Vecnum’s new Nivo mechanical dropper seatpost is the latest to set itself apart in a crowded field as one of the lightest droppers available, and with a wide range of travel length options from 90-212mm. Now that pretty much everyone is on board with the idea that dropper posts make all off-road riding better, tons of design & engineering expertise are going into making better performing & more reliable droppers. And the Vecnum Nivo solution might be perfect for anyone reluctant of the maintenance issue with hydraulic droppers.
Vecnum Nivo lightweight mechanical dropper seatposts
Vecnum developed the mechanical mechanism inside their Nivo dropper post as a more reliable, more serviceable & lighter weight solution to the run-of-the-mill hydraulic piston design that activates most droppers. While the conceptually simple mechanical solution claims improved reliability & durability, making the precision internals was no easy matter. A glimpse inside the 3D forged 7075 sliders reveals an intricate hardened steel mechanism with the machined steps to give the posts their travel adjustability.
Tech details
So what really sets the Vecnum Nivo dropper apart from everything else on the market? Without needing to fit an IFP inside for hydraulic locking, Vecnum machines the two telescoping alloy tubes of their Nivo dropper with interlocking oval cross sections that create a stronger post that won’t rotate. Then inside a compact shutLOC mechanical system opens & closes grabbing into the machined steel teeth inside. The return spring is still a pressurized air chamber, which you can adjust with a shock pump from 200-300psi to tune the return rate.
Nivo 4-position Indexed travel, or infinite adjust TravelFit
The Nivo post is actually available in two different iterations: 4-position Indexed or infinitely adjustable TravelFit. Vecnum actually feels like the Indexed version is the best & most intuitive to use with top-out for climbing, 40mm drop for trail riding, 90or100mm drop for descending & full drop for super sketchy sections.
But they know some people want more options, so they created the TravelFit version which can be set anywhere through the travel in 4mm steps (4mm because that is how far apart they machine the internal steps for durability & positive engagement.) The added benefit of the TravelFit version’s extra steps is that you can limit the total travel, reducing up to 32mm to get the maximum amount of drop that will fit on your bike.
The reduction is easy to do with a 5mm hex from to top of the seatpost head, which means you can just install the as far as possible into your frame, then easily adjust to get your max saddle height adjusted.
The Nivo also has quite compact stack height, just 42mm above your seatpost clamp, to get as much drop as possible. And inside the end of the shutLOC internal actuation mechanism is also compact (just 24mm) so you need a minimum insertion of just 116mm on the shortest post. Vecnum has a full break down of the dimension data for the posts here, and a configuration tool that will tell you which dropper fits your bike here.
Pricing, options & availability
The Vecnum Nivo dropper is designed and manufactured entirely in Germany. With a price tag of 429€ for the 4-position indexed dropper or 439€ for the fully adjustable travel version, the Nivo isn’t the cheapest dropper out there, but it is one of the lightest starting at a claimed 395g. The Nivo comes in just a 30.9mm version, with Vecnum offering premium machined shims for 19€ to get you to either 31.6 or 34.9. Unfortunately the complex internals of the Nivo cannot be scaled down to fit inside a 27.2mm dropper, but Vecnum keeps a smaller diameter post idea open for development with another system in the future.
Vecnum also sells their two-bolt tooLOC seatpost clamp in several diameters to offer more precise, pinch-free clamping to ensure smooth dropper actuation.
The Nivos are available now in four travel lengths – 122, 152, 182 & 212mm – and in both indexed or TravelFit infinitely adjustable. Since the TravelFit versions’ travel can be reduced by up to 32mm, with the four length range you actually can get customized max travel in 4mm increments anywhere from 90-212mm to squeeze out the absolute maximum amount of dropper post travel that will fit in your bike. The Nivo can also be spec’d with one of five colored O-rings to match your frame, fork or other components.
The posts come with a universal clamp-on remote that also works with 1x or 2x drivetrains & can be installed on either side of the bar, or this new trigLOC remote that works with MatchMaker clamps for an extra 20€
Vecnum ships Nivo posts around the world for free, anywhere except the USA.
