Ride Vertical has shaved more grams off its short-travel dropper seat post that had already laid claim to accolade of the world’s lightest. The Vertical Helium now weighs a claimed 281 grams in its 30.9mm diameter with a 60mm drop. That’s 23 grams lighter than the original that launched at the end of 2022.
In addition to the 60mm drop used by Tom Pidcock (on his XCC Pinarello Dogma HT) there is a 90mm drop option, too. Both lengths are available in 30.9mm and 31.6mm options. In conjunction with the update, Vertical announces the Ignitor remote, too. Here’s more.
Vertical Helium Dropper Seat Post
To reduce the weight of the world’s lightest dropper seat post further, the team at Ride Vertical, Ricard Bages and Jordi Vilares, focused on reducing the thickness of the dropper’s aluminum tube. The designers say the new shape avoids stress concentration at the most critical points of the post.
The unique two-position locking mechanism has been tweaked, also. Unlike other designs, the Helium does not make use of a grooved main tube for its lock mechanism. Instead, it houses an Independent Locking Cartridge that utilizes a set of concentrically-positioned tubes deep within the post. As the main tube does not need to accomodate grooves, it can be made thinner. This is one of the reasons this post is so lightweight.
The carbon fiber post helps, too. All of the other major parts are made from 7075 T6 aluminium, including the very neat-looking, heavily-machined clamp. Its hardware is 6Al-4V Titanium, and the bolt heads are tightened with the use of a Torx 25.
Claimed Weights
| Vertical Helium Dropper Post | ⌀ 30.9mm | ⌀ 31.6mm |
| S (320mm x 60mm) | 281 g | 291 g |
| M (350mm x 90mm) | 296 g | 309 g |
| L (380mm x 90mm) | 309 g | 320 g |
| XL (410mm x 90mm) | 316 g | 334 g |
The aluminum Ignitor dropper remote offers up two mounting positions, and is compatible with SRAM Matchmaker. The lever pivots about low-friction IGUS bushings for easy actuation. It comes with a very lightweight housing (21 grams per meter).
Pricing & Availability
Pricing on the Vertical Helium Dropper is unchanged, still at 399 € in all configurations. The Ignitor remote retails at 49 €. Both are available now direct from Ride Vertical.
