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Dissatisfaction was the decisive factor in the founding of Vecnum. After years of professional experience in the aerospace sector, Marcell Maier was frustrated by the unsatisfactory quality in which bike parts were produced and sold. He therefore founded the Vecnum label in 2014 and began realising his vision of genuine in-house production in 2016. Development and testing processes were also to come from in-house and so the former one-man show soon grew into a team of passionate cyclists. Product focus from the very beginning: Retractable dropper seatposts with long durability, convincing functionality and low weight made in Germany.
Why manufacture in Germany?
At Vecnum's company headquarters in Isny, the entire process chain is in our own hands. The CAD design for development, CNC programming for the machines and prototype production are all created here in the Allgäu region. Vecnum products are created in the machining centre on the company's own five-axis milling machine. The selection of manufacturing processes, product tests and quality control also take place under the company's own roof. The small company expects to achieve the highest quality standards without compromising on intermediate steps by having direct control over all work steps.
Vecnum sees a further advantage in the complete control over the availability of products and spare parts. There is no need to rely on vague statements from suppliers in the Far East, but can get a clear picture of the situation at any time. When developing new concepts and product ideas, the Vecnum team is able to realise designs quickly and uncompromisingly. According to the Allgäu-based company, the combination of CAD planning and CAM programming offers a major advantage in component optimisation during the development phase, so that very little time is lost between the idea and series production.
Focus on durability
Since the company was founded, it has been important to Vecnum to make bike components as durable as possible. The telescopic seatposts should function reliably for years and be easy to repair if the worst comes to the worst. According to Vecnum, attention is paid to a service-friendly design right from the development stage, which allows all relevant wear parts to be replaced. At the end of the day, this should not only reduce the consumption of resources, but also cost the customer less in the long term. The Vecnum Nivo, for example, can be serviced using a five-way Allen key and by removing just a few parts.
Many bikers had bad experiences with durability in the early days of the dropper post. Although these problems have disappeared in large numbers, focussing on durability and high quality from the outset on a moving part such as a dropper post is definitely a good move. My old Vecnum Moveloc 2 has accompanied me faithfully for many years. Now I'm curious to see how the Nivo performs in the long run. - Jan Timmermann, BIKE editor
To achieve these goals, Vecnum relies on high-strength aluminium alloys for most of the components of its Vario supports, which promise both high resistance and low weight. The company firmly believes in the philosophy that the choice of material is decisive for the function. The individual components are manufactured with high precision on the CNC milling machine. To ensure a perfect fit, tolerances are only allowed in the hundredths of a millimetre range. To protect the aluminium parts from corrosion and wear, they are then anodised. Manual labour is required in the final assembly. Piece by piece, each seat post is individually fine-tuned and tested.
Vecnum Nivo: The flagship from Germany
The Nivo is currently the spearhead of the Vecnum portfolio. Its claim: "Lightest seatpost with a stroke of up to 212 millimetres". The Vario post is indeed lightweight and weighs from 395 grams. A load-optimised design around the one-piece post head, the use of 3D-forged aluminium elements and titanium bolts in the clamping mechanism ensure a good value on the scales. Vecnum keeps the release and locking mechanism purely mechanical. Hardened steel and a compact design are intended to combine durability and lightweight construction.
The dropper post is available in four lengths with an adjustment range between 122 and 212 millimetres. The customer can choose between stepless adjustment or a four-way indexed version. With the Travelfit function, the stroke can be reduced by 32 millimetres if required: For example, if the frame allows a maximum adjustment range of 200 millimetres or small riders require a dropper post with only 90 mm adjustment. A compact overhang of just 42 millimetres is designed to ensure that the entire stroke can actually be used. The post can be adapted to the seat tube diameter of any frame using reduction sleeves. Coloured rubber rings offer the option of visual customisation.
Vecnum Nivo in detail
- Vario support adjustment range: 122-212 mm
- Reduction adjustment range: Travelfit up to 32 mm
- Adjustment: stepless or indexed
- Protrusion height: 42 mm
- Weight: from 395 g
- Price: from 429 euros >> available here
Conclusion
The production of bike parts in Germany is always something special. I certainly appreciate it when parts are made in my own country rather than travelling around the world. Vecnum can even claim to be the only supplier of dropper posts that manufactures in Germany. The Nivo is an exciting alternative to options from the Far East. - Jan Timmermann, BIKE editor
Jan Timmermann
Editor
