The “Seat dropper” with which Mohoric won Sanremo? It exists since 2009

Saturday 19 March Matej Mohoric faces the descent of the Poggio like a missile, detaches everyone and goes to conquer the Milan-Sanremo. A masterpiece, even of courage. An impressive performance. Someone, careful but not too much, discovers a detail on the Slovenian’s bike. A telescopic seat post, that is, that can be raised and lowered. For some it is the gimmick, or the devilry, which allowed Matej (the first among other things to descend in what was subsequently called the “Froome position”, later prohibited by the UCI) to win the Classicissima. In short, for those eyes that are very attentive but not too much, an absolute novelty. But is not so.

Step back

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Tour de France 2009: in the Liquigas the stars are Vincenzo Nibali, Roman Kreuziger and Franco Pellizotti. On the eve of the French race, the leaders of the FSA, accompanied by engineer Angelo Morelli, bring the first telescopic seat post to the team. It is a handcrafted tool that allows you to adjust the height of the saddle +/- 10 millimeters from the zero point. It is a bit heavy, there is skepticism about the novelty (how will the muscles react to the change of position?) And, above all, it is not yet approved by the UCI. In addition, the adjustment takes place by screwing and unscrewing the tube: not one of the easiest operations in the race. So on the Tour the novelty remains on the workshop truck.

But Fsa believes in this component and continues the development of the product. In 2011, Ivan Basso also tried it on several occasions. The turning point, however, came in 2014 when the UCI, on the request of the FSA, changed the regulation and authorized the use of adjustable seat posts with a maximum excursion of 5 centimeters.

Evolution continues

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The one used by Mohoric in the Classicissima, which has been renamed the “seat dropper” is completely different in terms of operation compared to the first models. What has remained unchanged, however, is the benefit, due to the lowering of the center of gravity, in the driveability of the bike downhill. Among other things, in addition to the aerodynamic improvement, there is also an increased rear load. This increases stability and results in greater speed out of corners. Benefits that bikers know very well as they have been using this component regularly for over a decade. The first to bring him to the race was a phenomenon: the Swiss Nino Schurter.

The models

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After the triumph, Mohoric also spent words of gratitude for his technical partners, including the FSA. But his seat dropper was from another brand. This is due to the need for integration with the Merida frame (the winner’s bike), and the Slovenian’s request to have a spring control in a practical position without loosening the grip on the handlebar. Fsa which for its part now has in its catalog a telescopic with 100 mm travel called Flowtron AGX, dedicated to gravel but which is perfectly suited for use on the road since it includes the control for curved handlebars.