Fox Factory has a long history in the development of Vario seat posts and wants to have used the experience gained over the last few years and products to optimise the new Fox Transfer in terms of maintenance, robustness, adjustability and suppleness. With a stroke of up to 240 mm, adjustable in 5 mm increments, this telescopic seatpost is said to be the new benchmark.
Fox Transfer: New is always better, right?
The key data quickly make it clear that the new Fox Transfer dropper post is an improved version of its predecessor. The new telescopic seatpost has 62% less air loss than its predecessor thanks to a revised interior and a new sealing system. As the product was designed with longevity in mind, the two dynamic air shaft seals have been replaced by static ones. This should reduce overall friction and therefore the potential for air loss.
The doubling of the oil seals and the installation of a wiper, which should extend the service life of the telescopic support by a factor of 6, are also characterised by longevity. Thanks to the reduced oil loss, the hydraulic seat post requires less maintenance. According to Fox, this also reduces air loss due to air dissolved in the oil.
Another change to the new Fox Transfer concerns the position of the air chamber. This is now located at the tip of the dropper post, which makes the dynamic air seals superfluous. In addition, a Schrader valve could be fitted for optional air pressure adjustment. This feature can be useful in various environmental conditions, such as altitude and temperature, as these can affect the internal air pressure. You can therefore easily top up the air pressure.
The manufacturer also takes care to minimise air loss in the valve: The Schrader valves used are equipped with O-ring metal caps that provide an even better seal.
Further improvements to the Vario seatpost
The new vario post from Fox now comes with Ekonol bushings with metal backing inside instead of IGUS bushings. These new bushings are designed to enable tight tolerances with low friction, which should make it easier to lower the dropper post. Fox Transfer also advertises a 300-hour maintenance interval that bikers can carry out themselves. No special tools are even required for this.
The Fox Transfer offers tool-free travel adjustment in 5 mm increments. Many manufacturers only offer 10 mm increments to counteract potential deformation of the suspension travel components over time. However, the Transfer is designed for hard use, which is why deformation should not be a problem. In addition, the 2-bolt clamping on the telescopic support has been optimised to save weight and improve strength.
The Fox Transfer in detail
- Diameter: 30.9 mm / 31.6 mm / 34.9 mm
- Stroke: 95-120 mm / 125-150 mm / 155-180 mm / 185-210 mm / 215-240 mm
- Lower coating: Black anodised
- Top coating: Kashima coating (Fox Transfer Factory), black anodised (Fox Transfer Performance Elite)
- Price: 449 euros (Factory series), 369 euros (Performance series Elite)
Lukas Niebuhr
Working student
