All material for mounting is included with the Kind Shock. Only the lever has to be ordered separately. The classic 1-speed remote Southpaw is a good choice here. At 62.95 euros, it is not exactly cheap, but it has long been recognised as functional and durable. For the paddle, you have the choice between aluminium (48.95 euros) and carbon. A special feature of the Lev Ci is its carbon fibre dip tube. The Kind Shock is the only prop in the test that uses a material other than aluminium. However, the Lev cannot beat the weight advantage of the expensive fibres. At 443 grams, it ranks at the back end of the XC posts in the test.
Mounting the Kind Shock Lev Ci telescopic support
There are no installation instructions for the Kind Shock either in the scope of delivery or on the website. If you are not familiar with the installation, you will need to watch a video on the website. The complete installation is explained here in a clear video.
The Kind Shock is one of the few supports where the cable is routed from the remote through the frame and then clamped to the support. As a rule, the connection now runs in the other direction, which makes assembly even easier. The Southpaw remote is therefore also ideal as a retrofit lever for slightly older seatposts that still have a classic 2x remote installed, for example. This means that you can also enjoy the benefits of a trigger lever when switching to a 1x drivetrain.
A special clamping screw must be fitted to connect the train to the support. There is a small cap on the underside of the support which helps to find the correct clamping position. This sleeve is then no longer placed on the support.
Attaching the clamping screw can take a bit of nerve. Caution: if you clamp the cable too tightly, you run the risk of it splitting open. The protruding cable must then be shortened exactly at the clamping screw, otherwise the function may be impaired.
A part of the tension mount on the support broke off during unpacking, which means that the clamping screw no longer holds properly!
How does the telescopic support get onto the bike? It's actually quite simple. With our step-by-step guide the installation of the lowerable seat post is no problem.
Ease of use & function
The alignment of the thumb lever is somewhat limited here. Only the lateral position can be varied via a slotted hole. The lever cannot be adjusted in the third plane.
The smooth carbon paddle is a little slippery on the thumbs when off-road. In addition, the lever slopes slightly backwards, causing you to slip backwards a little as the lever travel increases. In the heat of the moment, it can happen that you lose contact with the remote and have to start again.
As already mentioned, a part of the train bracket broke off during assembly. The small clamping barrel is now sitting askew in the bracket and threatens to slip out at any moment.
The compact thumb lever of the Lev Ci runs quite smoothly, but the seatpost is not ultimately supple. In addition, the saddle already has quite a lot of play when new, which increased slightly during the test ride. The extension speed is ok for the limited travel, but rather slow in comparison in the standard setting. The Lev Ci is one of the few shocks where the air pressure can be adjusted. However, many standard shock pumps do not fit into the narrow hole on the head of the post, so a special adapter may be necessary.
Price & Info - Kind Shock Lev Ci telescopic support
- Price: 462.95 Euro / 62.95 Euro (support / remote)
- Weight¹: 443 / 538 g (support / ready to ride)
- Stroke: 65/ 100/ 120/ 150/ 175 mm (tested)
- Diameter: 27,2 / 30.9 / 31.6 mm (tested)
- Length / insertion depth¹: 410 / 140 - 254 mm
- Stack height¹: 58 mm
- Scope of delivery: Support; operating instructions without installation steps!!!; remote separate
- Special features: Carbon immersion tube; adjustable extension speed; gauge for cutting the cable to length
Conclusion & evaluation
A glance at the scales shows: The expensive carbon fibre dip tube of the Kind Shock Lev Ci offers no advantage. In other respects too, the expensive Vario seatpost was not entirely convincing. Its thumb paddle (also carbon) is smooth and not very ergonomic, the seat post runs a little rough in the guide. The saddle already showed significant play at the beginning of the test. During assembly, a filigree part of the cable mount on the support broke and the cable now sits wobbly in the suspension. Good: The extension speed is adjustable.
¹BIKE measured values. Weight: telescopic seat post / ready to ride: seat post, remote, 1.5 m outer shell, cable pull ²The BIKE grade is independent of price. The BIKE rating is based on the school grading system with grades 1 to 5.
Stefan Frey
Editor
