The Magura Vyron MDS-V3 is the latest wireless dropper seatpost from Magura, the origininators of wireless droppers. Way back in 2016 Magura became the first company to bring a wireless dropper post to the market. The V3 is – surprise, surprise – the third version of the Vyron.
To give it its full title, the Vyron MDS V3 stands for Magura Dropper Seatpost Version 3. Simple! As simple, perhaps, as fitting it to your bike.
Magura Vyron MDS V3 Specifications
- 30.9 and 31.6mm diameters
- Four travel variants: 100, 125, 150 and 175 mm
- Travel adjustable by 25mm
- Weight: post approx 700g, remote 40g
- Overall post length: 379mm (100mm travel) to 499mm (175mm)
- Price: £499
This third version is much more than a slight revision to the previous Vyron. It’s a totally new development from scratch, with new internals, new electronics and a new remote. The V3 is intended to be more intuitive to use, generally faster to react, faster to extend, easier to set up, and easier to maintain.
Top Construction, Top to Bottom…
It must be said that the level of construction and finish of the Vyron is typically Magura-like. It’s a really nicely designed and fabricated product.
The saddle rail clamp is a zero offset design – great for maintaining a decent effective seat angle on modern mountain bikes.
The motor at the head of the post is where the dinky motor lives that operates the valve inside the post. There’s also the on button on the side, that has LED illumination to tell you about the battery level and pairing status.
Down at the other end of the shaft, the collar is more compact than those found on other brand’s wireless droppers. At around 5mm shorter, this will help when you’re trying to squeeze in as much drop as possible between the saddle and your frame.
The bottom of the post is where you’ll find the Schrader valve. Here is also where you can carry out the travel adjust procedure, using the kit available to buy and a few basic tools.
Then, up front on your handlebar, the remote. Which is a really, really nice thing. It mounts on the left side, under the bar. You can get a standalone bracket for it or opt for one of the various brake lever clamps.
Simple Installation and Adjustment
One of the greatest reasons to have a wireless dropper is the ease of installation. There’s no cabling to wrestle with or route – or rattle on the trail – and all you need to do is pop it in your bike’s seat tube. You could even swap between bikes pretty quickly should you want to.
Helping with flexibility and the option to swap between bikes is the simple travel adjustment. This allows you to reduce travel by 25mm. So, the 175mm post can be made 150mm, or the 100mm post can be made 125mm. Doing so is a pretty quick and easy operation. Although it is a workshop task rather than a trailside one, there’s no need to open the pressurised chamber. You’ll just need the travel adjustment kit and a few basic tools.
Faster Electronics and Hydraulics
Magura has made this latest version of the Vyron faster through a combination of new electronics and hydraulics. Switching from ANT+ communication to the much faster Bluetooth standard starts the speed revloution. Next up, the way the post reacts to the button has changed, with the system remaining open until the rider releases the remote button. Basically, the seat post is ‘open’ for as long as the operating lever on the remote is being pressed by your thumb. On previous Vyron posts, the hydraulic adjustment opened at the push of a button but closed after a specific time. Finally, a new actuator inside the seatpost ensures a faster flow of oil between hydraulic chambers. The result is a seat post that adjusts downwards significantly quicker.
More Waterproof
Electronics and mountain biking haven’t always played together well, but the the Vyron MDS V3 is about as waterproof as you can get, an a IP67 waterproof certification. This means the Vyron MDS V3 can withstand being held under a metre of water for half an hour… which should be enough for even the grimmest of British weather!
This IP67 rating has been achieved in part by doing away with the rechargeable battery system and associated charging ports. Just as waterproof boots are invariably let down by the holes needed to fit your legs/feet into them, the hole required to attach a charging cable are usually the weak point in weatherproofing electronics. Instead of a rechargeable battery, there’s a lithium CR2 battery in the seatpost head that should last around a year, or 9,000 cycles. According to Magura’s research, typical mountain bikers operate their dropper seatpost around 3,000 times a year – so there should be plenty of up and down power there for you. The handlebar remote contains a standard CR2032 button battery that will last for aaages.
The decision to go with non-rechargeable batteries also makes for a much more affordable wireless dropper post compared to other wireless posts out there. The Magura Vyron MDS V3 retails at £499.
