Crankbrothers Highline 11 Dropper Seatpost

Using carbon parts to make a dropper post is nothing new, but that still doesn’t mean that it’s commonplace. Crankbrothers is choosing the less traveled path by not only using carbon, but using it for the stanchion of their new Highline 11 dropper, which has helped them create a light and smooth post for those looking for something a little different. We’ve had a unit out on the trails for a couple of months now - keep reading to find out what we think of it.

Crankbrothers Highline 11 Highlights

• 60mm / 100mm / 125mm / 150mm / 170mm of infinite travel adjustment
• Diameter: 30.9 & 31.6
• Hydraulic IFP cartridge
• Linear actuator system
• Carbon quill (stanchion)
• Quick-release carbon head
• Titanium mounting bolts
• LL-Glide bushings and keys from IGUS
• Trelleborg seals
• 47-millimeter minimum stack height
• 4 year warranty
• MSRP: $399 / €399 (remote sold separately)

Crankbrothers Flat Bar Dropper Remote Highlights

• Pivotal remote lever for optimal ergonomic placement
• Max spherical adjustment - 360° Rotation / 22° Tilt
• Single bolt hinge locking system
• Universal mounting system: Top / Bottom / Left / Right
• MSRP: $59.99 USD / €59.99 EUR

Initial Impressions

When you plunk down for a carbon dropper, you’re hoping not to be taken for a ride. No such worries with the Highline 11 which puts on a great show already in the box. The finish is deep and rich, the titanium hardware shines with understated bling, and the gold graphics add a little touch of class without going over the top with it. It’s hard to take pictures that do this post justice because the carbon stanchion catches the light in a weird way, but trust us when we say the thing looks pretty good in real life.

The overall dimensions of the Highline 11 are the very close to the previous posts in the current Highline range, which translates to one of the longer posts out there overall. For example, a PNW Loam 170 dropper is 480 mm long, while the 170 mm Highline 11 is 505 mm. On the flipside, the Highline 11 provides a generous amount of “max extension”, making it one to look at if you need a lot of post sticking out of your frame.

Crankbrothers also did a good job containing the “collar to rail” number, which represents the measurement between the saddle rails and the bottom of the post collar. At 218 mm for the 170 mm travel post it’s not too far off the best in the category, so provided you have enough room in the lower part of the your seat tube to accommodate the long post mast, the Highline will nearly maximize the amount of post travel you can squeeze into a given frame (a OneUp Dropper or BikeYoke Revive will do even better). There are plenty of travel options to choose from in the two most common seat tube diameters. The max travel is not adjustable on the Highline however, so if you need that level of fine tuning your fit, look elsewhere.

The Crankbrothers remote is a compact little unit that offers a good deal of adjustability thanks to its clever “ball and socket” design. This essentially lets you rotate the lever in a multitude of directions, which in turn should make it easier to find the exact right spot for it in your cockpit. The remote can be placed either above or below the grip on the left or right hand side, and the small form factor makes it a good choice if you have several controls to accommodate on your handlebars. The remote activates a fully sealed internal floating piston (“IFP”) cartridge that comes with a 4-year warranty – solid evidence of the confidence Crankbrothers has in this design.

What about that carbon you say? Well, aside from being very light (which is reflected in the very competitive weight of the Highline 11, dropping 100 grams compared to its regular alloy counterpart the Highline 7), the carbon stanchion and post head do the same job as the alloy ones - they hold the saddle and make it go up or down when asked to. More below!

On The Trail

Mounting up the Highline 11 is as easy as any other post today, route the cable housing, hook up the cable end to the bottom of the post, and tighten down the open end of the cable with a small set screw on the remote. The post head features quick-release bolts that make installing the saddle a breeze, and the titanium hardware is satisfyingly smooth under the wrenches. The carbon stanchion was a bit dry out of the box so we applied a little grease to get started on the right foot.

The action of the Highline 11 is very similar to that of the Highline 7, which is logical since they both contain the same cartridge and the same premium IGUS bushings. The Highline 11 is somehow even smoother though, perhaps due to the carbon stanchion. The remote sits in a good spot under the thumb, and the short lever throw makes it natural to activate. The ability to adjust both the rotation and angle of the lever means that you can really place it where you want it. The activation is a little “muted” compared to some other posts, it can be a bit harder to feel what the post is doing when you press it. The post itself is nearly silent in action as well, making it harder to know when it tops out sometimes (we tend to favor posts with a defined “clunk” at the end of travel as that leaves no doubt as to whether you have reached the position you wanted). The return speed is fairly average, and cannot be adjusted.

The Crankbrothers IFP cartridge locks down hard in whichever position you need your saddle in, with no lateral squish whatsoever and very little side-to-side play when wiggling the saddle. Lifting the bike by the saddle is possible with the seat post in any position, giving the post a feeling of robustness that so far also seems to translate into real life reliability. We have been running a Highline 7 (which shares the exact same cartridge) for 18 months on another bike, and it’s basically still performing as new. The Highline 11 has been in action for 2 months at the time of this writing, we’ll keep testing and will report back in the future if we discover anything untoward.

What’s The Bottom Line?

Crankbrothers has come a long way since its first foray into dropper posts, which was plagued by quality issues and finicky design. The latest generation of Highline posts are reliable and dependable, and backed by a 4-year warranty on the internals for extra peace of mind. The new Highline 11 adds a little carbon and titanium flair to the mix while dropping a not insignificant amount of weight in the process. The extra bling comes at a cost of course, but the overall experience matches the sticker price and if you are after a premium piece of gear that will help you reach your weight goals for your new build, the Highline 11 should definitely be on your shortlist.

More information at: www.crankbrothers.com.

About The Reviewer

Johan Hjord - Age: 49 // Years Riding MTB: 17 // 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.

Photos by Johan Hjord