Since the introduction of the first telescopic seat post, the MTB market has continuously further developed. In the beginning, you still had to reach under the saddle to operate the seat post, but soon the first remote controls for the handlebars were developed. Progress was made from lowering via fixed steps to stepless adjustment. Today, externally articulated dropper posts can only be seen on upgraded mountain bikes of older vintages. Today, the cables are usually routed inside the frame. The market has even seen adjustable dropper posts. But with the Vario, E-Thirteen has finally conjured up a completely new product for 2020. A tool-free adjustment of the stroke has never been seen before.
E-Thirteen Vario at a glance
- 30 millimetre adjustable stroke
- Stepless lowering via a gas spring
- M6 T25 screws for less crunching
- 28° seat angle adjustment
- wide horizontal saddle adjustment for modern geometries
- 597 g 30.9 x 150-180 / 618 g 31.6 x 150-180
- 550 g 30.9 x 120-150 / 571 g 31.6 x 120-150
Price: 209 euros (post) / 49.90 euros handlebar lever
With the Vario, the American component manufacturer is launching a completely new telescopic seatpost on the market. Compared to its predecessor (TRS Plus Dropper Post) and other supports available on the market, the gas pressure spring used is said to require 20 per cent less force for lowering. The contact surface in the dip tube is also said to have been increased. In this way, the manufacturer hopes to achieve particularly long maintenance intervals and extend the service life of the dropper post. The saddle clamp has also been revised and can be adjusted up to an angle of 28° to cover a wider range of seat angles. As with many other parts of modern mountain bikes, T25 bolts are now used to clamp the saddle.
Tool-free stroke adjustment
However, the real speciality of the new Vario is the tool-free adjustment of the stroke. For example, the longer version of the E-Thirteen dropper post can be travelled from 180 to 150 millimetres in five millimetre increments. Conveniently, this works completely without tools and can also be done on the trail. To adjust the travel, the post is first lowered to a mark on the tube. Then open the sleeve and pull the seal upwards. Now you can see the different levels, which you simply align with the mark of the desired stroke. Then replace the seal, screw on the sleeve and continue.
Revised lever
The handlebar remote control has also been redesigned compared to its predecessor. The lever still comes in the design of a classic trigger and can be attached using the supplied clamp or to Matchmaker clamps. Three holes are now available for lateral adjustment. A 3 mm Allen key can be used not only to clamp the lever and the cable pull, but also to adjust the position of the lever. Griptape has been applied to the lever for better grip while riding.
First test of the E-Thirteen Vario
We have already been able to see for ourselves how the new Vario works and have tested a version with a 31.6 mm diameter and 150-180 millimetre stroke.
As with most current telescopic seatposts, installation is quite simple. Once the outer shell has been shortened to the correct length, the Bowden cable is attached to the bottom of the seat post and the entire system is pushed into the seat tube. The cable can be securely clamped to the lever using the 3 mm screw. The numerous adjustment options on the lever allow you to quickly find the right position. Even with current Shimano SLX brakes on the bike, whose additional bar for support on the handlebars limits the adjustment options somewhat, we quickly found a suitable position.
The short lever travel is particularly noticeable during the ride. As soon as you press the extremely grippy and easy-to-reach lever, the lift descends smoothly. The lever also requires little force to operate due to the bearing. Returning to the starting position, on the other hand, could be a little quicker. Adjusting the lift actually takes barely more than a minute and is doable even for completely inexperienced screwdrivers. After a good 300 kilometres in test operation, the E13 dropper post exhibits minimal lateral play, although this was already present when it was new.
Overall, the new Vario from E-Thirteen is an affordable and innovative dropper post with a large adjustment range. The perfectly adjustable trigger lever was particularly impressive in practice. How often you actually use the stroke adjustment option in everyday life is of course questionable. It is certainly an interesting unique selling point.
Stefan Frey
Editor
