We already knew exactly what the FAIR bicycle Drop Best AXS upgrade was going to do when it dropped into our inbox. Fair’s simple offset seatpost head hardware lets riders shift their saddle forward or back more than an inch. Because maybe the geometry of your bike isn’t quite as progressive as you’d like. And especially with wireless droppers on some bikes even without internal cable routing, you might not have many other options.
Another sneaky upgrade in there too, is that Fair also made an ultralight titanium & alloy hardware kit for those happy with the position of their RockShox Reverb AXS dropper, but who want to shed 22g off their bike…
Fair Drop Best AXS +/- 27mm of RockShox Reverb offset
Fair Drop Best AXS brings their excellent problem-solving offset seatpost head guts to the most popular wireless dropper seatpost. Now, if you have any RockShox Reverb AXS dropper post on your gravel or mountain bike, but really can’t get your saddle position exactly where you want it, Fair is here to help with an additional +/- 27mm of possible seatpost offset.
A quick Drop Best refresher
Real quick if you don’t remember, Fair debuted a set of offset hardware for the original hydraulicly-actuated Reverb 3 years ago. Then, they followed it up this past spring with a Universal Compatibility version that could fit most droppers on the market, and a lot of proprietary seatpost heads, as well.
The idea is incredibly simple. By replacing the saddle rail cradle and the upper rail clamp head, Fair’s Drop Best could shift your seating position forward or back, with little to no impact on saddle height. It was an almost magic solution for bikes with too steep or too slack seattube angles. And it was especially helpful for mountain bike riders with especially high or low saddle heights on bikes designed with odd “virtual” seattube angles on account of complex frame/suspension designs.
Read more on my thoughts on why this is a great idea, here.
And the whole setup has been manufactured in Switzerland, and independently ISO tested beyond MTB standards in Germany,
But, there still had not been a version that would fit the more unique seat head guts of the Reverb AXS posts.
Until now!
What’s new?
OK, anyone with a wireless Reverb AXS dropper is likely familiar with its 1-bolt adjusting and rail-pinching clamp hardware. Fair’s solution was to replace all of that with a new set of CNC-machined aluminum cradles that fit into the post’s round head, matching rail clamps, and a mix of titanium and alloy hardware to secure it all in place.
In full Drop Best fashion, the Drop Best AXS can be installed forward or reverse to extend your saddle rail adjustment range 27mm in front of or behind the stock position. And you still get the full range of angle adjustments, now with the benefit of separating angle adjustment from saddle fore-aft position.
Tech details
- +/- 27mm fore/aft saddle position offset for approximately 2° of actual seatpost angle adjustment
- no change to seatpost stack or saddle height
- CNC-machined high-strength 7075 aluminum cradles & clamps, made in Switzerland
- high-tensile grade 12.9 US-made steel bolts, with Swiss coatings for additional corrosion resistance
- independent angle & saddle position adjustment
- compatible with all saddle rails: 7mm round, 7x9mm oval & 7x10mm oval
- adds 28.2g – complete Drop Best AXS hardware at 121.5g vs. stock 93.3g RockShox hardware
- optional Fair upgrades can reduce that to just 7g added – with Drop Best AXS titanium bolt & alloy angle adjust hardware
- independently tested to ISO MTB standards “and beyond” in Germany
- Fair makes everything as Fair Trade and eco-friendly as possible. “From the CNC main parts to the bolts and the packing tape. In countries where everyone has health insurance, paid holidays and proper wages… All materials can continuously be recycled at their end of life. Including packaging. FAIR bicycle informs as transparent as possible.“
Titanium & Alloy Ultralight upgrade for stock Reverb AXS droppers too
Now, if you don’t need a Drop Best to offset your dropper’s saddle position, but you still want an upgrade, Fair has got you covered, too. In developing the Drop Best AXS, they also came up with a hardware kit to drop a few grams off of stock RockShox Reverb AXS droppers.
Comprised of a titanium 2-piece main bolt and aluminum angle adjust hardware, Fair will then drop 22g off the original RockShox hardware. It will fit any RockShox Reverb AXS dropper, no matter the diameter, travel, or type of bike you ride.
- Fair titanium main bolts save 7.6g vs. stock RockShox bolt
- Fair aluminum angle adjust hardware saves 14.3g vs. stock RockShox hardware
- Both combined save 21.9g compared to the normal stock RockShox Reverb AXS dropper hardware
Fair Drop Best AXS & AXS upgrades – Pricing, options & availability
The new Fair Drop Best AXS offset dropper seatpost head upgrade is available starting today, direct from FAIR bicycle. The basic Drop Best AXS kit sells for $158 / 141€, thus all you need to offset your current AXS dropper. The 2-piece Fair titanium main bolt is available separately $46 / 41€, as is the Fair aluminum angle adjust hardware for $40 / 35€.
So, if you want the lightest Fair Drop Best AXS setup possible, it will cost you $244 / 217€. Then, if you just want to drop almost 22g off a standard position AXS dropper, it will run you $86 / 76€ for fancy new hardware.
(Note: All prices above are Fair’s approximations, as original pricing is in Swiss Francs CHF.)
