rough/ rooty/ rocky, so locking out the shock isn’t something we make a habit out of. Many times we’re raising our droppers up, but the last thing that we would want to do is lock the suspension. A properly tuned suspension setup is all that most of our riders really need.

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