Unlike many of the new options sprouting up at this year’s Eurobike show, X-Fusion isn’t a new player to the dropper post market. We reviewed X-Fusion’s original Hilo dropper post back in 2012, and more recently, we put the higher-end Hilo Strate model to the test. But for 2017, the suspension company will be releasing an all-new dropper post called the Manic.
The Manic aims to address some of the shortcomings of the existing Hilo SL. It’s still an internally routed dropper post, but it features a lower overall stack height compared to the Hilo SL, with a shorter collar at the top of the outer tube, and a narrower saddle clamp. The aim here is to maximise the adjustment range for riders with varying saddle heights. The guts are also completely reworked, and there’s a new lever too. We got our hands on the Manic dropper post at Eurobike to see exactly what’s changed.
The collar on the new Manic dropper post is lower profile, so you can get the post further into the frame to lower the overall saddle height. The previous Hilo SL dropper post was 25mm taller in this area, which limited how low the seatpost could sit in the frame.Like the Hilo Strate, the Manic dropper post is internally routed. There are 30.9mm and 31.6mm diameter options, but it will only be available in 125mm travel to begin with. Expect to see a 150mm travel option in the future. Internally, there is an air spring and a closed damper cartridge that control the saddle height. The damper cartridge is sealed and designed to be easily removable in the event of failure or simply when it comes time to servicing. Details are otherwise scant on the guts of the Manic, but X-Fusion are claiming that it’s a big improvement over the Hilo SL.Does anyone else thing this clamp looks a lot like a RockShox Reverb? The twin-bolt saddle clamp is lower profile compared to the Hilo SL. Not only does it look neater, it is also responsible for improving the Manic’s adjustment range.
The attachment point for the cable has also been improved over the Hilo SL, which is a welcome change. In our experience testing the Hilo SL, the cable attachment point is both incredibly fiddly and temperamental. However, the new Manic appears to address this with a simple spring and actuator arm that creates a much smoother action overall.
There’s a pinch bolt that locks down the inner cable wire, though the barrel that holds onto the cable can be removed from the base of the post. That’s a good thing for riders who travel and require the post to be removed from the bike when packing it into a box.While we quite liked the previous joystick-style BAT remote, X-Fusion have updated the lever for the Manic to improve adjustability.By loosening the black threaded nut on the inside of the lever, you can adjust the angle and position of the lever in almost any direction you choose. The lever paddle itself has a textured design to offer a little more traction when riding with gloves, and it provides plenty of leverage over the cable. While we’d much prefer to try out a Manic mounted properly to a bike, the one that X-Fusion had on display at Eurobike was incredibly smooth to use, so clearly the changes have been worth it.Not a dropper post. But still cool – this is the latest McQueen fork from X-Fusion, which we’re calling as the best fork name on the market. It’s a plus-compatible fork, and we’ll be getting one in to test very soon, so keep your eyes peeled for more on that…
