304g Vertical Helium Dropper Submit Claims to be World’s Lightest

Jordi Villares and Ricard Bages are the co-founders of a brand new Spanish mountain bike part model known as Vertical, launched this week with their debut part; the Vertical Helium Dropper Seat Submit. It has two locking positions; up and down, with the 30.9mm x 60mm choice weighing simply 304g, the Helium dropper claims to be the World’s Lightest.

No lighter choices spring to thoughts.

The Vertical Helium can be out there in a 90mm drop size, with each 30.9mm and 31.6mm seat tubes catered for. There are 4 total lengths to select from satisfying a variety of rider height-seat tube size combos. The Helium’s svelte weight comes right down to its use of a carbon publish mixed with a novel two-position locking mechanism and naturally, titanium bolts. We bought the main points from Ricard, the inventor.

Vertical Helium Dropper Seat Submit

Making an attempt to check the burden of dropper seat posts is like making an attempt to check apples with oranges; the variations that exist in drop size, total size, and diameter have made it a time consuming course of to seek out something immediately similar to the 320mm x 60mm Vertical Helium Dropper in its 30.9mm diameter.

It weighs a claimed 304g, which is 38g lighter than essentially the most comparable publish; a 30.9mm x 75mm Fox Switch SL, although it’s admittedly 35mm shorter in total size. Just like the Switch SL, the Vertical Helium is restricted to only two positions – up and down; it isn’t “infinitely” adjustable as most different dropper seat posts in the marketplace.

The 320mm x 60mm is the smallest choice of the 4 sizes out there.

The Helium’s hydraulic cartridge is cable-actuated. The actuator mechanism on the base of the publish accepts the cable-end, with tensioning happening on the distant. The Helium launches with no distant, however Vertical is engaged on a really light-weight choice known as the Ignitor which is coming quickly. It may weigh as little as 26g with no clamp and might be appropriate with SRAM Matchmaker.

The return velocity of the Vertical Helium dropper might be adjusted through the stress of the air spring. The valve may be very simply accessed, protruding out of the pinnacle of the publish, simply beneath the clamp; a much more user-friendly design than people who require elimination of the clamp. Whereas the publish’s return shouldn’t be damped, its despair is, due to the presence of 9mm of suspension oil to forestall the abrupt, jolting bottom-out that different light-weight dropper posts endure from.

It’s the locking mechanism of the Vertical Helium that makes it distinctive. The principle telescoping tube of the Fox Switch SL dropper publish has grooves on its floor that enable it to lock into place alongside its size. Thus, that tube has a minimal thickness to permit for the presence of these grooves.

The principle tube of the Vertical Helium is groove-free, and generally is a lot thinner and lighter due to this fact. So, how does it lock into place?

The locking mechanism is positioned elsewhere, inside an Unbiased Locking Cartridge that makes use of a set of concentrically-positioned tubes deep inside the publish. Vertical is within the means of patenting this design, and so precise particulars are just a little skinny on the bottom. Nonetheless, the next picture does present some perception.

Vertical tells us the design of this Unbiased Locking Cartridge (ILC) “withstands compressive stresses in isolation, leaving bending and twisting to the primary tubes. This permits the sliding tube to be clean on the within, making it stronger, lighter and extra dependable”.

Elsewhere, Vertical are saving weight with using carbon fiber for the publish itself. It’s produced from a Toray fiber laminate optimized to resist bending and twisting, and to forestall the seatpost clamp from deforming the tube excessively. Vertical additionally thought-about utilizing carbon fiber for the internals however the concept was scrapped as a result of poor put on resistance or usability. Thus, all the different main components are produced from 7075 T6 aluminium, together with the very neat-looking, heavily-machined clamp. Its {hardware} is 6Al-4V Titanium, and the bolt heads are tightened with using a Torx 25.

Pricing & Availability

For now, the Vertical Helium Dropper Seat Submit is obtainable now in 60mm and 90mm drop lengths each in 30.9mm and 31.6mm choices, in black solely, retailing at € 399. Every publish is offered with a 3 12 months guarantee.

The model might also produce a 120mm choice in future, however this can even be devoted the XC and Downcountry bikes with the deal with simplicity and light-weight.

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