First Ride: Yep's New Featherweight Podio XC Dropper

Mar 15, 2022
by Dan Roberts  
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With dropper post travel now exceeding that of DH forks, and seemingly still growing, perhaps the other end of the spectrum has been missing the limelight.

XC bikes have evolved a fair bit over the past few years, becoming a little closer to the bikes that many of us ride day in day out. Bigger tires, more travel and dropper posts are all now fairly commonplace, whereas not too long ago they were heavily discussed and controversial topics - if a racer broke out a dropper post at a race the internet lost it a little bit.
Podio Details

Diameters: 30.9mm & 31.6mm
Drop: 80mm
Lengths: 420mm, trimable to 305mm
Weight: 309g - 345g depending on version, 27g for remote
Price: €580 without remote, €620 including remote
Availability: From March 15th 2022
More info: Yep Components

But, despite the shift in XC bikes and mentality they remain true to their roots and still have both feet and arms firmly in the featherweight camp. The advantages of a dropper are clear on the downs, but the added weight was, and still is in some cases, a hard pill to swallow for a lot of racers and enthusiasts.

Enter Yep, a brand who we're now familiar with after reviewing and admiring their Uptimizer 3.0 dropper. The small Swiss brand prides itself on making and assembling nearly everything in-house from their Ticino headquarters.

Yep sought to capitalise on that descending advantage that can be had from a dropper but wrap it all up in a package that weighed in at nine-tenths of naff all. All the while peppering the design with the features and details that went on to impress us in their Uptimizer. What now emerges after a lot of work behind the scenes, scrutinising and redrawing every single component multiple times to shed as much weight as possible, is the Podio dropper. A mechanically actuated hydraulic dropper that gives 80mm of drop in a package as light as 309g.

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The Podio uses a carbon fibre main tube which is possible to trim to suit different bike and rider needs.
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The upper and lower seat rail clamps are also carbon, and tightened with two titanium screws for good adjustability and secure seat holding.

Features & Details

As is often the case when looking to shed grams, Yep turned to carbon fiber composite as a material and manufactured the main post cylinder and seat clamps out of it. But they didn't just stop there. Titanium is used for the seat clamp bolts and the stanchion tube and head are machined from one piece of 7075 aluminium to ensure a strong and stiff structure that is also efficient on the stack height. And that's not all. If you try hard enough you can shave grams off everything, and Yep employ a smaller diameter inner and outer cable that might seem excessive to some, but a gram here and there adds up to quite a few when everything is tallied up.

The carbon post of the Podio can be trimmed down by 115mm to tailor the post to different frame and rider needs. The cartridge is also trimmed down for weight savings, but follows the same design as the Uptimizer 3.0 and uses an air spring that can be user adjusted between 150 and 220psi to change the drop and return feel of the post. Further adjustment is available with snap-on volume spacers to tune the large volume air spring feel. It's something commonplace in air suspension and Yep saw no reason not to put the same adjustability into a dropper post. Travel can also be limited, if you find the dizzy heights of 80mm to be too much, but you do have to delve a little further inside the post to adjust the travel and also air spring progressivity.

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The little actuator screws into the base of the cartridge and use the outer cable movement to open the post's valve via the blue piece and attached pin.
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The trimmed down cartridge sits right up inside the post to save weight while controlling the 80mm drop.
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The supplied tool holds the actuator and cable captive while it's screwed into the base of the post.

That trimmed down cartridge does require the use of a special tool to assemble the actuator, but it uses a standard 4mm Allen key and even includes a small grub screw to ensure that the tool doesn't fall off when you're assembling the post and actuator. As is the case with the Uptimizer, the Podio is absolutely littered with tiny details that either make using or working on the post a dream, or show the crazy attention to detail that is present in every single component, no matter how small.

The design of the cartridge includes one of Yep's signature details, the ability to be user serviceable. In a current climate of wild lead times, having components that you can work on at home with easily available tools and knowledge can pay dividends right now. The cartridge can be re-bled in around 5 minutes with only allen keys and the supplied syringe, and also opens up the door to experimenting with different oil weights to get different feels or to adapt the post for really hot or cold climates.

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Air pressure for the large volume air spring is adjusted between 150 and 220psi via the valve at the top of the one piece stanchion and head.
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Every detail of the Podio was looked at for weight saving. Smaller diameter outer and inner cables, top, compared to standard diameter, bottom, save a few grams. But the post can be assembled with regular diameters if needed.

The air spring acts as the pressure on the internal floating piston and so needs releasing when you delve into the post, but much of the work to keep the post in tip top shape can be done with it on the bike. This includes cleaning, greasing or replacing the main bushing, as the top collar is only done to hand tight and quickly grants access into an area of the post that can see a lot of dirt ingress. Spare parts are also available right away for the Podio and there's a large library of service information and tutorials, meaning that you can keep the post running smoothly for a long time to come.

Yep decided to stick with the hydraulic cartridge to allow the post's travel to be easily micro adjusted to any point in the 80mm window. It also means that the post can be released without needing to unweight the saddle, a problem that some fully mechanical posts have.

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Yep's Joystick remote is still one of my favourites for its light feel and ability to be pushed...
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...or pulled in any direction. Neat features like the screw on cap to protect from the cut inner cable top off the 27g remote.

And while the Podio can be actuated by means of any other mechanical dropper remoter, Yep's own Joystick remote still remains as one of the better remotes on the market. The lever can be pushed or pulled in any direction, giving some help in crashes, and can be mounted anywhere on the bars thanks to the reversible design. And if you like to customise your bike, it's available in 8 different anodized colours, along with select pieces of the dropper itself.

The Podio is available in 30.9mm and 31.6mm diameter options, with weights ranging from 305g for the trimmed, 305mm long, 30.9mm diameter version up to 345g for the un-cut 31.6mm diameter version. Even in the bigger diameter version uncut, that puts it much lighter than hydraulic competition like the BikeYoke Diving SL and KS Lev Ci Carbon, and lighter still than the mechanical Fox Transfer SL and DT Swiss D232 One Carbon.

Prices start at €580 for just the post and go up to €620 with the remote included. It's available to buy right now from Yep's website, or other web shops that are listed on the site.


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While XC riders will forever be obsessed with weight, I'm British, and so will forever be obsessed with steel hardtails. That's my current version of XC, and the Podio also fitted it nicely.

Assembly & Ride Impressions

Assembling the Podio is no more complicated than any other mechanically actuated post. Included in the box are the syringe for bleeding, the actuator tool, outer cable and two inners along with cable ends and the remote, if you choose that option.

Trimming the cables to length along with getting the post on the bike are all a doddle, but one point to mention is that on the Podio it's the outer cable that moves when you press on the remote, rather than the inner. Down at the actuator on the base of the post, the inner cable is essentially fixed to the post and it's the moving outer cable that pushes the actuator, and so the button on the cartridge to open the valve. It's only a small point, as most XC frames with internal routing will suffer no problems to use the post at all as they all have ample room for the outer cable to move through the few millimeters of pull needed.

Assembly of the cables is done into the actuator with it off the post. You then use the included tool to screw the actuator and cable into the bottom of the cartridge.

There are clear markings on the back of the post for height adjustment, along with the minimum insert mark of 100mm.

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Neat little details adorn the Podio, from grub screws to stop you dropping tools all the way through to the wealth of service information and tutorials.
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User serviceability is one of the hallmarks of Yep. It's a tooless job to get in and give the main bushing a clean.

While XC isn't my forte nowadays (long gone are the famous Scott lunchtime World Cups) it's very easy to understand the need for only a small drop in XC. When the majority of race time is spent pushing damn hard on the pedals, any lost moment from dropping down the 240mm drop elevator is time not putting out the power. 80mm might sound like a gnat's whisker in today's big drops, but it really is horses for courses and the Podio's drop is bang on for modern XC. It's just enough to free you from the weird leg out high post antics on the downs, but it's never far away when you need it to return. And even if you do sit down with the post slammed, you're still in a fairly pedalling focussed position to get you through a quick technical section before you're back up to full height and back on the gas.

So far the Podio has once again been a joy to use. Yep really seem to have nailed the light feel of both the lever actuation and post movement. It's soft and gentle to use but also positive and audible. You know when it's up at its max and when you slam it down it's not like slamming your arse down into a concrete block. Lever feel is perhaps the highlight, with the Joystick being light to prod in every which way suits you, but a lot of that light lever feel is also down to the post internals. Since the first ride the post's action has been smooth and solid, there's little to no play in the stanchion and the whole post never gives off much hint of flexing, even with the post fully out at the minimum insert mark.

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Out of the box the Podio is an impressive approach to the lightweight XC dropper. Its fit and finish are top notch and its feel on the trail in rides has been smooth, sturdy and controlled. Added to that, all the adjustment options give the rider avenues to tune parts of a dropper that other brands simply don't offer. And the ability to keep the post running without specialist tools, six pairs of hands and two degrees is again a welcome detail, especially right now. It's no surprise that this was the go-to post for some select XC racers when there was gold, silver and bronze on the table last year.






Photos by Gaëtan Rey / Shaperideshoot

Author Info:
dan-roberts avatar

Member since Apr 6, 2019
137 articles

76 Comments
  • 87 2
 Not having to remove your saddle to check the air pressure looks like the dream
  • 3 1
 DVO Garnet.
  • 60 10
 An XC dropper without a 27.2 option? If lycra could scream, it would!
  • 26 9
 An XC dropper post that won't fit the majority of the XC bikes. April fools came early this year.
  • 7 3
 Shouldn't it have external cable routing too? Yep only recently dropped that option, which I think is a bummer.
  • 5 3
 Agree'd, I want this for my gravel bike.
  • 5 1
 @Mattin: I'd say majority are 30.9 or 31.6....
  • 1 1
 @rrsport: My last 27.2 was a 2015 bike (that got stolen in 2019).

New XC bike is 31.6.
  • 36 0
 Me: Do you mean to tell me it could be cut down to 305g?
Yep: Yep
  • 25 0
 Does that really say $800 dollars?
  • 37 0
 Will go nice with my power meter flat pedals
  • 10 8
 People will always complain about price when acquisition is considerably more than a mass produced alternative. Especially those who are willing to replace the complete product every couple of years. I think a product like this makes sense if you want to buy once and after that only maintain and repair or even upgrade. From what I gather from the comment section, North American buyers are willing to pay more for locally produced goods and not for overseas stuff like products made in Switzerland. But yeah, for those customers who think "this product is fine for my needs, I'll get one and use it for a couple of decades", these Yep droppers seem like a sensible choice. Similarly goes for Trickstuff brakes, Chris King hubs and headsets, custom frames etc. Now this one is particularly expensive because they've made an attempt to make it extra lightweight so that requirement (and costs) comes on top of all this. But yeah, it makes sense to me. People who buy this apparently want low weight (which is an inherently expensive requirement) and maintainability for a very long time. This is what it costs. If you don't want to pay this much, you don't want it that much. And yeah, obviously I don't want this either Smile . But I have arrived at a stage where I'm willing to pay a bit more for a product I can keep using for a good while.
  • 4 0
 People happily pay that much for a Sram dropper that weighs (maybe literally) twice as much.
  • 22 1
 Crank Bros did that exact same lever about 10 years ago. Just saying.
  • 14 0
 Maverick Speedball, 2006 IIRC
  • 2 0
 @markjaggard: yep, i remember riding the prototype at a 24hr race (remember those!) It was really cool for the time!
  • 4 2
 And it sucked, if memory serves
  • 8 0
 @Jshemuel: yep. I think those multidirectional levers lack any positive tactility. I want a switch to click nicely on a defined plane, not flop around.
  • 3 0
 and X-Fusion's BAT
  • 2 0
 X fusion had a similar guy, it worked well if the post didn't need a ton of cable pull, I tried it on an old command post and I couldn't get it to reliability lock and unlock with the amount of cable pull offered.
  • 1 0
 @markjaggard: Yep, I had one of those. The lever wasn't a problem. Other things were (although as I had a Maverick frame it was the only way to drop my seatpost and it was still amazing).
I seem to remember someone using those levers as brake levers on a commuter bike too. Maybe at Interbike.
  • 16 3
 So, spend an extra $400 to save 60g, maybe, over a 90mm OneUp. Got it.
  • 1 6
flag EricHarger (Mar 14, 2022 at 23:37) (Below Threshold)
 Or a 1up rack.
  • 8 0
 It's essentially the same weight as the Transfer SL. Depending on trimming and specs. And double the price.

But there's clearly a market for it. What else are you going to put on a $13,000 S-Works Epic?

Not looking at the price, their solutions look well thought out.
  • 26 1
 That's what XC about, drop 60g here, 60g there and you have 500g lighter and $4k more expensive bike, you know in case you would take part in a WC race or you could impress your friends being 10s faster on that gravel road.
  • 7 0
 @lkubica: that was an accidental downvote, consider it a one up (pun intended).
  • 3 0
 It's like saying "spend an extra $250 to add 50g, maybe, over a 210mm OneUp" about a BikeYoke Revive 213.
  • 9 0
 Easily serviceable / accessible seals is a win. Are you listening Fox and X-Fusion?
  • 5 1
 I had this exact awful lever on an ICE seatpost over 10 years ago. Still have it laying around. It feels terrible to realize the design somehow made it back with all its drawbacks.
  • 3 0
 Haha, yes, I had the same one on BMC Speedfox and it was the first thing I replaced (with a classic lever). It always felt terrible when pressing/pulling, so ended up in the trashcan
  • 3 1
 I know PB ain't for the weight weenies of this world, but I don't understand why these leightweight seat posts do not use the rocker/2 bolt/bar clamp design like being used by Tune, Syntace, Use and others. It's a proved and very leightweight solution. But maybe it does not match with the space needed for the air spring?

Remote: where is the matchmaker interface (like bikeyoke uses)??
  • 3 0
 why cant we just go back to i beam?
  • 2 0
 Breakdown/comparison:
75 gram lighter than the Divine SL. (both in 31.6 with 80mm travel.)
225 EUR more expensive.
The Devine SL is available with 80, 100 and 125mm travel, while the Yep only come sin 80mm, which is not a lot.
Total length of the Yep wouldn't be enough to fit some new bikes with extremely short seat tubes. (like the Fezzari Signal Peak that I ordered).
Conclusion:
In terms of weight/cost, nobody can beat Joe Breeze's Hite Rite ;-)
  • 2 0
 There was a cartridge less SpeedUP seatpost by KS that was the lightest ever. Not a true dropper, but it certainly serves my purposes. Sadly it is discontinued for a hydraulic cartridge model.
  • 4 0
 Not just XC riders want lightweight stuff. The companies should make standard droppers lighter.
  • 7 2
 Calves.
  • 3 0
 My 9.8 R dropper weighs 370 grams, has 125mm of drop, and cost $400, which I thought was a lot for a dropper.
  • 1 0
 As seen on Nino’s bike when he won World’s last year, along with the rest of the Scott-SRAM team, despite sponsor obligations.

And Nino just rode Nove Mesto on what appears to be a custom 100 mm version.
  • 3 0
 Yep? It's more of a "Nah" for me
  • 2 1
 I would think a lever as a ball & socket combo rather than two flat surfaces would be a better mechanism for any direction control.
  • 4 0
 That wouldn’t move the cable though. The two flat surfaces allow the cable to be pulled out of the housing, which actuates the post.
  • 1 0
 @MTBrent: Yes - you're right, now that I think about it. Thanks.
  • 2 3
 Plenty of Gumby “XC” riders will spring for this. If they’re smart, it’s a gateway to stuffing the longest drop post their frame will take.

If they’re not, it’ll be a talking point for them at the trailhead or coffee shop.

Either way it’s a waste of money. Just get the longest OneUp that’ll fit.

Oh, and joystick actuators are absolute garbage.
  • 2 0
 so the 9 point 8 post weighs 14g more than a cut one and costs half as much?
  • 1 0
 Yes
  • 1 1
 "when you slam it down it's not like slamming your arse down into a concrete block."

Well, yeah, it's only dropping 80mm, not enough time to accelerate like a 200mm drop. Should apply to almost any short dropper.
  • 3 1
 Rumor has it that Nino rode that in the Olympics
  • 3 2
 Dope but that's alot of beans. Would fit the gravel scene like a glove, or a lycra junk drawer at least
  • 2 0
 Yep, that's a light dropper.
  • 1 0
 I ride steel wheels on my ultralight carbon gravel bike to keep things even.
  • 3 0
 How about nope
  • 1 0
 looks like my 13 year old CrackBrothers dropper lever that was odd and painful I also got my skin caught in the vice
  • 1 0
 So many words for a single post!
  • 1 0
 Sober as a gopher, NOPE! Higher than a rollercoaster, YEP!
  • 2 0
 80mm? why bother lol
  • 4 0
 Because 80mm is enough to get the seat out of the way for descents...
  • 1 0
 Wonder how much it would weigh with a mechanical actuator instead.
  • 1 0
 Lmao, the prices crack me up.
  • 1 0
 Who the heck wants a 80mm dropped, I would rather get a 9point8
  • 1 0
 You save two key fobs or a most of a chocolate bar.
  • 1 0
 YeeeeeeeP
  • 2 3
 Nobody gonna talk about that lever design? You can actuate it in any direction. This is next level stuff.
  • 2 0
 You mean first level stuff? Maverick speedball (which became the crank bros joplin) had the exact same remote about 15 years ago, I've still got one from my old joplin, biggest issue is the barrel has to be at the lever, not the post, so it doesn't work with every dropper and its a pain to set up usually. Once sorted it's actually really nice though, super discrete.
  • 1 0
 I'll talk about it-joystick levers are crap, and they've been done before.
  • 1 0
 X-Fusion used this design years ago, too.
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