What the title says.
It seems like a gimmick to me, but it would be kinda nice if it really works.
Does anyone have experience with this? Does this come with any drawbacks?
by Ortofun
What the title says.
It seems like a gimmick to me, but it would be kinda nice if it really works.
Does anyone have experience with this? Does this come with any drawbacks?
by Ortofun
28 Comments
I was just looking into them. I’d also like to know if they’re legit worth $200
It works quite well for what it is. The first times you feel it really flex are really unnerving because your bars turn slightly. Really messes with sprinting.
I’d like to try them, but the price tag …
I use one for few years. Works really well for small to medium vibrations. Not so much for big ones. Of course it’s not as good as normal suspension fork or lauf fork.
Don’t have wrist pain anymore. I recommend it for gravel or multi day Bikepacking
I have one on my ebike. They work well, but you need to dial them in for your weight (it should come with some extra rubber bumpers to swap out.) It’s not like an actual front shock or anything, but it’s good for taking a lot of shock and vibration off your hands. Redshift’s quality is really good too, for whatever that’s worth.
They have good return policy if you order directly from them, so as long as you’re careful with it and don’t beat it up, you can give it a try and send it back if you don’t feel like it’s working for you.
Just think about what its suspending and the pro-cons are pretty obvious.
Just hand comfort, will still send full shock through the bike itself, but as a result theorectically cheaper to maintain and repair just that part vs the more expensive fork.
If you are the kind of rider that has found rigid bikes remotely acceptable, it will probably be noticable and appreciated, other than the potential for twisting moment right by the hands.
If you are coming from a proper suspended fork prior experience, it is not remotely similar in dissipating the impact itself through the wheels/bike.
I really liked it when I lived in the Midwest and rode a lot of chipseal roads, it helped with the vibrations and my bike at the time could only go up to 28c tires
I think it’s fine. I don’t love mine, but it’s still on there. It feels like a fat bike tire when hitting a pot hole or whatever. Boooooing!
My suggestion is to get wider tires, instead. If you’ve maxed out your tire width and still want more suspension and have your position dialed, then I would suggest get a suspension stem.
One thing I did not think about was if I ever wanted to change my riding position, a new stem is a cheap and effective way to do that. Having an expensive stems prevents tinkering with my position, but maybe your position is more dialed and/or you’re tougher than me.
You’re not supposed to have more than 4cm of spacers beneath a suspension stem. The suspension only happens when you’re on the hoods. None on the tops nor in the drops.
I don’t regret getting my suspension stem, but if you broke it and gave me the money for a new one… I would not replace it
I find it feels like my hands are floating. For me I was looking to reduce vibration and chatter on my hands. I have some nerve issues. For “suspension” that you can put on almost any bike in a few minutes, it’s well worth the price.
They do have a 30 day trial if you order from them directly. I did not return mine. For long gravel rides it really feels smoother. If you’re a sprinter and want as much responsiveness as possible, it’s not for you.
Love mine and yes it works. Perfect for gravel as it smooths out the corrugations in rough roads. Takes a little bit to get used to (not difficult) as your bars move in an arc rather than just up and down as they would with a suspension fork.
A much cheaper and simpler option than putting on a small travel suspension fork to achieve the same result.
If you have it set up correctly you’ll never know it’s there until you about mile 50/60 into a ride and that wrist that usually annoys you isn’t. Or you hit a big pothole square and you actually feel it move. It shouldn’t be moving around on a sprint, if it is it’s set up wrong most likely.
I like mine. Bit pricey, so i would personally wait for a sale.
I have one on my flat bar hybrid and it’s nice. I run mine one setting stiffer than recommented and it really takes the edge off small bumps and gravel. It works. The seatpost, ehhh, I wouldn’t buy it again for a hybrid. Maybe the seating position on a road bike makes a difference?
I have one and think it’s alright. It was a lot more noticeable when I went from 50 to 44mm tires for a recent event. I’ve used it on 100 mile rides and short, considerably underbiked rides and find I notice it the most on those little “gotcha” rocks or divots I don’t see. I have it set to the absolute max strength so it’s fairly stiff, but can definitely still feel it bob up and down a little when sprinting or climbing out of the saddle. If you have the money I think it’s worthwhile, but I don’t think it’s a “must-have”.
Never used this stem but redshift makes great stuff in general big fan of the brand. I’ve always wanted to test out this stem but for the price it’s been a hard sell for me.
I have it on my gravel bike and like it for the obvious reasons. I put my regular stem back on when I was using my gravel bike for pure road for a few months. Then when I went back to gravel tires and off road, I couldn’t believe how rough it all felt. Put the redshift back on and back in business. The suspension works best when your hands are on the hoods as that’s the farthest point from the pivot. If you move your hands to the tops or drops, there’s less movement. Just an fyi
It’s totally a gimmick but it actually works too, it’s expensive and the value of what it does isn’t great
Girvin, blah blah, Flexstem, blah blah…well someone had to sat it.
I’ve been rocking one on my gravel bike for the past two years due to a wrist injury.
It did me well while I was healing up but I never bothered to take it off. It’s a nice treat from riding my road bike.
It’s definitely a bit flexy but you forget about it pretty quick. I even did a few cross races with it.
Yeah, they work. Turns a rigid bike into a somewhat rigid bike. Great for us old dudes who rode XC in the 1990s and have the screws to prove it. I had one on a commuter bike that got stolen, and I bought a new one for the replacement bike on day one.
Progressive spring rates are the shit.
I ride a drop bar rigid bike on singletrack, gravel, city crud. Set up stiff it’s a not terribly noticeable, except when you hit something. Combine it with 650×46 tires and it’s like you’re riding on a bowling alley. You get a bit more flex when you’re on the hoods than when you’re in the drops, so I can hammer pretty good in drops and not feel it bend much.
Do you want suspension for control or suspension for comfort?
This stem is for comfort. I tend to set my bikes up for control . . .
I highly recommend them for casual and recreational use. I’m a bikepacker and swear by the redshift stem for saving my hands. A carbon fork just wan’t enough shcok absorption. I had such trouble with carpal tunnel before I picked up one of these stems.
There is a drawback, it makes climbing pretty awkward, especially if you’re standing. You lose that rigidity.
My seat was so soft after I kept thinking my rear tire was flat
It does work, but you have to be realistic, it’s not a fork. Just takes out a little sting.
(I’m old enough to have had a Girvin Flexstem, they worked too, til the elastomer perished, which took like 3 or 4 weeks)
It works super well. I love it. Use it on my gravel commuter. It’s made all the difference on my bumpy pothole filled commute
Definitely works well. My friend bought one, loves it.
Really worth it. Works great.
This is old tech. A buddy had this back in the 90s. Works well for what it is.
Good on big bumps