Giant Dropper Upgrade with Lyne lever

[Simon123]

My latest Trance still is using the Giant dropper with the same lever that been there since the first post.  Nothing horrifically bad about it, but after riding a bike with a Fox that had the lever under the bar, when I saw that Lyne Components had one that was modded to fit the Giant Dropper, I picked one up.

 

Here's the lever I've faithfully been using on a Trance or three over the years (well, each had it's own one) across the different versions of the Giant droppers they have fitted, right to my current Trance Advance with the 150mm dropper.

 

Here they are side by side:

 

And here is the little 3D printed piece to accommodate the way that Giant cable needs to be tightened.   Dayle from Lyne told me this when I collected the lever (damn, it was good service, I emailed as I was in the area and 30min later was collecting!)...

 

This was a high-speed "mod" slash "upgrade" to my bike, and only needed these two tools:

 

So, now to find the perfect spot to put the lever on the bar, and lets say the first issue (well, only issue really) popped up.  Fitting to the left of the brake lever meant that it was just too far "left" if that makes sense.  And at the "perfect spot" it was unable to engage because it hit into the clamp for my brakes.  

 

 

So after a little bit of left and right, settled on what worked best for me:

 

Then because the Giant Dropper lever had that unsightly, shitty long tube thing out of it for the adjuster, there was plenty of cable to pull through the lever's tightening mechanism.  I first backed on 1 to 2mm of spacing on the adjuster barrel just incase I went ape-**** and over tightened the cable.

 

Then the problem is that there is no real way to get the cable cutters to get any closer to this finger-stabbing-leftover:

 

So, although I'm no boer, I made a plan.  Whilst the plan was not elegant, the solution was. haha.  I simply pressed the cable into the hole with an allen key and now it looks great. Totally invisible whilst it's all mashed up and frayed like Zuma's brain.

 

And here we go!  Lever fitted.  Literally, even with taking pics, this was a 10min operation.  

 

 

VERDICT?  Money well spent, and the leverage is a lot more than the Giant one, so the action is really soft with hardly any force required to press / operate the dropper.  It would be great if it could sit 8mm or so more to the left (and not contact the brake lever clamp), but It's just so much better than the standard one.

 

Best 200 bucks and 10min spent on the bike in years.  

 

EDIT TO ADD:   took a ride or two to get used to, but now wonder how I ever pressed the lever without such a light action and having to move my thumb up with the old one.

Edited June 23, 2017 by Simon123

[ALLMTB]

Nice! I've done the same with my Fox Transfer and KS. Works great!

[BaGearA]

I am dumbfounded by how i enjoyed this write up about A dropper lever change !

 

Excellent little article Sir 

[dirtypot]

Great write up!

[Simon123]

I am dumbfounded by how i enjoyed this write up about A dropper lever change !

It was a discussion on the ride, so shared it. haha.

[BigDL]

Great review - thanks

[the nerd]

Great write up and pics...!

[MphatiPyga]

Very nice write up! Did exactly the same as you and it is well worth it, the Giant lever works but not very ergonomic. Lynes version is perfect for me, better actuation and a more natural hand position, need I even mention the price!

 

Oh and then you get there service, wish I could get that level of service wherever I go!

 

Thank you Lyne!

 

Oh and with regards to the cable issue, which I had with the Giant version too, I used a very small jewellers plier/wire cutter thing which worked, not pretty but it worked. Next time I will mark the cable to the correct length with a permanent marker whilst uncut, then remove it  and cut to the desired length , shouldn't be a hassle with a proper cable cutter.

Edited June 23, 2017 by MphatiPyga

[Hairy]

Thank you for the nice review....if you left a little more cable on you could have crimped a colour matching end / ferrule on the cable.

[Simon123]

Thank you for the nice review....if you left a little more cable on you could have crimped a colour matching end / ferrule on the cable.

Unfortuntely then it would stick out, and with a ferrule on the end I could not "fold it back" into the lever.  Hence the "push the sh!t out of it" solution.

[Traveler]

Have replaced the standard Giant lever on my bike as well with a Lyne lever. Works a treat and highly recommended.