Exclusive Review: The all-new Vecnum Moveloc seatpost
There’s a new player in the hard fought market of telescoping seatposts! Offering up to 200 millimeter of travel while still weighting less than much shorter posts, the Moveloc by German manufacturer Vecnum could disrupt the market. During the last weeks, we were able to test a late pre-series prototype of this interesting product.
The Vecnum Moveloc 2014
Even with a quick look at its datasheet, you’ll notice that the guys at Vecnum put together something different than the “usual suspects”. Most obvious – and really something a lot of riders were looking for – is the extended travel of the seatpost: Vecnum offers three variants with travel of 140, 170 and even 200(!!) millimeter, while competitive products end at a maximum of 150 millimeter. Low weight, great stiffnes and less maintenance were the other main goals during the development of the Moveloc – many competitive products struggle with those points.
To achieve these goals, Vecnum went with a combination of a pneumatic spring module and a mechanic locking mechanism, enabling four pre-set positions. A small bolt made out of a special synthetic material fits into the holes on the side of the seatpost. By default, the Moveloc is operated with a remote lever on the handlebar, but even if you tear of the the cable, you still can operate the seatpost directly at the clamp.
The returning speed of the seatpost can be set by in- or decreasing air-pressure in the pneumatic spring module, this can be done with a standard shock pump. When popping out, the seatpost slows down noticeable on the last centimeters of travel. This is quite handy, especially with one of the long-travel models (170 or 200 millimeter): You can run the Moveloc with rather high returning speed without endangering your sensitive parts.
Make sure to check the very informative website of Vecnum to find detailed explanations of the various features and detail solutions in the Moveloc – it’s German engineering at its finest!
Vecnum Moveloc 2014 – impressions
Despite its prototype-status, the workmanship of the Moveloc is excellent. The seatpost is well thought out in every detail. The saddle clamp makes a solid impression – no wonder the maximum rider weight is a good 120 kilograms! Mounting the saddle is easy and the clamping just works.
The remote lever is well-made too: Due to its compact design, its really easy to integrate in every cockpit and does not break easily when crashing. Despite its small size, operating the lever takes no effort and is comfortable.
After a few weeks with the Moveloc, we’re pretty impressed with its function! The post goes up and down smoothly and it locks without delay. There is no lateral play. Only when the post is exposed to very muddy conditions, the performance drops a bit. According to Vecnum this is due to its prototype status. The finished product will have an improved coating that eliminates this problems.
The four predefined height-levels (upper position, lower position, two intermediate stages) fitted us well, we never missed a infinitely variable post.
The tested model with 170 millimeters travel weights only 525 grams, including remote lever and housings – that’s much lighter than the products of the competitors. For comparison: A Reverb Stealth with 150 millimeters of travel is 618 grams.
Bottom line
In terms of travel and weight the Vecnum Moveloc is clearly superior to all competing products, the performance of the prototype was nearly flawless. For those who can do without the clean look of internal cable routing, the Moveloc is the most promising seatpost on the market at the moment!
The Vecnum Moveloc will be available in February, pricing is around 360 euros. For more information and the possibility to order, visit www.vecnum.de.
Words: Aaron Steinke / Benjamin Werling | Photos: Christoph Bayer
Did you enjoy this article? If so, we would be stoked if you decide to support us with a monthly contribution. By becoming a supporter of ENDURO, you will help secure a sustainable future for high-quality mountain bike journalism. Click here to learn more.
