PNW Loam Lever Gen2 – REVIEW
Who doesn’t like a little bit of luxury from time to time? From fancy memory foam mattresses and pillows to fancy pants spa retreats, but what about those opposing thumbs on our hands? Yes, you heard us. You can thank them for being a crucial part of why we evolved to where we are now, sitting here reading this review. Yeah, thank f*&k for thumbs!
Who would have thought a little bit of padding added to a dropper lever would put a smile on your face? Well, it does. Just like a good mattress or pillow will give you a great night’s sleep, a larger contact area on your dropper lever is one of those little luxuries in life.
PNW Components has been making mountain bike components (and apparel) including dropper posts and levers for quite some years now and their original Loam Lever was an instant hit with riders. Not satisfied with this, PNW has managed to squeeze an extra drop of improvement out of the original lever with their new Gen2 Loam Lever.
Lever and additional mounting hardware are tucked into its eco-friendly packaging.
Features/Updates
There are rumors of a worldwide thumb strike. Yes, thumbs across the globe have had enough of actuation misery and will not stand for it any longer. The only way to appease the opposable army is to give them what they want. The Loam lever Gen2 with its buttery soft action, mega comfortable thumb pad, and ease of installation is what they want. We say give them what they want.
The new Gen 2 Loam Lever is an updated classic with a bigger contact pad and more adjustability. The latest iteration of the Loam Lever receives an additional mounting position to the lever body and increased spacing between those mounting positions, giving riders 14mm of mounting adjustment compared to the original Loam Lever’s 6mm.
The Loam lever Gen2 lever is seriously well-made. Beautiful anodizing and 5-axis CNC machine for ultra–precise details and weight savings.
A larger, redesigned thumb pad makes the Loam Lever Gen 2 easier to actuate when you need to drop your seat in a hurry, and the silicone pad (fondly known as a “yoga mat for your thumb”) keeps things grippy, no matter the conditions.
An oversized, sealed cartridge bearing, paired with an additional seal and all stainless hardware means this lever is around for the long haul.
The yoga mat for your thumb, and while the extra grip is great, the Loam Lever also features buttery smooth actuation that can improve the feel of any cable-actuated dropper post.
Thumbs are great, treat them well for they are the reason we can ride bikes.
Product Details:
- Clamp Styles: Standard 22.2mm hinge clamp, SRAM MatchMaker X, Shimano I-SPEC II,
- Shimano I-SPEC EV
- Weights:
- ○ Lever only: 36 grams
- ○ 22.2mm clamp: 12 grams
- ○ SRAM MatchMaker X: 10 grams
- ○ Shimano I-SPEC EV: 10 grams
- ○ Shimano I-SPEC II: 6 grams
On The Trails
The lever pad has a soft and sticky rubber compound which gives plenty of grip. We tested in sweltering heat with sweaty gloves as well as unseasonably cold and rainy weather. The thumb pad is solidly integrated and doesn’t feel like it’s going to part ways with the lever at any point
The lever has 3 pre-drilled mounting points to allow for it to be moved left or right along the bar to fine-tune your position, dialing in that perfect position. The Loam lever ships with a new cable and housing, which we were grateful for as ours was looking like it was on its last days.
The actual replacement was fairly straightforward, taking around 10-15 minutes to get the whole job done. The unit we tested is Shimano i-spec compatible which we are big fans of. This setup cleans up your cockpit and reduces additional clamps on the bar, very nice.
With the combination of the thumb pad plus new cables, the actuation felt smooth and buttery and a big improvement on what we were previously running. We’d advise changing out old cables and housing and using the ones PNW supplies with the product to be sure that everything is running in tip-top condition. The bright colours also add a bit of bling to the cockpit and the safety orange matches the Fox 38 decal colours, perfectly!
Conclusions
If you’re looking to upgrade your dropper lever then the Loam lever Gen 2 with its updated features offers a great package in terms of action, comfort, and adjustment. With eye-watering luscious thumb pad colours to choose from and a myriad of brake and bar matchmaking options to dial in that perfect cockpit setup, the Loam Lever Gen2 is a hard lever to beat.
So why beat yourself up about it? Get that proverbial thumb out of your ass and grab one from your local bike shop.
Price / Where To Buy
PNW Loam Lever Gen 2 MSRP: $69.00USD
Pick up the new Loam Lever directly from the PNW website or ask at your local bike shop.
If you’re based in or near the Central Coast, NSW, pop in to see the awesome team at Coastal Bike Co who will look after you.
