Introducing the OneUp V3 Dropper

The OneUp V2 Dropper works well and has become one of the only reliable options on the market that I trust, particularly when it comes to long-distance bikepacking, and it has a remarkably short stack height. But just a couple weeks after I penned my Editor’s Dozen writeup about why the OneUp V2 dropper post was one of my favorite components of 2024, they go and release the new and improved OneUp V3 Dropper. The new OneUp V3 boasts a whole new design with refinements that the company claims have been in the works for more than three years.

Perhaps the biggest change to the V3 is a new hydraulic cartridge. It’s a sealed cartridge that never needs to be inflated or adjusted, as opposed to the adjustable cartridge in the V2. The new cartridge is supposed to provide smoother action, require 75% less lever force, and need much less breakaway force to initiate. It sounds good in theory, although I didn’t have any real complaints about the V2 model. I’ll be curious to long-term test the new cartridge for reliability. In my opinion, it takes a solid year to prove whether a dropper is worth its weight in salt.

That being said, OneUp suggests service intervals of 120 hours for a clean and grease and 350 hours for a full rebuild. I’ve admittedly at least quintupled that on a couple of my V2 droppers without issue. OneUp claims the V3 is easily serviceable and suggests that it can be fully disassembled in less than 10 minutes using only a 14mm wrench and 5mm and 2mm hex keys. They also offer a two-year manufacturer’s warranty on the V3.

Another benefit of the new cartridge design—the number one benefit listed in their press release—is weight savings. The 150mm version weighs just 415 grams. That’s pretty light, and definitely lighter than most other mainstream options. OneUp accomplished this by simplifying the design of the post to shave weight from almost every single part, reducing the overall length by 10mm and making it 60 to 70 grams lighter than the V2.

Part of this series of reductions even hacked a few millimeters off the stack height. When fully compressed, the distance from the center of the saddle rail to the bottom lip of the head, which marks the maximum insertion point, is now just 30mm (V2 is 33). This design choice not only optimizes the available travel but also caters to the needs of shorter riders. As I mentioned in my Editor’s Dozen, I don’t have to deal with this challenge personally, having longer legs, but it serves as a valuable spec for folks with shorter stature or those seeking to maximize their seat post adjustment by gaining a few extra millimeters.

A few other changes of note include a 100% recyclable hydraulic cartridge, increased bushing overlap on 210 and 240-millimeter posts for strength, a low-friction, Swedish-made SKF wiper seal at the head, and new IGUS self-lubricating bushings. OneUp is even offering $15 a Titanium bolt kit if you want to drop another 10 grams.

Circling back to the V2 post—which I now have four of—OneUp mentioned that all V2 replacement parts will be available for at least another five years. And you will be able to purchase the V2.1 Collar with the same V3 SKF Seal upgrade for V2 droppers soon.

Only time will tell whether the OneUp V3 Dropper will have the longevity of its predecessor, but we certainly hope that’s the case. The only downside I see is the price increase. The OneUp V3 Dropper is about $50 more than the V2. Still, $269 is a pretty good value compared with many other top-shelf droppers. The V3 comes in 90, 120, 150, 180, 210, and 240mm travel lengths in 30.9, 31.6, and 34.9mm diameters and 90 and 120mm lengths in 27.2mm. Learn more about the OneUp V3 Dropper in the video below and find it over at OneUp.com.

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