BikeYoke Divine Seatpost

In 2016, when BikeYoke released their first dropper post – the Revive, they shot straight to the top of the heap thanks to a particularly innovative feature that let riders easily bleed the internals using an external valve, a process that took no more than 10 seconds to complete with a simple allen key. Additionally, the action of the Revive is incredibly smooth, and the many different sizes and lengths available and the super short overall stack height mean that there is a Revive to fit any bike and rider. In fact, the Revive is so good that it has been occupying the top spot in our big Dropper Post Face Off ever since we first published it in 2017. With such success, why would BikeYoke feel the need to try something new? First and foremost, it’s probably because BikeYoke is a small, engineering-driven company that likes new challenges. They also felt that they could make a slightly cheaper and simpler post by coming up with a new internal system that does away with the need for the external bleed valve. Meet the all-new Divine.

BikeYoke Divine 185 Highlights

• Auto-Reset Function: every full drop automatically bleeds the hydraulic circuit for sag-free lock-out
• Adjustable maximum travel: the maximum extension can be reduced in 5mm increments, using the included clip-on extension/travel spacer
• Rotatable actuator: in order to get maximum insertion into the frame, the actuator can be rotated by hand to avoid interference with one-sided bearings or dents inside the frame´s seat tube.
• Fully user-serviceable: all spare parts are available for end-consumers
• Weight: 630 grams (31.6/185, including cable and remote)
• MSRP: 397 EUR (including standard remote)

Video Review

Nobody likes a saggy dropper, especially not if it’s going to be complicated to fix. Time spent messing about with stuff that doesn’t work is less time spent on the bike out riding, which explains the high levels of rage often expressed online when discussing various dropper posts on the market. BikeYoke posts feature an open bath design, which in the case of the Revive can be bled externally using the aforementioned reset valve. This design means that there is no need for an internal floating piston, and it also means you can run lower internal oil pressure. This removes a number of seals from the equation and it also does away with the number one cause of dropper post failure – air getting into the oil side of the piston. As a side effect, this design is also incredibly smooth in action, something we’ve always loved about the original Revive. The new Divine goes about things in a slightly different way. It is still an open bath design, but instead of an external reset function, it has an internal auto-reset that activates every time you drop your seat. For this to work, the Divine requires slightly bigger seals and higher internal pressure compared to the Revive. 

The Divine also offers something that the Revive does not: adjustable travel. You can reduce the travel of each Divine dropper by up to 20mm in 5mm increments, by installing one or more spacers onto the main piston shaft. The process is simple and does not require any proprietary tools. This means that if for example a 160mm drop is too much for you and your frame to handle, you can reduce it down to 150 or 140 mms, instead of buying the shorter 125 mm version. This way you get the benefit of the maximum amount of drop your set-up will allow. The short overall stack height of the post ensures that it has a higher chance of fitting completely into the seat tube as well. For example, the Divine 185 is significantly shorter than a 175 Fox Transfer, while at the same travel the OneUp dropper is about on par with the Divine.

Installing the Divine is straightforward. After routing the cable through your frame, you’ll want to make sure you have exactly the right amount of cable showing at the post end. There is a helpful guide etched onto the base of the post to help with this part. After that, you simply need to attach the small cable clamp onto the cable, slip it into the activator, then adjust any slack with the barrel adjuster on the remote. The remote can be installed with a separate collar of its own, or it can be attached directly to a Shimano or SRAM brake lever with the correct adapter (available to order together with the post).

On the trail, the Divine is a pleasure to use. It may be a tiny bit less smooth than a Revive, but it still compares favorably with pretty much any other post out there. The position and the action of the BikeYoke lever are perfect, and it’s super easy to modulate the return speed of the post. The maximum return speed of the post is definitely quick enough to deal with any situation on the trail, and a fairly loud thunk lets you know that the post has reached the end of its travel – on either side. We’ve had the Divine out on the trails for just over 3 months now, and in that time it has done nothing but go up and down on command – as needed, and when needed. No issues, no sag, come rain or shine this post simply keeps doing its job. We still have the first Revive we tested back in 2017, and it’s still going strong without ever having needed to be serviced since.

Given BikeYoke’s attention to detail and excellent reputation for producing reliable products, we fully expect to get similar performance out of the new Divine post. Should things take a turn for the worse, BikeYoke makes all the spares needed for rebuilding the post available, and they have a growing network of service centers around the world ready to help you out if need be.

So who is the new Divine for? Well, if you are a fan of a smooth dropper that does its job without fuss, with an auto-reset feature to ensure it won’t go saggy on you, you owe it to yourself to take a good look at this one. The fact that it comes in a bunch of different sizes and lengths, and that travel can be fine-tuned to match you and your bike perfectly should make the decision even easier. Yes, even though the Divine is 40 EUR cheaper than a Revive, it’s still not a cheap post – but in our opinion, it’s worth every penny and cent.

More information at www.bikeyoke.de.

About The Reviewer

Johan Hjord - Age: 46 // Years Riding MTB: 14 // Weight: 190-pounds (87-kg) // Height: 6'0" (1.84m)

Johan loves bikes, which strangely doesn’t make him any better at riding them. After many years spent practicing falling off cliffs with his snowboard, he took up mountain biking in 2005. Ever since, he’s mostly been riding bikes with too much suspension travel to cover up his many flaws as a rider. His 200-pound body weight coupled with unique skill for poor line choice and clumsy landings make him an expert on durability - if parts survive Johan, they’re pretty much okay for anybody. Johan rides flat pedals with a riding style that he describes as "none" (when in actuality he rips!). Having found most trail features to be not to his liking, Johan uses much of his spare time building his own. Johan’s other accomplishments include surviving this far and helping keep the Vital Media Machine’s stoke dial firmly on 11.

Video by Johan Hjord