Magura’s Vyron eLECT Dropper Seatpost
While remotely activating dropper seatposts has traditionally required a cable or hydraulic hose, a new advancement from Magura promises to turn mid-ride adjustment on its head. The German component manufacturer just unveiled the Vyron eLECT: the first electronically-activated wireless dropper seatpost.
The move isn’t unprecedented. Magura’s finesse with hydraulics and air springs, evidenced in its brake lines and suspension lines, makes the dropper post a logical product for the brand to produce. Doing away with cables makes sense for Magura, too; it already has thorough knowledge of wireless activation through its eLECT suspension system, which uses ANT+ wireless transmission.
A complex motorized system makes the dropper experience super-smooth. The Vyron eLECT dropper post is infinitely adjustable throughout its 150mm travel range. Simply pressing the eLECT button activates an internal servo motor that opens a hydraulic valve, letting the post move down as body weight is applied to it (it does not automatically drop). The valve closes, locking the post in place when you release the button. A pressurized air chamber makes the post automatically extend when you press the button again. Magura says it takes just over one second for the valve to open or close. Fun fact: The hydraulic system uses the same Royal Blood mineral fluid as Magura’s brakes.
Vyron’s remote is the exact same one Magura uses for its eLECT system. Its forward-arrow button operates the fork lockout; the lower-arrow button operates the shock; and the middle button is for the seatpost. The remote can be mounted on both the left and right sides of handlebars, each remote dedicated to a specific system, but riders can use just one single remote to operate everything. Not surprisingly, Vyron operates on the same ANT+ wireless transmission system as the eLECT system, too.
Magura claims that a full charge from empty on the seatpost’s battery (via a micro-USB cable) takes three hours and is good for 400 actuations. A motion sensor puts the post into sleep mode to save power when the bike is still. There is also a shutoff switch that’ll be handy in situations like transporting a bike by car to a trailhead. A single watch-style CR-2032 battery powers the remote unit; when the battery in the remote or post runs out, there is a built-in reserve of 20 actuations.
A limited number of Vyron eLECT posts will available around late November/early December, with production and availability ramping up by the beginning of 2016. It will be offered in 30.9mm or 31.6mm diameters and retail for $460–not much more than most other high-end dropper seatposts currently on the market. At a claimed 595 grams, including the remote, weight is very competitive, too. We’re excited to get this new post out on the trail—hang tight for a longer review.
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