Been pondering a dropper post for a while, people seem to rate the gravity dropper as the most reliable and lightweight (perhaps not the slickest design), however it seems very expensive (to me) for what it is.

Then I spotted the Forca Vario – a gravity dropper clone:

http://www.forca-sports.de/?p=63

85mm drop, comes in 27.2 with shims included, dirt boot protection for a fiver extra.

Here is a translation of the German MAg article provided by Schweiz off here. Apparently they did 1991KM on it to test it!
There are not many dropper posts available with 27.2mm diameter which is common on hardtails

Forca SPS350
99€, 551g

Cheap and surprisingly light. Simple mechanics with steel spring and cable actuated positioning bolt. In use it’s not a smooth as the expensive hydraulic posts but even in Winter it’s astonishingly reliable. If something does go wrong then you can disassemble and maintain it in minutes thanks to the simple design.

Changing the cable is simple and you can also “pimp” the system with Nokon cable outers which have tighter clearances which are advantageous. The cable connection is at the base of the stanchion and so is less disturbing in the dropped position compared to other posts.

On the downside, there’s only 85mm of travel but considering the limited other options, 85mm is better than nothing!

Postives : Simple, reliable mechanism, 27.2mm diameter, cheap and light.
Negatives : Extension is not very smooth, only 85mm travel

Missing from the review but also important – It only has 2 positions, up and down. You also get the shims for the other tube diameters delivered with it.
http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/any-german-speakers-able-to-traslate-this-short-mag-review?replies=6#post-3227226

Theres a few users on MTB News de that seem happy with them: http://www.mtb-news.de/forum/showthread.php?t=501708

I decided it was worth a punt for £65 from here: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/400228107736 they do ship to the UK €18. The “shock boot” is €6 extra.

I will update when it arrives.

I’d like to know how you get on too – I’m stuck with 27.2 size post.

That looks more like it!

Looks good, will be interested to hear how well you get on with it

Interesting, that could be just what I’ve been waiting for.

watches with interest

Do you reckon you could increase the travel with a drill, and a disregard for personal safety?

Some people on that Mtb-news forum link have added an extra stop halfway, which what I plan to do.

Not sure I would do what you say sweepy as the overlap maybe reduced too much!

Looks like I might have to add dropper cable guides on my frame, before I spray it… £65 seems quite a bargain

Cheers for the heads up- that’s gone straight on my xmas list- and my sister in law in austria can buy it and bring it with her to save on postage too!

the rase post is available for those with more money who want a bit more travel (9″ I think) http://www.rasebike.com/

WANT WANT WANT

I’ve been eyeing the RASE for a year or more for the big bike. Still not had the guts to splash the cash on one yet. 😕

I wish I had known about the Forca 18 months ago (for the sake of argument, if it was available) as it looks perfect for my current needs. About to move though, so no debits for me 🙁

85mm? Like, eight and a half centimetres? My saddle is dropping waaaay more than that when it gets slammed.

I’m oot (which is a shame cos I do want a cheap one of these!)

Bought one, got two recently built up 27.2 bikes at the moment so too good to resist – was not going to spend any money on bike kit this month – fail.

the clamp/remote is very like the joplin one

85mm? Like, eight and a half centimetres? My saddle is dropping waaaay more than that when it gets slammed.

Only 4cm less than a ks i950 and a bit less (15mm?)than a Joplin.

I think it is pretty irresponsible to post this thread only a couple of days after I have bought the original and surely much better, because it is so much more expensive, Gravity Dropper.
Still look on the bright side. If I get on with the Gravity Dropper then the next one for my other bike will be cheaper.
Not heavy, not complicated, not expensive. Hardly seems fair.

£65 to put your saddle down 3 and a bit inches, special.

Looks great and an advantage over the reverb is that the cable is on the bottom collar so it doesnt move when the saddle goes up or down.
Its about time these things were realistically priced. I mean the reverb is essentially one air fork leg, but with an even simpler oil mechanism inside than any damping method you’d find in a fork. Should be 100 quid or less..

Only 4cm less than a ks i950 and a bit less (15mm?)than a Joplin.

Really? I won’t bother with those either then!

Would there be any interest in these for around £90 to your door shipped from UK?

Similar price to the German ebay seller but including the boot and faster service.

Possibly yes… I do quite fancy a dropper, and sub £100 makes it very tempting

Does anyone know if you can lop anything off the bottom of it to make it a bit shorter? I need one to fit a frame with an interrupted seat tube.

WAS – if you could source and people who had one experiance no issues in the next month id have one !

Thanks for posting this up, I’ll pass it onto my mate with an Orange 5

was – Member
Would there be any interest in these for around £90 to your door shipped from UK?

Similar price to the German ebay seller but including the boot and faster service.

Do they inc a shim to 30.9??

Ohhh tempted, had a could of crashes last night that might have saved me from, I’m way too lazy to drop my post manualy on other bikes after fitting a reverb tot he Pitch.

£65 to put your saddle down 3 and a bit inches, special.

Thompson do a 0mm verison for £63

http://www.google.co.uk/products/catalog?hl=en&q=thomson+seatpost&um=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.,cf.osb&biw=689&bih=283&wrapid=tlif132275536760810&ie=UTF-8&tbm=shop&cid=12470760941554253300&sa=X&ei=L6XXTomxLcK68gOJ-_TkDQ&ved=0CHUQ8wIwAQ#

My saddle is dropping waaaay more than that when it gets slammed.

I thought that when buying a reverb, but after fitting it there’s only 1″ of post left poking out (plus the seal bit, so 2″ total). Using the OEM 350mm post you couldn’t lower it past the seatube kink, so the reverb is only ~20mm short of being ‘slammed’ (unless your short). So unless your using a long seatpost (i.e. not the default 350mm) you couldn’t get more than an inch lower anyway.

Would there be any interest in these for around £90 to your door shipped from UK?

No, but if you can source them from wherever they get them and sell them for £65 I’d be interested.

Just received my order from Germany:

Quality has exceeded my expectations. One of the seatpost shims isn’t very long so I will use a wiggle “post moderne” £3.99 one to shim upto 30.9 for my old bike. 27.2 will fit my new frame directly.

I will install and give it a ride this weekend, expect my feedback!

I am negotiating to buy a large quantity of these to sell through my retail outlets, so watch this space for a special STW price to beat the German delivered price (this cost £89 delivered in total).

I’m watching.
Do you reckon they could be modded to give more drop, or more than 2 positions?

about time prices on dropper posts have been silly high for too long!
not to mention the limiting size issues

i do love my gravity dropper but if i was buying a second one i doubt i could justify spending twice the price+ of one of these

Watching with interest.

I’ve found the 100mm drop on my GD to be enough for 95% of the time – it was only on stupidly steep stuff in the Alps that I felt the need to lower the post further in the old-fashioned way (with the seat clamp).

Another watcher here, got to be worth a punt if they work even reasonably, especially at 27.2 for my old Turner. Have you weighed it? Also what’s the overall length and where is the min insert at? Cheers.

£65 to put your saddle down 3 and a bit inches, special.

Paupers look on with envy! 😀

(Sorry, couldn’t resist!)

If it’s not a silly question, isn’t the cable coming out of the wrong side of the post? I’d have thought that it would be better exiting from the front to run it along the top tube, so you don’t have a loop of cable behind the post… ❓

(The RASE post, and the Gravity Dropper both have the cables on the front.)

Modable to put the stops in the other side of the ‘stanchion’?

If it’s not a silly question, isn’t the cable coming out of the wrong side of the post? I’d have thought that it would be better exiting from the front to run it along the top tube, so you don’t have a loop of cable behind the post…

(The RASE post, and the Gravity Dropper both have the cables on the front.)

Modable to put the stops in the other side of the ‘stanchion’?

Not a silly question and yes I think it would be better like that, as well as a lower profile vertical cable exit.

Drilling holes in the other side would weaken the post too much I suspect.

I am seeing what I can do with my order to have some modifications.

Hadn’t spotted that, why have they put the cable right in the path of the rear wheel/mud etc and made cable routing a PITA?

Thompson do a 0mm verison for £63

Aye, and it won’t break.

Paupers look on with envy!

Nice one 😆

Aye, and it won’t break.

I’ll send you a pic of my (not quite broken, but I’m always wondering when it’ll finaly snap and rip off my nads) one if you like?