WOLF TOOTH RESOLVE DROPPER
+ REMOTE LIGHT ACTION REVIEW

Words & Photos by Dario DiGiulio

Wolf Tooth is a brand that has gained a strong reputation for well-considered hardgoods and clever components. Though their catalog has grown considerably over the years, most of the parts have been relatively simple, without too much mechanical complexity. But the recent introduction of their Resolve dropper post ups the game quite a bit, as this is far from your average dropper. Like all of their products, Wolf Tooth has placed a heavy emphasis on serviceability and lifespan, but how well does the Resolve stack up when it comes to pure performance?

THE LAB

The Wolf Tooth Resolve is a product meant to fit as many bikes as possible, without too much redundancy on the manufacturing end of things. This means all of the posts share a ton of small parts, which are all available on Wolf Tooth’s website. With 125, 160, and 200mm stock sizes available, there should be an insertion depth that works with just about any frame out there. The stack height of the collapsed post (collar to clamp) is the lowest on the market, so you should be able to get the absolute max out of your drop. Additionally, if the stock size isn’t quite right for your situation, the Resolve’s stroke is internally adjustable by up to 35mm, using a series of plastic spacers similar to what you see in some suspension fork designs.

Diameter-wise, you can get the post in 30.9 or 31.6mm, with one cool additional perk: the lower tube is aftermarket swappable, so you can change to the other diameter if your new frame requires such a thing. Hopefully we’ll soon settle on just one of these nearly-identical diameters as an industry, and you can simply mod the post to fit that final condition.

One of the more standout features of the Resolve is the built-in bleeding cartridge, which purges air from the fluid chamber every time you drop the saddle. Wolf Tooth claims their post is the first on the market to do this, though others are available these days such as the BikeYoke Divine. The auto-bleeding function should prevent any issues with the post sagging due to air ingress.

In addition to all the small parts being available for purchase and the extensive service manuals, the Resolve comes with a two year warranty should any issues arise. Weights range from 440 grams to 563 grams, and pricing ranges from $349.95 to $379.95.

Also on test is the Wolf Tooth ReMote Light Action dropper lever, which has attachment options to fit just about every cockpit setup out there, and is meant to work very well on any cable-actuated post on the market. The machined aluminum lever on this “light action” version is 25% longer to reduce the force required to operate the dropper, and pivots around a large sealed cartridge bearing. The lever has an engineered breakaway failure point in its Delrin axle, to reduce the likelihood of damaging a more expensive part of the lever in a crash. The lever as tested costs $69.95.

THE DIRT

I installed the Resolve on a hardtail of mine at the very beginning of this rather foul winter, so it’s been through the wringer in only a few short months of use. Even before getting it set up on the bike, the quality of construction on the Wolf Tooth post was impressive. With tight tolerances on the internals and a clean look outside, it stacks up with the finest alternatives out there.

Set up was easy, as I always have plenty of seatpost sticking out of the frame thanks to my long legs. The ReMote hooks up nicely, without any awkward cable clamps to deal with. My only issue was that the provided housing was a little short for my frame, but that was easy to alleviate after a quick trip to the bike shop.

Once set up on the bike, the Resolve has a nice clean look, with that very low stack height reducing the funky bulbous look some posts have. Both bottom and top-outs have a very loud and decisive thwack, which I like as you know for sure that you’ve hit the travel limit. So many posts I’ve used have a vague top out, so you’re left to give it a second check to make sure things are actually where you want them to be. This was never the case with the Wolf Tooth, except for in a few unfortunate moments when the cartridge developed some off-the-top squish.

I don’t want to complain too much about the air ingress on this post, as the self-bleeding function does take care of the issue quite quickly, but it’s worth mentioning as so many posts out there simply don’t develop sag at all. I found that after sustained rough descents, where the bike is pitching around a lot, the first extension of the post would come with a bit of sag off-the-top. This was alleviated after depressing the post a couple times, but it’s just one little annoyance you don’t typically have to think of. In normal operation, the Resolve just sits there like you’d hope it would, with only the slightest bit of play in the top couple millimeters of travel.

On the bar end of things, the ReMote lever is unfussy and effective – pretty much the only things I could want out of a dropper lever. The machined grip on the paddle is nice when things are slimy, and the 22.2 clamp is well-shaped to stay out of the way of other controls. I’d put this on par with my other favorite dropper lever, the e*thirteen Vario, which also simply does its job and nothing more. The latter is a bit cheaper, but doesn’t have any of the mount options that the ReMote touts, nor the breakaway plastic that should protect it in a crash.

Despite the silty grit and plentiful water and snow that we’ve been battling this winter in Bellingham, the Resolve dropper has remained unfazed. It still returns as quickly and snappily as it did on day one, and despite the occasional air inclusion, the post regains full operation after just a couple cycles of the stroke.

The Wolf’s Last Word

With an impressively low stack height and equally low weight, the Wolf Tooth Resolve dropper stands out on the market as an excellent high-end option. Add to that the user-friendly rebuildable construction and self-bleeding cartridge, and you have a pretty dialed product. Though there are some complexities and quirks that other simpler posts lack, the overall precision and quality of the Resolve should make it a product that you can rely on for years to come.

Price: $379.95 (200mm post), $69.95 (lever)
Weight: 563g (200mm, 31.6)
Website: Wolftoothcomponents.com