My default reaction to new MTB products is one of cynicism. I’m a devout hard-tailer with an aversion to ‘new’ industry standards and unbeknown niches. But I had been in denial when it came to dropper posts. It was increasingly clear I was becoming a trail pariah. Mates were no longer happy to wait whilst I fumbled for a 5mm whenever the trail pointed south. I needed a dropper post for fear of losing friends; in more senses than one. So when Olly asked me to run this ICE V8 Dropper post I’ll be honest, I bit his hand off…

Words: Carl Cording | Photos: Olly Forster

The V8 post comes from a small French firm ICE (In Case of Emergency) and distributed in Blighty by R53 Sport. The first thing that makes this product standout is the extremely competitive price-point which will appeal to those who have been put off by the more expensive offerings from Rockshox, Crankbrothers, etc… and at £120, the V8 represents excellent value for money.

Out of the box and assembled, this is what you have and depending on how fussy you are about cable length, this will go straight on to your bike so you can go straight to the trails.

You would be forgiven, therefore, for expecting a ‘rough round the edges’ product with emphasis on function rather than form. But I was pleasantly surprised. The post itself is finished off in tidy black anodizing with peripheral parts finished in an inoffensive red. The post itself is 400mm in length and has three positions: 1) extended 2) 45mm drop and 3) 90mm drop. On the face of it 90mm did not strike me as particularly generous in terms of ‘vertical drop’; but I was willing to reserve judgement until on the trail.

27.2mm and dropper posts are two things that are rarely seen together, but capable bikes with 27.2mm seatposts are anything but. The V8 also represents a viable solution for anyone who see’s the lack of “droppers” available in this size, a real problem when it comes to the aspirations of you and your bike. At this price, you could certainly add this to the list of must have parts for that winter hack bike you’ve been secretly planning as well… 

The big appeal for me is that it has a 27.2mm diameter (with shims to allow use in 30.9 and 31.6 frames). Running a

First impressions were good, but one thing bugged me: the gaiter. I don’t know why, but I have always thought fork gaiters (or any other gaiter for that matter) looked goofy and only serve to spoil the overall aesthetic. But I have to remain objective, as the gaiter is one of the reasons the post remains so affordable. Whilst the external post is anodized 6061-T6 Aluminum the internal/movable post is made from chromoly held under spring tension and moved into the three positions by a pin (which is in turn retracted by the thumb lever up front)….Simple stuff.

The seat clamp is neat and well made and the anodized red parts, certainly helped make the V8 look the part!

To adjust the return speed of the V8, stick a 6mm allen-key down here and turn accordingly…

So the gaiter is pretty fundamental in keeping the gunk away from the rudimentary underpinnings. Rudimentary does not mean heavy though. The V8 comes in at 548g to the Reverb’s 550g, which is very respectable, all things considered. Fitting was relatively trouble free. The post clamp is reminiscent of past USE offerings with a single parallel lower strut bolted to two perpendicular upper struts. The two-bolt design allowed much flexibility and fore and aft movement was nonrestrictive and would suit almost any rider. The cable routing from the rear of the post was neat too and represents improvement relative to the similar Gravity Dropper. The bar mounted lever is a one bolt hinged affair so fitting was very quick indeed. One issue I encountered was that cable tension was imperative to ensure quick and precise operation. Too slack and you really had to tug at the lever, too taut and it risks pulling at the pin so that it is only half-engaged and could risk it popping out of position.

The lever consists of three parts: the red lever itself, the bar mount and housing, and…

the barrel adjuster for maintaining adequate tension. While the barrel adjuster is designed to exit the lever assembly directly for ease of reach, its stiff design also hinders the cables ability to form a nice and neat bend with the other cables and hydraulic lines on your handlebar. One alternative would be to customise the cable and to run the barrel adjuster along the cable routing on the top tube where the joining cable is in a straight line.

The cable pulls through the red lever and is held in place by the two grub screws. The excess cable is then pushed back into the lever.

The lever was only the part of the post where real improvements could be made without sacrificing the V8’s great price point. Although the design works, it wouldn’t take a giant leap to design something better – after all, it just pulls cable through a hole? One idea would be to get an early 90’s Shimano thumb shifter off eBay…

At the other end sits the post release pin, which is spring loaded within the angled housing and is released when the lever on the bars is pushed or pulled, pulling the pin into the housing. The guys at R53 recommend a touch of grease to aid the V8’s action. This then threads into…

this junction here on the post. The post’s three positions of drop are simply represented by three holes on the V8’s shaft – simple, but it does the job!

Once I had fine-tuned the cable tension, it operates really well and out on the trail, it was a real eye opener… It allowed trails to flow effortlessly and on sections where I previously rode with a high saddle, I was now able to get into attack mode, which made a world of difference. Operating the V8 is different to hydraulic posts in that it requires you to preload the post with your posterior to allow the pin to disengage and move into one of the three positions. It may sound strange, but it became a very intuitive action and quite natural on the fly. However, I must say you do look a bit odd when it is in low position, and preloading it to engage a higher position. After a half dozen rides I was very impressed. Even after some extremely muddy rides it worked really well and stripping it down and servicing is a doddle for even the most ham fisted amongst us.

Conclusion

Being critical I must say: I do not like the lever. The lever is held in place under cable tension and cable pull is activated by rocking the lever (a flat piece of aluminium) against the lever mount (another flat piece of aluminium). The lever works and serves its purpose, but it is not an enjoyable motion and feels clumsy; almost like an afterthought to be honest. I have mused fabricating my own lever out of an old thumbie as I am sure this would be preferable. Others have found it fine though so perhaps it’s just me?

Despite this gripe I remain, on the whole, very impressed with the post and 90mm adjustment proved an adequate drop out on the hills. The price is fantastic, it looks good and certainly belies its cost. Lever aside, the post is a very sturdy bit of kit and with easy servicing I see no reason why I will need to upgrade in the near future. I am sold. More importantly, I am no longer a trail pariah (for now). Happy trails, Carl.

ICE Components are distributed in the UK by R53 Sport – tap the logo for more info!

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