X-Fusion Hilo Telescoping Post - Eurobike 2010

Its no secret that X-Fusion has been working on a telescoping post for awhile now, but this is the first one that I've seen in person. If you think about it, it does make complete sense for a suspension company to enter the dropping seatpost game given that the internals of a hydraulic post bear close resemblance to the inner workings of suspension. The more telescoping post options that we have to pick from, the better. I believe that there will be a time when a lot of bikes will come stock with these gadgets, just as entry level bikes now come with disc brakes.

There are two ways to get the job done when talking telescoping posts. A mechanical model that usually uses a spring of some sort - it could be air or coil - combined with a a pin or collet that holds it in place. The Hilo falls into the other category and is controlled hydraulically by using the flow of oil to set and hold it's height. It is actually pretty simple; by pushing on the activation lever you are pulling on a cable which opens an oil passage within the post. When this is open the post is free to cycle up or down as the oil flows from one cavity to the next. When you release the lever the oil passage closes and the post is held in place because the oil will not compress like an air spring does. The Hilo uses an air spring to extend the post, which is presumably adjustable via the valve at the bottom. In order to keep the post from twisting laterally and to keep slop to a minimum a double key-way system is used. Total drop will be 100 mm/4" and it will hit the scales at 620 grams.

The Hilo uses a single bolt head to adjust both fore/aft position and angle, just as you would find on many standard seatposts. Attaining the proper torque with this system is important to prevent both over tightening or having your seat rotate when you give it a bump with your ass. If you have a close look at the photo above you should be able to spot the anodized red removable cable anchor. In all likelihood this is X-Fusions way of quickly and easily converting the post to either accept a remote switch or use an under seat lever. A barrel adjuster at the back of the post's head allows you to fine tune the cable tension.

While not as extravagant as some, this compact remote looks like it will get the job done. Notice the hinged clamp that will make life a lot easier than if it wasn't split. Three different sizes will be available, 30.9 and 31.6, as well as a 27.2 offering that will have a lot riders who have been limited in choices by their older frames very happy.