REVIEW - Wolf Tooth Resolve Dropper Seatpost 1

It is clear to see Wolf Tooth has taken note of improvements that could be made to the existing mountain bike dropper seat posts on the market today. Their new Resolve dropper has many traits aimed to outperform the competition in terms of long-term durability and performance. As their ReMote dropper lever is an extremely popular aftermarket upgrade for other dropper seatposts, it only makes sense that Wolf Tooth introduces a telescoping Resolve post counterpart to complete their package. With an all-new post comes new, first-ever self-bleeding technology to improve consistency and longevity. Additionally, there are some nice, understated details that riders will appreciate, like an easily accessible air port, an audible thud at the top and bottom of the travel, as well as indication lines for saddle angle and height adjustments.

Highlights

• CNC aluminum construction
• 30.9mm and 31.6mm diameters
• 125mm, 160mm, and 200mm travel options
• Travel adjust spacers available
• Two-year warranty
• Available with or without remote lever
• Lowest available stack height at 32mm
• First-ever self-bleeding post
• Easily serviced
  
• Useful and easy-to-read markings
• MSRP $349.95 USD without lever
  

Featuring a self-bleeding cartridge at the core, Wolf Tooth has eliminated the need for an internal floating piston to ensure more consistent function over longer service intervals. For riders interested in durability, this is a huge advantage, and still the Resolve is fully serviceable at home with a few basic tools. Having the lowest stack height of any post on the market will be helpful for riders wanting a longer post with less worry about frame fitment issues. Should riders need a different diameter post with a bike change, the lower tube is interchangeable between 30.9 or 31.6mm, and every part of the post is individually replaceable.

The Lineup and Initial Impressions

Fitting into the extensive catalog of products Wolf Tooth offers, the Resolve dropper post accompanies their highly popular ReMote Light Action lever in both finish and in function. The finish is on the post smooth and refined. Our initial thoughts were that it closely resembles the BikeYoke Revive in terms of function with a similarly light action. One notable difference being an air valve that is accessible without disassembling the head of the post and indentation marks for seat angle position.

While the saddle on our test bike needed to be removed to access the port, any saddle with a cutout allows users to adjust air pressure by removing only the cap for the valve. The Resolve is easily actuated with a high level of modulation at the lever. There is a varied level of threshold of initial breakaway force that is slightly firmer while sitting and lighter while standing. This is a cool feature that, in theory, makes the post return to full extension more easily. We found the additional pressure needed to actuate the lever while seated to be a little cumbersome on our first few rides, but eventually got used to the feeling. One of the coolest features we noticed is the sound of the post when it drops fully. It is intentionally louder than usual and makes the same sound upon return to full extension.

On The Trail

Our test period was conducted on the trails of South Mountain in Phoenix, Arizona, where technical moves are abundant and a dropper post gets cycled frequently each lap. We also spent some time in Mesa, Arizona, at the Hawes trail network with longer, sustained seated climbs. The first thing we noticed on trail was the loud noise the post makes at top-out and at bottom-out. This is intentionally built into the post to assure riders that their post is either all the way up or all the way down. We came to appreciate the sensory acknowledgements the more we got used to the post. We did notice a bit of sticking throughout the stroke about two-thirds of the way to full extension but never experienced the post stopping before it fully extended.

Things That Could Be Improved

Function was smooth throughout the duration of our test period, although we did notice a bit of drag on-and-off later in the test period. This caused for varied return speeds when putting the post up to climb. It wasn't a huge issue, but did leave us waiting at times for the post to fully extend. Wolf Tooth has since confirmed that they have modified their assembly process (greasing an internal seal that was not greased on our pre-public post) and that this stickiness issue should no longer exist. Regardless, the sound the Resolve makes when hitting full extension would confirm the post had returned completely.

Long-Term Durability

With the Resolve dropper being the first “suspension” related product from the brand, it is great to see durability being a driving force behind its design. During our test period we did not experience any spongy feeling out of the post nor did we need to perform any service on it to see just how it would fair. Service is reported to be simple and straightforward, a manageable task for most experienced home mechanics. If any parts should fail, all parts and assemblies are available individually. The one issue we had with the function seems to have been straightened out with a revised assembly procedure to prevent any issues with sticking moving forward.

What's The Bottom Line?

The Resolve post is a great introduction into the world of dropper posts for Wolf Tooth. It's a worthy contender against any existing options on the market. Wolf Tooth did their homework before releasing the Resolve, and we can see it quickly becoming a popular pick for serious riders. The sound of the post hitting full height and full bottom while riding is a notable feature, not having to guess if the post is all the way up or down is really nice. We like the ability to check or add air pressure without disassembling the entire head of the post. The low maintenance of the self-bleeding cartridge is a nice piece of tech, and we appreciated having the indication lines for seat angle available when changing saddles. We would certainly consider this post for our next bike build and would recommend it to anyone in the dropper post market.

Visit www.wolftooth.com for more details.

Photos by Donny

About The Reviewer

Jonathon Simonetti - Age: 28 // Years Riding: 19 // Height: 6'4" (1.93m) // Weight: 225-pounds (102kg)

Jonny started mountain biking in 2003 after taking a trip to Northstar and discovering how much more could be ridden than on a BMX bike. He began racing at age 12 and raced for 12 years until ultimately deciding having fun on a bike was more important. After working in the industry for a few years and developing a deeper understanding of bikes inside and out, he has an aptitude for pairing his riding ability with the analysis of bikes and breaking down what makes them work well. He rides for fun and finds the most enjoyment out of going fast with friends.