Review: Race Face Turbine R Dropper Post Tested

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Vitalmtb.com got their hands on the new Race Face Turbine R dropper seatpost and put it to the test with impressive results.

Review: Vitalmtb.com

Overall: 4.5 stars out of 5

When Race Face first got into the dropper post game, they licensed the technology for the original Turbine dropper from 9point8, a Canadian company specializing in this component in particular. Whilst the original version of that dropper, the 9point8 Fall Line scored a podium finish in our Dropper post face off, the licensed version manufactured by Race Face ultimately failed to live up to expectations. We rated it highly at first, but we had to back pedal later in the face of a spate of reliability issues. Race Face knew it had to do something different to remain relevant in the dropper market, and since it is owned by FOX, the solution must have seemed pretty obvious: rebadging the outstanding FOX Transfer post. The result is called the Turbine R, and here are our impressions of it after a month on the trail.

Strengths

Awesome ergonomics

Best-in-class reliability

Creak-free head design

Perfect returrn speed

Weaknesses

None as of now

Initial Impressions

It’s fair to say that we were ultimately disappointed by the reliability issues that plagued the original Turbine post, so one of the first questions we had for Race Face when they told us about the new Turbine R was “OK but is this actually being manufactured by FOX?” The answer to that question is yes, so what you are looking at here is basically the same FOX Transfer post that scored a 2nd place finish in our Dropper post face off last year, with an updated lever and slightly modified return speed. Of course, the graphics are different too, and the Turbine R only exists in black, there is no Kashima-coated Factory option available from Race Face.

Inspecting the goods, we were pleased to discover the same impeccable build quality featured on the FOX Transfer, and a remote lever that seemed to address one of our only gripes with the Transfer: a small and somewhat awkward 1x lever (the thumb-lever universal remote option is the same for both the FOX and the Race Face post). Now, the old Turbine 1x lever from Race Face is one of our outright favourites to use, and for the Turbine R they have made it even better, since it is now also MatchMaker compatible.

The internals of the Turbine R are based on a closed hydraulic system housed in the upper part of the post, which FOX originally came up with in order to create a “larger diameter system than a closed cartridge”. This in turns allows the system to work at lower internal pressures which is good news for reliability. Pressure is set from the factory and cannot be easily modified. Race Face told us that they wanted a slightly quicker return speed than what the Transfer delivers, which they addressed by a tweak to the “Spool Valve” that is responsible for modulating the return speed. Other than these changes, the post remains identical to a Transfer, and it is offered in all the same length, travel, and diameter configurations.

What’s The Bottom Line?

Take one of the very best dropper posts on the market, and make a few well-founded tweaks, and you land yourself a winner. This is precisely what Race Face has done with their new Turbine R, building on the excellent design and track record of the FOX Transfer post while adding their own twist to the remote lever. If you are looking for a super-smooth and ultra-reliable dropper for your next bike build, the Turbine R is seriously worthy of your consideration.

Race Face Turbine R Dropper Post Highlights