Vyron eLECT Seat PostMagura knew that designing and manufacturing a cable operated dropper seat post would have been about as exciting as, well, any of the other countless air-sprung, cable operated posts on the market, half of which don't seem to last more than a few months before requiring some TLC. So rather than go that route, Magura did the exact opposite: they've come up with an electronic AND wireless dropper seat post that has the potential to make everything else out there look a bit behind the times.
The Vyron has 150mm of travel, with the rider being able to locate the seat anywhere between full mast and fully dropped thanks to its hydraulic internals, and an air spring set between 12 and 14 BAR (170 - 200 PSI) brings it back up. But it's
how the 595 gram Vyron's travel is controlled that's the interesting part: a wireless remote on the handlebar communicates with a receiver on the post's head, and a push of the button while your weight is on the seat will drop it down through its travel. It will not go down on its own - the seat needs to be weighted, just like other posts out there. Another push of the same button will raise the seat back up.
Magura Vyron Details
• Travel: 150mm
• Wirelessly controlled
• ANT+
• Can pair with eLECT fork, shock
• Hydraulic internals
• Air sprung
• Forty hour run time
• Three hour charge time
• 30.9 and 31.6mm sizes
• MSRP: 400 EUR
We've seen electronic and wireless dropper seat posts being shown at tradeshows in the past (
KS had a prototype at the 2014 Taipei show) but the difference here is that Magura's Vyron eLECT post isn't vapourware that may or may not ever be available to buy, with Magura saying that it'll be ready for purchase in just a few week's time. MSRP is set at 400 EUR, which converts to about $460 USD straight across. That's not a small amount of money, but it is in the same ballpark as a Reverb, Thomson, or a FOX.
How The Vyron WorksThe Vyron uses hydraulic internals, much like a lot of dropper seat posts out there, but Magura has employed a small piezoelectric motor to open and close the oil port that allows it to go through its travel. That might sounds like something from the future, but piezoelectric motors have been around for many years now. In fact, Magura has used the same principles, including the wireless ANT+ technology, within their eLECT line of suspension forks and shocks, so this is far from new to the German company. The built-in battery is claimed to last forty hours, and although Magura admitted that they didn't know exactly how many times the post could be activated before the battery runs low, it wouldn't be out of line to assume that it could be months of riding when you consider that you wouldn't be constantly pushing on the button all ride. When the time does come to charge it up, the job is done in three hours via a micro-USB port on the post's head.
Magura have also built-in a failsafe feature that allows the post to function for twenty more times after the battery is very close to dead, with the warning sign being a red light coming up on the remote. This should be more than enough to get anyone out of the bush, especially given that the Vyron will simple stay in place when the battery does expire, not sink down in its stroke.
The remote itself doesn't look all that ergonomic compared to more traditional setups on the market, but it doesn't seem like it would interfere with things if a rider was running a single chain ring setup and mounted the remote on the lefthand side of the 'bar. The ANT+ system also means that there won't be any confusion from your buddy's remote controlling your seat post, as amusing as that would be, and the 'pairing' between the post and the remote is done by holding the buttons down on both for eight seconds.
You might have spotted three buttons on the eLECT remote, with it sporting two arrows and one circular button in the center. The latter controls the seat post: push it while the seat is weighted and the post will lower until you unweight it, much like other hydraulically controlled posts. Push it again while you're standing and the seat comes up at a decent speed, although not as quick as a Command Post or a D.O.S.S., and there's also a 1.5 second delay function that allows the rider to stop and lock the post at any point in its travel by using their ass to hold it for a second and a half anywhere between fully dropped and fully extended.
Magura is thinking even bigger than a seat post, though, as the same eLECT remote can also be paired up to control compression functions of both their eLECT equipped forks and shocks. That mean that a rider can use this one remote to firm up their fork, lock out their shock, and lower or raise their seat post.
Sorry I can't, my dropper post got a virus and my rear shock is out of battery..
It runs for 40 hours which means most mortals would have to charge it once every 1-2 months, and with ANT+ ain't nobody hacking into your seatpost (no one cares about your seatpost).
Embrace the future!
Also - comments about the chore of having to charge electronically assisted parts too - how is having to do this once every month or couple of months any more taxing than having to give your bike a quick once over and clean every couple of months? Surely this would just fall right in with your existing routine a lot easier than the sceptics think?
There's obviously a market for this stuff or else Magura wouldn't waste their time. I personally wouldn't be an early adopter but I'm still interested to see how this (currently) niche market develops!
www.pinkbike.com/photo/12607033
Does mother know you wear her drapes..?
I understand frustration with new standards and not fixing something that isn't broke (pressfit, boost, Etc) but innovation like this is only a good thing.
saxman2324 - exactly my first thought.
zede - I am already on bmx, started one month ago on a pump track with a 16 years old GT bike that works perfectly, as good as my two new mountain bikes, cheaper and easier to maintain... but mountain bike in general is so much better to practice, there is no way to compare sports.
I didn't realize Meth heads bike
Are these the same folk who poo-pooed the idea of dropper posts to begin with?
Step 2: Ride behind your buddy with the wireless dropper and shock. (Make sure gopro is on)
Step 3: wait till your buddy is going down a really tecnical section. (Preferably a section with rocks and roots)
Step 4: via app, initiate hack (adjust settings to full lockout for the shock and full extention for the dropper)
Step 5: watch your buddy go over the bars and crash. (Act shocked and assist him if needed.. you are buddies after all)
Step 6: repeat multiple times over the season ( he might catch on if you do it 15 times in one ride... or die)
Step 7: make youtube epic fail video and bask in the glory
How is that a fail safe? That's not a fail safe, it's just a warning light. Basically you better stop using it when that light comes on, or you have to make sure that you've precisely counted the 20th movement, and used it to set the seat at about half travel.
A fail safe would be a mechanical lever to allow it to manually operate in the event of a drained battery, like the one on a KS drop zone.
Great some of you don't find this to be an issue. I do…. even after my 25+yrs on a bike (@xCri )
No ANT action.
Maybe... Who knows.
Ok. Everybody is doing his own things. Cooperation? WTF!
Also if you need all the suspension adjustments on your bars get a better peddling suspension platform. I've demo'd several ~160 travel descent oriented bikes that all pedal just fine with the suspension fully open. Only time I'd even turn the rear shock to climb would be to do a long road climb.
dirt, rocks, roots, sweat, scars, buddies, tangible mechanics
NOT electronics
no
- ... 10 min
- but ???
- " Please do not get off or put down your bike. Installing update 2 of 5."
Also, this is Matt isn't it? What's up dude.
Its the same principle that 125mm posts are more durable than 150mm.
So, if your frame is 27.2mm then the inner tube will have significant smaller diameter.
Of course a convensional 27.2mm Tomson post is stiff enough, but this is not the case with dropper posts.