I recently found out about Aenomoly Constructs from a friend at Transition Bikes. A few months ago I joined him for a ride when returning a Spire that was on test a while back and noticed a nifty little device tucked under his seat called the Switchgrade. After saying something along the lines of “Woah, what the heck is that?” and getting a quick explainer, I reached out to Aenomoly for a sample…
So, what is the Switchgrade? In short, it’s a 3-position adjuster for saddle tilt which is activated by a single low profile lever under the saddle’s nose. While this might seem like a relatively simple device, it is anything but – and to say that the Canadian company has a compelling story is an understatement. Anyhow, read on for the full review…
Details Aenomoly Constructs Switchgrade
- Compatible with these seatposts via 4 types
- Steepens effective seat angle over 1º, plus adds ~20mm height & 10mm forward offset in climb setting
- 7075 T6 and 6061 T6 aluminum
- 3 positions: -10º, 0º, and +12º
- 170 grams (claimed/verified)
- 7mm rails only – incompatible with 9mm rails
- Made in Canada
- $284 CAD / $245 USD
So this is essentially the device itself. You remove your upper seatpost clamps/hardware and pop the unit on. Note that where the hardware attaches to the barreled thread inserts, there are two positions at both the front and back of the head, making a total of four. The position that each barrel sits in depends on the seatpost you’re using.
Comparing the parts removed from the parts installed, there is a 125 gram (roughly 1/4lb.) difference in weight – at least on my OneUp Dropper Seatpost anyway. This figure will vary depending on the hardware and rail clamp weights of the seatpost being used.
The three settings pictured on level ground without moving the bike and with the camera on a tripod: -10º, 0º and +12º…
Aenomoly Constructs Switchgrade on the trail
I am old enough to remember Specialized’s noble attempt at making an adjustable saddle angle an automatic affair that didn’t make taking one’s hand off of the handlebar. However, with riders searching for longer and longer travel dropper seatposts, designs like the Wu Dropper – which topped out at only 115mm of actual travel – are looking less and less like a realistic possibility.
With that in mind, for many riders, taking a hand off to quickly change their saddle angle a few times per ride is no big deal. At this point, I would now include myself in that category – at least for some types of riding…
Starting with the climbs, I typically set my seat angle pretty flat on most bikes and have never really spent much time with a saddle pointed nose down because I abhor how it feels on the descents. If anything I lean slightly nose up. Interestingly enough, on really steep climbs that positioning is a big assist as it helps prevent you from slipping off the back of the seat and improves how well you can weight the back wheel without having to overuse your core muscles to keep your butt forward on the saddle.
I also felt that the climb position was even more beneficial on an e-bike where it’s possible to ride up even steeper the trails. In short, the steeper the climb, the more the Switchgrade helped out.
For riding on undulating terrain I generally just popped the seat in the middle setting, ignored the Switchgrade and acted as if it wasn’t there. Constantly taking a hand off for short climbs and quick descents isn’t worth the effort or the distraction, so it’s safe to say that this device is best suited to riders whose average ride looks like a longer climb(s) with varied pitches that then rewards them with long descent(s) on burlier terrain.
Additionally, it will likely have the strongest appeal to riders who are a little more gravity oriented and perhaps come from a DH background. As far as duty is concerned, this isn’t really aimed at the XC/DC crowd but rather it is geared toward the Trail through Enduro segments.
As far as the descend mode is concerned, that was the best part – at least to me anyway. I loved having the tail drop and get out of the way on steep descents where I often have to wiggle way off the back of the saddle. The Switchgrade makes it so that neither you nor any of your clothing are as likely to snag on your seat while riding down steep sections. On flowy/jump trails, having the saddle nosed up felt more natural when it came to nudging the saddle around with my knees and thighs. Basically the seat sits at the exact same angle I set it to on my DH bike with a fixed seatpost.
Aenomoly Constructs Switchgrade Overall
The Switchgrade is admittedly a bit of a niche product, but there are certainly a great many riders out there who would enjoy it and benefit from one. As I mentioned prior, I think it will have the strongest appeal with the gravity crowd and riders with a Downhill background. From a technical and design perspective, it is incredibly well made and brilliantly thought out. The lever is easy to grab, but out of the way. Each setting has a nice firm detent and the spread between the three settings is perfectly mapped out.
Additionally, the hardware and machine work is all 10/10. While it is a quite pricey (read: as much as most dropper seatposts out there), it is widely useable with most of the seatposts on the market today and in the event of a dropper post swap there is a good chance you would not need a new unit. All in all, I’ve really enjoyed this product and personally love neat little solutions parts like this. It will be exciting to see what else Aenomoly have up their sleeves…
