This has already been a big year for launches from Wolf Tooth Components, but it seems they’ve saved the best for last. Looking at their vast product catalog now, it’s hard to believe they started not that long ago with a single chainring. From that chainring, they’ve evolved to offer everything from bottle cages to complete bikes under the Otso brand.
And now? Well, now you can add a dropper post to that list too.
A typically obsessively-engineered dropper post that will make it stand out against a sea of existing dropper posts, that is.
In spite of being one of the most over-used phrases, dropper posts are one of those true game-changers in the world of mountain biking. When utilized properly, they have the ability to change the way you ride – but they can also be annoying maintenance hogs, depending on the model.
For their Resolve dropper post, WTC set out to create a post that would never need manual bleeding or need an expensive replacement cartridge.
Instead of relying on an internal floating piston (IFP) which can allow air to slip by the seal and mix with the oil causing it to become squishy, the WTC Resolve uses a proprietary needle and piston cartridge design that self-bleeds. The actuation of the dropper post routinely performs this self-bleeding procedure, keeping the post from going squishy in the long run.
Technically, it is possible for the Resolve dropper to become squishy in extreme cases (more on that in the review), but the fix is to simply compress the post, wait 20-30 seconds, and extend the post. Do that a few times, and it’s back to normal.
While the Resolve technology is certainly one reason to choose the WTC dropper over others, it’s not the only reason. Claiming the shortest stack height on the market at 32mm (the distance from the bottom of the post collar to the saddle rail clamp when compressed), the Resolve will allow many riders to run longer travel droppers than they’re currently able to.
The Resolve posts also have a short insertion length, meaning they’ll work better with frames that have curved seat tubes, or internal obstructions that prevent longer dropper posts from bottoming out.
Dropper Post Sizes & Dimensions
When combined with three different stock dropper travels, and the ability to customize the travel of each post in 5mm increments, you’re left with the ability to maximize the travel for your frame and seat post height.
The Resolve will be offered in a 125mm, 160mm, and 200mm travel posts with minimum insertion depths of 90mm, 100mm, and 140mm respectively.
As mentioned, each one of these posts can be reduced in travel by 5mm increments. WTC tells us the process to install these spacers is fairly easy, but you can also order your seat post with the preferred spacer configuration pre-installed (up to 10 spacers which would reduce travel by 50mm.
Not sure what travel you can safely use on your bike? WTC has a handy Dropper Post Calculator to make the process easier.
Custom Saddle Clamp
A big part of getting the stack height so low was the creation of a custom saddle clamp. The actual saddle rail clamp plates are so low profile, that the air cap protrudes through the top. That cap also had to be designed to be extremely low profile to clear the bottom of your saddle.
The two-bolt design offers a 23º saddle angle adjustment range and is compatible with round or oval saddle rails. Due to the design of the clamp, you will have to completely remove the top plate in order to fit the saddle initially – you can’t just loosen the bolts and slip the saddle in like on some posts.
Cable Actuated ReMote
Naturally, the Resolve is a cable-actuated dropper post to take advantage of Wolf Tooth’s excellent ReMote dropper lever.
Meant for use with their ReMote Light Action lever, there are integrations available for numerous brake levers from Shimano, SRAM, Magura, and Hope. The cabling is very easy to run with the cable head sitting in a cradle at the bottom of the post, and the end of the cable clamped at the lever.
Actual Weight
WTC claims that when it comes to grams-per-mm-of-travel, the Resolve is one of the lightest droppers on the market, saying it’s up to 26% lighter than other droppers of the same travel and size. Claimed weights are listed as 125 x 30.9 – 440g, 125 x 31.6 – 456g, 160 x 30.9 – 490g, 160 x 31.6 – 513g, 200 x 30.9 – 544g, and 200 x 31.6 – 563g.
On our scale, the 160 x 31.6mm model came in at 512g, or 1g less than claimed.
Other Details
Wolf Tooth Components has made a big push recently with designing their products with Right to Repair in mind. That means you’ll be able to find all the replacement parts to fix your post should you have an issue, rather than replace it. That includes the air filter – yes, the air filter. While the air cartridge itself is fully sealed, the bottom of the post can’t be sealed for it to work properly. To prevent it from pulling dust from inside the frame into the post, the Resolve has a patent-pending external air filter. WTC mentions they decided to make the filter externally accessible to make it easy to be replaced.
Additional details include claims that the post will continue to work in cold weather – we’re inclined to believe WTC as they’re based in Minnesota. You can also apparently swap diameters, meaning you can make an existing 30.9mm post into a 31.6mm diameter post, and vice versa.
Wolf Tooth Resolve Dropper Post Review
We have the full Resolve dropper post review here, but the shortened version is that it works. We successfully used the Resolve technology to revive a post that had gone squishy after a big crash, and after months of use, the post doesn’t display any wear, loose parts, or other issues.
Pricing & Availability
With all of the features and engineering that went into the Resolve, it’s somewhat surprising to see it priced at $349.95. Granted, that’s without the dropper lever, but still, it’s fairly impressive. That pricing is a big part of why this post is designed and assembled in the USA, but the parts are manufactured in Taiwan. Originally, WTC tells us that they wanted to completely manufacture everything in house, but the resulting price would be too high to be competitive. However, they’re quick to point out that the posts are still ‘designed here, assembled here, and ship from here.’
Available in 30.9 or 31.6 diameters and in 125, 160, and 200mm stock lengths, additional travel spacers are offered installed for no charge with the initial purchase. Extras include ReMote Light Action levers which start at $69.95, and even a Titanium Hardware Upgrade kit in black, gold, or oil slick for $12.95. Resolve Dropper Posts are available now.
