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GravityDropper
5th January 2004 - James
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Recently the GravityDropper has appeared in a few places, and it drew our attention, cue an email from Wayne Sicz and we put a few questions to the man.
Basically the GravityDropper is an 'on the fly' adjustable height seatpost, its been used by Marla Streb and Roland Green (obviously not MTB-related but you get the idea). You can get more details at www.gravitydropper.com.
FTMB: What made you create the gravitydropper? Where did the idea come from?
My name is Wayne Sicz. I have raced XC for the last 12 years. I had bought an old hite rite just before I went to the Masters World Championships in Bromont Canada in 2001. I had never been one that raised and lowered my seat just because I was so picky about always getting it right back to the same spot and it was just a pain. However I could see the advantage of having my seat lower on the descents. I wanted something that worked good, didn't weigh 2 pounds and would operate quickly. There was nothing available. I talked to my Father-in-law who is great at helping me make crazy things I come up with, usually strange toys for my kids or something. For example I have a set of rollers (indoor trainer) It is unique because I can ride my tandem on it or two mountain bikes at the same time side by side. Anyhow, he is awesome for bringing my ideas into actual working things.
In November of 2002, he made me a prototype that is nothing like the current versions of Gravitydropper and Descender. This was a crude piece that worked for me and I loved it. We kept coming up with ideas and ways that we could make one that operated from the seatpost and one that would operate from the handlebar. By March of 2003, I was tesing a couple of them in Moab Utah. WOW was it amazing. We were using ones that operated from the handlebar. I could not believe how often I was using it. Downhill was an obvious benefit, but bunny hopping and fast corners and the fun factor of having the seat out of the way on technical stuff was great too.
FTMB: How long has it been around? How long from prototype to finished version?
We had drawings made up, worked on patents, bought a CNC mill and had production parts mostly completed by the Oct 2003 Interbike. Our first reviews started to show up in Feb of 2004. We were having problems with the posts getting sticky on them with mud or water so replaced everyone that had bought with the new boots or bellows that keep the water and mud out. So, it took about 1 1/2 years. We are currently working on some different versions. We have had a number of requests for a 2 inch version. We have that available now. By March 2005, we will be able to offer longer or shorter posts. We will have a 300 mm post with 3 inches of drop or a 400 and maybe a 425 mm post with 3 inches of drop. We are working on a 4 inch drop post. We actually have it created but have not got a rubber boot designed yet that will keep water and mud out. We have some guys tesing it in the field as far as strength. The nice thing is that anyone that has a post already could buy either a 2 inch or 4 inch inside tube and it would be fully interchangeable. We are not sure if we will get a boot designed this year or not. It is not as simple as it sounds.
In just one year, we won the National NORBA Super D title and had numerous Wins. Marla Streb won the Super D finals on a Gravitydropper. Roland Green raced in Vermont and got 2nd in the Pro XC on a Gravitydropper. We have had a number of juniors in the expert XC on the podium in the last 3 NORBA Nationals. We had a couple of Juniors go to Worlds in France in the XC. Heather Mosley got 9th in the 24hr World Championships. We have had great reviews in a number of magazines all over the world. I just heard there is another review in this months Mountain Bike Action here in the US. I have not seen the review yet.
FTMB: How basically does it work?
The Gravitydropper and the Descender work totally different. Both are mechanical in nature. They both have a pin that holds the inside tube in place within the outside tube. The Descender is activated by the rider pulling a knob on the seatpost itself. This pulls the pin out. The Gravitydropper is operated from the switch on the handlebar. It uses magnets to pull and push the pin out. A rider would push the switch, unweight the seat and sit down on the seat. Then let go of the switch. To raise, push the switch, and sit up. Because it is mechanical. There are no air seals or air cartridges to blow. You don't have to worry about pumping it back up. It also isn't affected by temperature or altitude. If a person ever has to clean it. It is very simple to clean and takes about 1 minute. The cable is a standard gear cable is is fully replaceable.
Big thanks to Wayne, go check them out. No news of importers or prices yet, we'll keep you informed..
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