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Inside new USE Ultimate infinitely adjustable Helix mechanical dropper post

USE Ultimate Helix dropper, infinite adjust internally routed mechanical lock air spring dropper seatpost, mountain bike post, made in the UK
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After 30 years of making components in the UK, U.S.E. introduced their first dropper seatpost late last season. Manufactured in-house in West Sussex and already updated this spring for improved performance & reliability, the mechanically-actuated, infinite-adjust post was something of a mystery, so we wanted to get a better look inside USE’s latest dropper.

U.S.E. Ultimate Helix mechanical dropper seatpost

USE Ultimate Helix dropper, infinite adjust internally routed mechanical lock air spring dropper seatpost, mountain bike post, made in the UK

Named after the helical internals that guide it up & down and allow it to mechanically lock in place at any height, USE wanted to address the inherent issues that “plague other designs associated with air and oil pressure”. The thinking was that “simplicity results in reliability”, and although the helix itself isn’t the most simple design, it does reduce the number of small internal parts subject to failure.

The Helix post looks like pretty much any other dropper from the outside, but it is obviously what’s inside that counts…

USE Ultimate Helix dropper, infinite adjust internally routed mechanical lock air spring dropper seatpost, mountain bike post, made in the UK

Breaking it down, the Helix is made up of a number of key elements, CNC-machined from 7075 alloy in their workshop, just underneath the office where it was designed. The 7075 head is forged out of their shop, then machined in-house along with the telescoping shafts, collar & the unique helix gear. The rest of the internal components are a few engineered composite gears, springs & such.

USE Ultimate Helix dropper, infinite adjust internally routed mechanical lock air spring dropper seatpost, mountain bike post, made in the UKThe way the post actually works… when the remote cable is pulled, the lower clutch gear (with the stacked spring, above) is pulled away from the teeth on the bottom of the helix, allowing it to spin freely. As the helix spins, the seatpost can freely rise or fall, moving up and down with its fine helical gear threaded into the bottom of the upper slider. Release the cable, and those clutch gears grab each other, preventing helix rotation & seatpost movement. Bushings ensure a good seal & internal guides prevent rotation.

USE Ultimate Helix dropper, infinite adjust internally routed mechanical lock air spring dropper seatpost, mountain bike post, made in the UK

Up top, air pressure inside the slider provides an adjustable return spring. More pressure makes the post return fast with a satisfying top-out clunk, less pressure makes return slower. USE calls it Speed Control, but a narrow range around 50psi seems to be ideal for just about any rider.

USE Ultimate Helix dropper, infinite adjust internally routed mechanical lock air spring dropper seatpost, mountain bike post, made in the UK

Saddle clamping & position is managed by USE’s standard one-bolt head, with 10mm setback. And internal pressure is adjusted through a typical Schrader valve on the back of the head.

USE Ultimate Helix dropper, infinite adjust internally routed mechanical lock air spring dropper seatpost, mountain bike post, made in the UK

The U.S.E. Ultimate Helix mechanical dropper post is available in either 30.9 or 31.6mm mm diameters (which share the same diameter upper & internals) and in 125mm or 165mm travel versions. Claimed weight for the 425mm overall 125mm travel post is 513g, for the 520mm overall 165mm post is 560g (both in 30.9mm diameter.)

The post does have a relatively tall collar, and a pretty long overall length, so it will be important to double check if it will fit your bike before buying.

Pricing & availability

USE Ultimate Helix dropper, infinite adjust internally routed mechanical lock air spring dropper seatpost, mountain bike post, made in the UK

The Helix dropper is available direct from USE for £260 with 125mm of travel or £285 with 165mm of travel. Ultimate offers its Helix Lever thumb remote separately for £50 with either a standard bar mount, Shimano direct mount, or SRAM Matchmaker kits so you get just what you need.

We’re curious to see how it stands up to real trail use & abuse, so we’re going to spend some time riding the Helix this summer, together with the Ultimate 35mm Vyce stem & Boom carbon bar that have already shown themselves to be a great balance between stiff control & reasonable comfort.

UltimateUSE.com

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Joe
Joe
4 years ago

Smart thinking. I’m interested. Even more interested in a 75 or 100mm drop 27.2mm version.

Lyle Driver
Lyle Driver
4 years ago

Can’t really call it ‘infinite’ when the helix clocks at 40° increments due to the 9 keys in the dog mechanism.

CoffeeAddikkt
CoffeeAddikkt
4 years ago
Reply to  Lyle Driver

works out at about 40 points on the 165 so enough points your never really going to notice that it isn’t infinite?

Drew Diller
4 years ago

I really like that this is being evaluated by USE. One thing I really have trouble with regarding droppers is how slowly they operate when cold, as in subzero Fahrenheit where conventional oil can become very thick.

@Lyle Driver, you are not wrong, how about “high resolution”? Such high resolution that it doesn’t subjectively matter?

This is not the first “mechanical” dropper (Gravity Dropper is way older) but it does look like a contender to me. I’ll definitely be trying one for extreme cold use. I like the design of the interference clutch.

Exodux
4 years ago
Reply to  Drew Diller

Earlier and the first dropper( before Gravity Dropper), the Hurricane Components Elevator Shaft was mechanical all the way, using simple steel springs. While it didn’t have the dampening of modern droppers, it worked extremely well.
The USE looks promising, but no sure of the reliability yet.

StephenM
StephenM
4 years ago

Next step is to replace that clutch with a little motor and it would be powered up and down.

kimbo305
kimbo305
4 years ago

typo: USE wanted to the inherent issues
Eds. Corrected, thank you.

Karl Bungey
7 months ago

Do you have any updates on the longevity of the dropper release mechanism (the lower clutch mechanism) as this seems like a point of wear if the trigger release is not always pushed back enough to disengage the clutch fully.

Karl Bungey
7 months ago
Reply to  Cory Benson

Thanks for that response. It’s helped me decide to get one for my ‘British build’ bike.

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