Review: Redshift Suspension Stem? Supple life for the gravel grinder?
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- Опубліковано 21 лип 2024
- Review of the Redshift Sports Shocktop Suspension Stem. Is it shockingly awesome? Or shockingly terrible? Is it a worthy upgrade for your gravel adventure bike? Will we use it for Dirty Kanza?! Find out. Redshift Suspension Stem: amzn.to/2pOtYed
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This stem changed everything for me I have MS without the stem 20 minutes on gravel and my nerves were on fire now I can last hrs with limited pain. Commuting to work is completely pain free worth every penny.
prewire specialists this makes me think it would help my carpal tunnel since both are nerve issues and increase fatigue (tho in different ways).
Less Waste KY Home My brother has that also and bought one after riding my bike and has now got one on all three of his bikes.... you will not regret it.
I wonder about the industry obsession with track-sprint stiffness -- unforgiving forks, stems, bars, frames... I never had more than expected fatigue on my old springy frame with a wide-ish leather saddle and quill stem. The upsides of the threadless stems and super-stiff cranks and so on were great short-term performance, but they wasted all of that gain by beating me up.
@Anthony Kelvin heads up for you, that's a spam message designed to make you infect your computer with a virus.
It's also a crime almost everywhere to do this, even if it were true and not a scam.
@Anthony Kelvin
Ahhh I've been duped, Anthony Kelvin is clearly a fake account as well.
UA-cam spamming getting a little more sophisticated...
Easy way to spread a tight stem: reverse the pinch bolts and stick something (a penny?) over the unthreaded holes so gently tightening the bolts opens the clamp up a bit.
It's awesome! Based on this video and your recommendation alone... I bought one. It's more than awesome... not just for gravel, but crappy road conditions, too. Thank you, Russ!
I added this stem to a Bike Friday. Along with a 1.75 x 20 (up from my 1.5) tire...I think I've finally joined Team Supple. It is utterly remarkable and enjoyable to not feel the road vibration! Worth every penny, as I have a neck and shoulder condition to care for. I am thinking about upgrading for my other bicycle. Thanks for sharing abou this product, Russ!
This stem made my road bike tolerable on the roads around here. I didn't have any QC issues. Two recommendations on setting it up: twist your handlebar up slightly so it's "normal" when you put your weight on it and tighten the pinch bolt tighter than you think it needs to be as it seems to loosen on mine. It gets to the point that there's slop on the "up" part.
In case you're wondering, and Russ didn't mention it, it had absolutely no slop side-to-side or twisting. It only moves up and down.
Definitely worth the money.
probably loctite will help ?
“You can change it with the little squishy thing”. That’s why I love this channel!
i have it on my Salsa Fargo apex 1 2019 and i love it ! Have been testing it out for 3000 km now
Very pleased with my purchase of this product. I have an Ebike with no suspension. The Thudbuster purchase helped but my arms and hands were still being savaged. World of difference for street and gravel riding.
Have a Giant Anyroad 2016 and Thudbuster LT and ordered this Stem. Can't wait! Thanks for the review!
How do you find it on the anyroad, I am considering it as well
Anything that helps you ride longer and more comfortably is for me.
Hi. Just got the stem and seatpost. Really make a big difference on comfort, but even more from the seatpost, as our weight is always more back. Expensive but effective. Love it.
Fitted a Redshift suspension stem on my Norco Search XR steel, running slightly squishier bushes than suggested. Got 40mm tubeless tyres. It absorbs much more vibration and takes the edge of bigger hits. Helps with fatigue noticeably. I’m never taking it off.
I really appreciate your reviewing products like this. I didn't know it existed! After some consideration, I decided to order one to try out on my Bike Friday. Along with a Thudbuster (which I LOVE), I am looking forward to more smoothing out the bumps.
Its a totally underrated product!
I live in Emporia, KS so lots of gravel. I bought this after watching your comments on using it in the DK and the Ochoco Overlander. I finally got to try it out in a race last weekend. 40 miles of bombed out gravel later, I love it. No sore hands or shoulders at the end of the ride. It was definitely worth the price.
Awesome. People are missing out!
Thanks for the review. The weight is significant, so this explains why roadies and gravel people who care about weight don't like it, but I think it is as effective as the "future shock" on Specialized products at a fraction of the price. I put mine on my Specialized Sequoia and I love it. It helps my hands on the gravel. Your thoroughness convinced me to try it, and I love it. #supplelife
Going to pick up one of these for my topstone to help smooth the front of the bike.
I bought one of these stems for my Norco Search XR, and liked it so much put them on two other bikes as well. No real downsides at all. And for me, the cost isn't that much. I know people that have purchased expensive carbon stems for $300+ and had no real benefit over a generic alloy stem, but this stem at this price point is a huge improvement. I find it's most valuable on rough pavement and gravel roads. It really doesn't do a lot for hard hits on larger rock garden type stuff, but that is not what I expected from it. I wanted something to take up some of the vibration on a long ride, and this stem does just that. I really notice the difference from my standard alloy stem.
worth mentioning: stem can potentially alter the biking geometry depending on the stem it is replacing. also, it is plusher with dropbars than flatbars.
Looking forward to your review and comparison to the hot off the press Cirrus Kinekt Stem - now on Kickstarter. Thanks.
Awesome Review as always! 👍🏽
This stem was offered as a £34 upgrade option on the Rose Team GF Four bike I've just ordered. No brainer!
Great review. Thank you.
You convinced me to get one of these...I’m recovering from a 3 level spinal fusion and am hoping that this stem will help me. Will also go ahead and get their seat post as well...Thanks for the review
This was recommended to me by Rodeo Labs for my new Flaanimal. Got to say, I’m pumped because it’s going to help my art teacher hands on rough gravel rides. I can’t wait till my bike arrives and I can fully try it out.
So, finally, happy with it or not ? 😁
@@karlkrieg858 Bike is backordered like all biking items! lol I am expecting a completed bike by the end of the summer. I will compare it to my carbon handlebar and get back to you.
Very fair and balanced review. I have the Future Shock on my Diverge and I tossed the medium spring for the hard one for exactly the reasons you outline. Heck, if I was in charge of Specialized and found out that my marketing people didn't give you enough time to test other springs, I would be royally peeved with them. On the basis of your review, I am now looking into adding a Redshift to my Trek commuter.
Sounds like what my tendinitis in my elbows are looking for. Sounds like a good combo with the 650 b tires.
looks like a good stem to me..road bike..gravel..cyclocross..and urban commuter..If it was a lil cheaper I would buy into it..
Hi, I bought the carbon road bike of my dreams and found that it was a race bike not an endurance bike. I bought this stem to help soften the ride because the bike barely fits 700x28 tires. I may use the stem on my beloved steel Soma if I ever do a gravel event. So far so good.
Same with my 2014 Roubaix expert,the tests go on about how nice the frame does rough roads.............right. If it has any give what so ever its completely hidden from me.Big a tires as can be fit at as low a psi that can be run is the only way to run it. 32's will fit.
I too got one, and it's awesome.
Sounds like it's worth a try for this old guy! I ride a Lauf Carbonara on my fat/27.5 plus bike and it dramatically reduces fatigue and pain.
Had a Girvin back in the 90s (awful) and an early 2000 version on a Specialized hybrid (better, but still poor under braking). Both were tunable, but the elastomers in both failed eventually - they just perished, presumably due to hot/cold cycles. If you buy one it may be worth buying an extra set of elastomers (particularly if you are somewhere hot) and keep them indoors where they will not see extremes of seasonal temperatures.
Flexstem was amazing compared to what was available at the time, ie there was nothing for frames that couldn't retrofit a sus fork because of geometry. I still have one knocking around in a spares box :)
Had one delivered a week ago (after watching this video and many others) and have done 100 miles+ on it in 4 rides already, doing some very familiar rough trails and it works really well....Hence the reason I keep using my gravel bike a lot more...
I don't weigh very much (61kg) and have left the elastomers as it was delivered....I have bottomed the 20mm out a few times but, after riding crap travel RockShox Quadra's back in the early 1990's, this is way better.....and there's a few elastomers that come with it that I might experiment with....
I'm even considering one to put on my old CX bike but.....the price is high (£137)...as you say, Lauf forks are eye wateringly expensive and the Spesh future shock means a whole new bike.....I'd better do some overtime then ?
Good review
You have a good vibe I like your channel
I've been using this stem on my Lynskey R150 road bike for about 9 months now. It's heavy but not too bad. I also ran a Cane Creek roadie thudbuster seat post. Trying to out-do The stem is fine, very subtle. The thudbuster is much more noticeable, but I am looking more for reducing road/gravel buzz and small road bumps.
I have a Litespeed and was thinking of doing the same as you. Do you think that setup is worth the cost?
What would b the effect of the stem if u had loaded jones bars, ie bike packing load , would u need to put heavier rubbers in, also what temperature would the rubbers work down to, ie -20 etc
My question would this Bike Stem from Redshift Sports work great for bikepacking or bicycle turn other than gravel riding
I can't say it enough Russ. You do an awesome job in all your videos. A big thank you to yourself and Laura for giving us wonderful adventures and top notch reviews. How are you liking the stem after a yr of use? Any more issues with fitting it on another bikes steer tube?
Still loving it. Wish I had a few more of them to put on other bikes!
Out of curiosity, do you have any plans to give the new Kinekt suspension stem a look? It seems to have all of the same benefits as the Redshift stem except, and this is why I'm backing it, it supposedly works exactly the same no matter your bar geometry. Even swept bars like the Jones Loop or Surly Moloko are supposed to work just fine with it, where they don't work at all with the Redshift.
I'd definitely be interested in hearing your take on it, if you decide to give it a look. :)
I got the 30°100mm version. I love it. I waited a little too long, I should have bought this last year. I put a short video of it in action on my UA-cam page which came out worth seeing, if you focus on the brake shift levers they're more or less stationary and the camera which is fixed to bicycle is bouncing around. the shock-absorbing qualities are useful in many situations especially blacktop where there's potholes that you can't miss. I think Black Road is more punishing than the trail.
how is the redshift when climbing out of the saddle? i frequently go to vermont for gravel races/events where grades are 20+%, and no matter what size cassette, i'm out of the saddle A LOT on those grades.
as well, the descents get pretty scary. especially if the gravel is loose, rough or wet. or if there are big rocks.
@@NewEnglandDirtRoadie I don't know if I would use it in a race but you could experiment with it. When I'm climbing out of the saddle which I do regular in the gravel the Redshift feels totally organic and I don't notice it,. sometimes on the blacktop when I'm climbing out of the saddle I can feel it pumping around a little but it's nothing to mention. A lot has to d.o with your riding style, sometimes I get out of the saddle for comfort or training
and I was expecting it to be bouncy but it really isn't, just load the gummies the way they suggest to start. I'm actually thinking about making it less hard. But I'm not going to because the manufacturer got it right.
I forgot to mention it's the best of its kind I have ever seen. Redshift says they're going to make a carbon one but I probably wouldn't care. I've had carbon stems and handlebars and I don't now. However if the carbon looked really good and it only cost a few bucks more I might go for it just for cosmetics. Every carbon part that was on my bicycle is now in the trash can and they were all brand name even the Felt seatpost.
I am super interested in this product, my only question would be, if it still works with a heavily loadet front bag, because i normally carry my 1.3kg 3 person tent on my handelbars. So can i simply put in a harder elastimer and have it work?
Thanks for the review I use 70 mil stem do they have that size.It would be good for shoulder neck problems.i ride cross cycle bike.🚲🇨🇦
Have you ever thought about reviewing the Kona Rove ST? Was wondering how you think it stacks up
I have A cannondale quick 4 with a rigid fork it's so painful. Can this eliminate that pain going over cracks, bumbs? Will it fit on a cannondale quick 4 size small
What is the feeling when doing standing climbs? like a really low pressure tire i suppose? hm...i really don´t like that loose feeling. shame there is no option to lock it on the fly.
I'm gonna add this in conjunction with a suspension fork for a road and mild trail bike(no downhill or jumps)
I think they need another pair for a one more softer setting for lighter riders using flat bars. I don't have a drop bar to try it on but my feeling was the lightest elastomer wasn't light enough to make a noticeable difference on a flat bar and I weigh 134.
I like the stem. Works well when your hands are on the bars or on drops. No give at all when you are in drops. If you are riding gnarly descent and need to get on drops you get zero suspension effect
Great review. Now that Dirty Kanza is over, how did it hold up? Thanks for the video.
Hey, Russ-are you still using this? Curious to know your long term thoughts
Thank you for the nice review, I hoped a bike packing / gravel rider does one :)
Just one question : did you try it with front handlebar pack like the ortlieb handlebar pack? Is there any problem with a setup like this?
No. Didn't have time. Should work. Would just change to a stiffer elastomer. Don't see why there would be any probs.
0:40 glad I inspired you guys to mention the fugly Cannondale Slate when commenting a recent video of yours :-)
You're welcome! Keep up the great work.
How did you guys got rip of the squeaking while riding? 😅
Hey Russ! Sorry if I missed it somewhere in the narrative, but did you ever switch the squishy to the recommended durometer, or do you still have it set with the original squishy? Great content, by the way!
No. just left it to what was in there.
Having the same problem trying to install the stem to the steerer tube. How do you pry open the stem using a tyre lever?
Yes.
I have severe arthritis on my right shoulder. With this stem I can ride for hours with no pain
Hi Russ!
FabioTux from Brazil...
I just bought a Niner RLT9 Alloy (with Hydraulic Brakes) and, after a couple of rides, I'm considering to buy this stem.
Two things came to my mind:
1st: What about climbing? Does it feel okay?
2nd: What about carring a handlebar bag?
Thank you very much!
If you do seated climbs it’s not a problem. More noticeable on standing climbs. I would start with the standard and if it is too soft switch to the more firm blocks.
Great review. Can you use this stem suspension along with Lauf Fork in conjunction? Wondering how will the ride will be adding stem level suspension on Lauf True Grit
You could but steering could get vague.
@@PathLessPedaledTV ok I kind of figured..
In the tropics ............... will the polymers hold up ? 94 --to 100 degree heat , year round . In Belize , Central America .
Hi Russ. Great review ! I am in process buying 100mm 6deg Redshift. Just a quick question. 1) Where do you source the elastomer? It will run out or get fatique eventually. 2) Have you tried to match it with some compliance seatpost, eg thudbuster, redshift, srsuntour etc? Thanks.
You get replacements thru redshift. Yes. Did a video comparing sus seatposts.
Thanks for the review. I'm thinking about purchasing one of these maybe even later today. You still down with the Redshift after a few more months?
Yeah. Love it. Fave upgrade of 2018.
I really like your channel. Are those the woodchipper handlebar and how do you like them. I am a flat bar bike guy at the moment,
These are the cowchippers. Woodchippers are tough to ride in the hoods and require a higher position. The Cowchippers are a good balance.
Is there are any cheaper alternative (but more or less modern and compatible with a new bikes) available?
For stems, I've looked an didn't find anything. To a lesser degree more flexy handlebars would help. For example, I've got a KCNC Bone on my commuter, with exceptional dampening for metal bars; and carbon handlebars on the road racing bike. The effect of carbon bars is very small, though.
I was really surprised to hear 2cm of travel. When I did, I wondered if there might be any issues with cable housings rubbing on the frame or gear, and if it might be a good idea to run slightly slacker housing than what you normally would? Another good vid.
I haven’t had any issues. Probably less destructive to a bike than the webbing from a stem bag or frame bag. Also it is fairly stiff so u are not using it all every second of your ride.
Thanks for your insight! Do you think there would be any additional benefit installing this to a mtb hardtail which already has a front suspension fork?
I would not recommend it. Steering would become vague IMO.
Path Less Pedaled thank you so much, I ordered the redshift seatpost based on your other reviews and second guessed if I should have instead bought the seatpost/stem combo. Looking forward to installing the new seatpost!
Bought it for gravel bike in December. Canadian winters being what they are I used it on my fat bike to test it out. Took some of the harshness away on uneven frozen and rutted trails. I put it on the gravel bike today and i was surprised at how much more plush it felt. Different riding position not to mention the elastomers perform better at warmer temperatures. The redshift could be a bad thing for physiotherapy business.
What about climbing with that gravel bike?
@@jendabekCZ climbing not compromised I hardly notice the flex.
Squuiiiishh 😂 awesome vid mate.
The major downside is minimum length is 90mm. For people who use their hands for fine techniques like surgeons, dentists, fine artists, people who thread needles, this stem will take away the sting of aluminum and carbon forks. There is an actual research paper that says the Redshift can significantly reduce shock and vibration to your body even if you can't feel it moving. I also like the fact that you can move it to ANY of your other bikes and you can flip/flop it to change the angle for different bikes- super versatile for the non-competitive cyclist with multiple bikes.
They just came out with an 80.
@@PathLessPedaledTV Thanks! Just got a new drop bar, the Ritchey Beacon 65 reach/80 drop, just getting into "gravel." Putting it all together right now, but the wide drop portion has a lot of dampening. Thanks for all the gravel talk, it's really bringing back all the fun of non competitive cycling. And to not have to drive our bikes out anywhere, but just to start riding from home.
FYI…
After many back-and-forth emails with Kona, apparently this stem is not safe to use on a Rove NRB due to the carbon fork. I’m not sure if the same holds true for other brands
BUMP
Have you tried any suspension forks for gravel bikes. Fox AX, Lauf, and there is another? Combining that with big tires and the stem sound pretty comfortable
Haven't. Been trying to.
Cannondale Oliver Lefty (in the Slate) 😉
I quite liked my flexstem back in the day
You're in the minority. I've gotten so much @#$% about them.
hahha yeah i bet,
I liked mine, too, until it cracked. People forget that when it was introduced, shock forks were really expensive, really heavy, and kinda crappy. Also, there were millions of non-suspension-corrected frames with 2" tire clearance (no fat bike cushion), and the point was to at least reduce the shock on a rider's wrists. A little give helped a lot, and had it been executed better, it would still be ok for say, running a regular bike on washboard roads.
Where did it crack?
I'm still running a Softride on my singlespeed mtb (built from a 1990 Diamondback with horz dropouts, non-sus-corrected geometry). Definitely takes the hits off, but paralellogram with 4 pivots means plenty of flex when torquing on the bars out-of-the-saddle. Always figured the single-pivot design of the flexstem would have less play in the system, although bars would rotate slightly. Glad to see there are newer not-super-expensive designs.
Has anyone used this in conjunction with their carbon steer tube?
Would it be stupid to use this with a suspension fork, or would it make it even smoother ?
I wouldn’t do it. Too much movement from different places.
Awesome reviews loving your channel are you still running this currently?
Yes.
You mentioned this is not for someone who stands when climbing. Even if I occasionally do it to go faster in order get PR :), will you still not recommend it?
It bounces when climbing. If you can live with that then 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼
Is this similar to the specialized ruby 2017?
No. Different feel. Reviewing a Diverge that will be up next week or so. Will talk about the differences.
If you have a carbon gravel bike and carbon handle bars do you think the Redshift stem would still have a noticeable effect?
Yes.
all my bikes are 650B
my Gravel bike
my Mtb bike
and my HYBRID bike.
that's perfect!!
road smooth
climb very esse.
its perfect!
youv need to prove!!
Not only does he call it the "shock top" multiple times despite holding the box that says "shockstop", he even wrote it in the description
You want a prize?
Squishy! :D
RedShift Sports is offering 25% off for in stock items during their Black Friday sale 2018
Might pick up a few more :)
Hey Russ, how did your hands, arms feel after the ride? Did you notice a difference? Fatigue?
They feel fine. Shoulders probably a little less beat up.
i wonder how it handle sprinting or out of saddle
It’s not the best for those purposes. You can control it with climbing by shifting weight. But if you’re sprinting a lot it’s prob not the best option.
i guess the saddle one is good, but you can minimize the vibration of harsh road by standing on your pedal -_- so i think this thing is good only for people who new, or having medical condition, or yeah, just want to spend money to get comfort without hassle, and maybe touring?
@@deyudeyu505 it's awesome for gravel. Your hands don't get bumped off rough descents. It's like adding a half inch of volume to your front tire.
Hi, Russ. Sooooo.....are you still happy with the stem?
Yes.
Are you still using the Shock Stop 3 months later?
Yes. It’s awesome.
I weight around 120 pounds...i guess I need to plump up a bit for this stem XD
can’t 👍 the video because you harshed on my ride, the Slate. 😹
Granted, I can’t use it on the Slate (and why bother) but I can on my commuter, and with the Shockstop seatpost you can get it on discount with the new kickstarter
I liked my old Girven FlexStem.
I think the hate is unjustified and mostly from people who probably never had one.
I mean, what exactly is it about the old ones people hate?
If you understand what its going to do then I dont see where the issue is. They are very simple items.
I bet this and the Girven perform very similar. Both use elastomers of varying firmness, both pivot on a single point.
I do see they get a ton of hate but think much of it is group think.
Perhaps the Allsop provided too much travel throwing off the rider geometry but the Girven was similar to whst is described here.
I agree. I was surprised how well it worked compared to people’s comments.
I had a Girvin FlexStem as well - they could bring back an Aheadset version with better materials and pivot designs. Mine would loosen up, but I didn't know how to use loctite back in those days. I also used it for XC racing but it held up and was pretty effective.
Are you using this stem still?
Laura is.
nice stem but 160 euros in europe is very expensive for just Reduce shock
Cheaper than 2k for a new bike with built in dampening!
I'm running this stem on my Salsa cutthroat. It is a bit heavier than the stock stem but it does work.
Only issue that I don't like is that there is no rebound. It tends to click metal on metal when it comes up. Pushing down works great. So I see some problems down the road where that constant hammering will be wearing out the stem.
Is it possible that you need to install a harder elastomer? I read that the installation is very finicky and the instructions need to be followed very closely - installing both elastomers in the wrong order can cause the stem to not work properly or at all.
@@justinseau harder elastomer would help with bottoming-out, but Andrew is talking about the click on the rebound, not from bottoming out.
I'd rather have a quill stem and a 25.4 or 26 handlebar. Does essentially the same thing.
H K Sure, I personally like the way a threaded setup flexes gently.
I'd like to see this in shorter lengths.. 70mm!
Yeah. Me too.
@@PathLessPedaledTV I've been in contact with them.. they say that they're working on it.. no firm timeline though.
hhaha.. its not a beer. its Shock *s* top, as in it stops the shock.
I bought one of these for my Priority Apollo gravel bike. With the drop bars it worked well but I converted this bike to a flat bar with some sweep back. Now it no longer works. The closer to the stem post your hands are, the less travel in the stem. To the point that if your hands are close to or equal to, or actually behind the the stem post, the stem won't move at all.
I contacted the manufacturer and they concede this issue. I pointed out that had this info been freely offered, we would have eliminated my wasted time and cost of returning the stem. They wrote it is mentioned in the manufacturer's site's FAQs. Not exactly what I had in mind about "freely offered", as in up front, as in product description. So be forewarned.
You need a xc mtn bike hahaha
Don’t want one hahaha.
I like the challenge of underbiking!
"Squishy" lol
Stem is great. Head is dirty.
You said 1000$ low fork? Decent low (better said normal) fork costs 200-300$.
“Lauf” fork.
Say supple one more time, I DARE YOU