Eurobike 2012: Thomson dropper post and bars

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There were some rumblings on Thomson’s Facebook page about their dropper post project, but it was a bit of a surprise to see it in the flesh. As you’d expect from the masters of machining, it’s a very well made item, giving 125mm of stepless travel from a sealed nitrogen and oil cartridge.

The Thomson Elite Dropper - 125mm of travel from a sealed cartidge system.

As their expertise is in seatposts and not in suspension, as it tends to be with most other uppy downy post manufacturers, they’ve worked with a number of other people to make sure it’s right. Norglide provide the bushing that the post runs on, Motul supply the oil and engineering giant Trelleborg helped with the seals. Thanks to the twelve points of engagement between bushing and post body, it should stay slop free too.

The cable operated remote is rather neat and dinky too.

It’ll come in 30.9 and 31.6mm diameters – no 27.2mm is possible sadly. It weighs around 450g and they reckon it’ll last two years of the worst weather possible (British summer?) quite easily and much longer in better conditions.

The head is rather fancy - shown here with optional under-saddle lever.

The final spec hasn’t been set in stone, but it’ll be convertible between a cable remote and under seat mounted lever, with the possibility of a rebound speed that alters with how much you pull the lever. There’s a rather neat remote and a cable guide too. They reckon it’ll be ready for full production in the spring of 2013.

This is the sealed guts of the system; a nitrogen sprung and oil damped cartridge.

It’s not just seatposts they’ve been playing with, the long awaited Thomson bars are finally here too. You’ll be able to take you pick from the 780mm wide 12mm rise downhill bars, made from internally tapered aluminium, the 730mm wide Toray carbon fibre All Mountain bars and the 730mm wide X-Country versions.

Aluminium DH bars will be a decent 780mm width and weigh around 305g.

If aluminium and carbon are a bit boring, then metal freaks will be super pleased with the release of the 730mm wide Titanium flat bar.

Ooh! Look! It's all Ti'd up...

We also took a shine to the integrated upper crown and stem. Worth buying a DH bike for? we reckon so.

We like. Just need the bike for it now..

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