PNW Components Releases Updated Loam Lever

Nov 15, 2022
by Mike Kazimer  
photo
The original Loam Lever on the left, and the new version on the right.

PNW Components released the original Loam Lever back in 2018, their version of a better mousetrap, or in this case, a more comfortable way to raise and lower a dropper post.

Four years later, it's time for version 2.0, which adds more mounting options, a bigger thumb pad, and some extra machining that makes it even nicer than the original.

photo
Three mounting holes provide a greater range of adjustment.
photo
The lever rotates on a sealed cartridge bearing, and uses a 3mm bolt to secure the cable.

There are now three bolt holes on the top of the remote, allowing for a total of 14mm of adjustment, compared to the 6mm provided by the two mounting points on the original.

As for the thumb pad, its dimensions have been increased in order to create a bigger target to aim for during those panic-driven seat lowering moments. I didn't have any complaints about the original, but the extra real estate should help make it even more unlikely that a rider's thumb will miss its target. There are eight color option for the injection molded pad, ranging from Blackout Black to Fruit Snack purple.

photo

The Loam Lever 2 is priced at $69 USD and comes with a 22.2mm clamp. For an additional $5 PNW Components will exchange that clamp for either a SRAM Matchmaker or Shimano I-Spec option.

More information: pnwcomponents.com



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Reviews and Tech First Looks PNW Components


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61 Comments
  • 106 5
 Very nice of them to not use this as an opportunity to raise the price. Thanks PNW Components
  • 19 4
 Are you hearing this Specialized?!
  • 23 0
 Nothing wrong with the first version. Love it!
  • 10 9
 The price got raised through the roof on original release: they raised the $45 price of OneUp's lever by 153%.
  • 6 1
 @WarOnErrorism: No upcharge for Matchmaker or I-Spec w/ OneUp either.
  • 11 0
 @WarOnErrorism: this could not be overlooked just because of your handle lol. $69 is a 53% increase over $45 not a 153% increase
  • 4 0
 @Kayco: Touche. 69 is 153% of 45 but you are correct: expressed as an increase it should have been 53%. Powturn is also correct: if you're buying the non-clamp version, the Loam Lever is a 64% increase vs OneUp.
  • 4 2
 @WarOnErrorism: I have the oneup in the spare parts bin after trying one of these, percentages be damned, these feel much better
  • 1 1
 @WarOnErrorism: The one up lever is $45 but that doesnt include a clamp to connect it to the handle bar. thats an additional $14.50, and if you change the cushion from black to a different color that adds $6 more. so an orange(or any other color but black) that puts the price of the one up lever at $65.50.
  • 2 2
 @deadhorse13: @deadhorse13: OneUp V2 lever comes with the clamp included. I purchased two of them for less than $40 each, MSRP was $45 when PNW released the first Loam Lever for $69. OneUp's V3 lever has, sadly indeed, discovered fashion-victim-rubber inserts and PNW-style predatory pricing on clamp hardware. I guess we can give PNW credit for leading the way to that price hike as well. Good news is OneUp still sells the V2 lever for less than $50, and those who already own clamps can still acquire a V3 for $45 if they want to try the update. As for @artistformlyknowasdan, you might like the long throw of levers like PNW's, I do not. The OneUp design is much more compact and efficient: it actuates just as quickly as the downshift button on a shifter. I fail to see how using more throw to achieve the same effect is an ergonomic plus.
  • 82 1
 Cool, three holes.
  • 69 0
 giggity
  • 11 1
 That's what she said
  • 16 0
 now OneUp will have to add a fourth hole in order to retain its "one-upingness"
  • 41 0
 Bigger thumb paddle? That's a paddlin'.
  • 22 0
 Fuck everything, we're doing five bolt holes.
  • 19 0
 The extra adjustment will be nice. I'm one of those weirdos who likes separate clamps for my controls, and more adjustment range is always better in that context.
  • 5 0
 Same. I always tried to integrate, integrate, integrate, but got sick of trying to find the parts for Hope levers. Gave up and just used the stock clamps and realized I had never had optimal shifter/dropper lever positions.
  • 2 1
 This is me. Yeah total weirdo that I want my controls where I want them not a pre determined one. But I've been fluxomed by my Load Lever. If I put it inside breaks its too close. Outside too far. I've been learning to use a mini mill and was considering making an adapter to extend the clamp but now maybe I won't. From 6mm of adjustment to 14 means in theory I should be able to move it another 4-5mm closer which would be perfect
  • 1 1
 @llaama: it fits 99% of people, but yeah it is hard to live with overthinking brain Big Grin
  • 4 0
 Damn, I just bought the old version last month and struggled with the position. Once I got my brake in the correct spot, the MMX adjustment just wasn't enough to get the lever far left enough. I've just been dealing with it. This is a good move.
  • 2 0
 I just bought the old one last month too! Dang
  • 2 0
 Same...
  • 1 0
 Not a bad thing! I find that if my lever is even slightly overlapping the grip the outside of my thumb will rub against it, usually while descending. I've been shoving the lever further and further into the cockpit and the ride quality has gotten much better.
  • 1 0
 @corposello: yeah, you're right. It's just not the headline you want to read, haha
  • 6 1
 Still waiting for TRP adapters…
  • 4 1
 Or Hope. Or Hayes.
  • 1 2
 @jdubs: Hayes has a DM for Sram matchmaker. I sheared mine off at the bike park recently but it looked nice.
  • 1 0
 @MrShreddypants: Not for the left side they don't.
  • 1 0
 Bought a PNW seatpost for my son’s 2021 Tracer. Honestly the thing has never ever worked correctly. It simply won’t stay down. It slowly creeps back up and becomes a hazard when riding through serious tech. You don’t know it’s slowly raising itself until it hits your butt. I’ve tried every trick I know to get it to work correctly. My bikes both have Thomson droppers and I’ve never had problem one with those.
  • 8 5
 Loam (/lōm/): a soil with roughly equal proportions of sand, silt, and clay.
  • 13 0
 Nice of you to get off your duff and remind us.
  • 1 0
 Will the Shimano I-SPEC EV mount work better with XT M8100/M8120, SLX M7100/M7120 & Deore M6100/M6120 levers than the previous version? And is that EV mount backwards compatible with the Loam Lever v1?
  • 2 2
 Oneup's v3 has sold me... replaceable pads, hidden cable end, Cam operated so its got the best feel of any remote. It's also good chunk cheaper. My previous bike i had PNW pretty much everything and gotta say it was pretty subpar and considering how much you pay extra, Its not on my buy again list.
  • 1 1
 Wolf tooth light action remote FTW! Just seems to work better, faster actuation then Loam Lever for me for some reason? Do love Loam dropppers though, on two of my three bikes in circulation. Would say my favorite/most reliable dropper to date, especially in it’s class of lower cost posts. Much prefer it over OneUp that requires more maintenance it seems to keep running smooth
  • 3 0
 you still cant mount a water bottle on it...
  • 3 3
 So I’m still rocking my 2018 KS stock lever on one bike and the stock 2017 Specialized lever on the other. Never looked at either and thought “dang, that needs an upgrade”.
  • 6 0
 but someone building a new bike might be like "dang, that needs a lever", and then buy a PNW.
  • 1 0
 @chuckalicious: I guess you weren’t their target audience…….
  • 1 0
 Not everyone thinks things all the way through, no biggie. Just keep riding.
  • 1 0
 i took a bad spill and snapped a plastic specialised command post lever on my knee. it left me with several stitches which extended up my thigh. i cursed the plastic and bought the loam lever as a replacement, nice upgrade and piece of mind i wont get punctured again with cheap plastic death levers. i am totally part of their target audience.
  • 1 0
 @blackjack88: Plastic? Mine's definitely all metal. But hey, good on ya if this worked out for you. I guess I just don't see there being a viable market, but maybe I'm totally off base.
  • 5 6
 Love everything PNW, but you guys need to get that little cable clamp bolt for these levers back in stock!

I fat-fingered mine and stripped it (my allen keys were old as dirt and stripping everything before I realized it), and now I've just used a dremel to turn it into a flat-head that will likely disintegrate at my next cable swap.
  • 8 0
 Ace Hardware, hacksaw, and done. That's a bone stock M4 bolt dude.
  • 2 9
flag y0bailey (Nov 16, 2022 at 3:56) (Below Threshold)
 @powturn: Buy M4 bolt, cut it with hacksaw, cross thread, buy new tap set, re-tap lever, buy new M4 bolt, crossthread, buy new loam lever.
  • 6 5
 @y0bailey: If you're that inept, take it to the shop. Small bolts don't need 75 foot pounds of torque.
  • 9 1
 @y0bailey: screw a nut on it. Then cut. Then back nut off and threads are fine. Redneck engineering.
  • 5 1
 @y0bailey: My Ace Hdwr has M4 bolts in 5mm and 10mm lengths. No cutting required. You seriously own and know how to use a Dremel, yet you are stripping cable pinch bolts, and don't know how to use a hacksaw? Your story is touching, but does not compute…
  • 3 0
 Love the pnw levers so much more than wolf tooth's
  • 1 0
 Bought the original a while back and really love it. The new version doesn’t seem like a huge improvement but welcome nonetheless
  • 1 0
 I just want them to bring back the Shifty Lever to match on the other side with SRAM shifters. Matching makes you faster!!
  • 3 2
 Wait, it still doesn't come in Pacific blue to match the grips and droppers? Come on PNW.
  • 2 0
 Does it use the same clamping platform as the previous version?
  • 1 4
 Looks very similar to OneUp, which means it probably lacks a way to set up the thumbpad a bit closer as well. Thumbpad could be speced on this a bit exaggerated closer to rider and one could fine tune preferred position by tightning the cable with the pad a bit further/closer.
  • 6 0
 There's a grub screw to adjust the lever starting position.
  • 1 1
 ZTTO lever is way cheaper 15EUR without VAT. I use it on all my bikes, much better than the FOX remote for ex.
  • 1 0
 Nothing wrong with my standard BikeYoke lever…
  • 2 5
 Or just pay 20 bucks for a bontrager one which works just as fine.
  • 5 0
 Pfffffff I just wrap the bare wire around the handlebar and pull it with my teeth. Easy and free
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