Lars Halstrom

Has this been tried before? shockstop bike stem handles the rough roads of your route for you Seems like it would be good for riding on gravel washboarded roads.

corrado33

Interesting but unnecessary. That's what your arms are for! I really don't think it'd help much in terms of reducing the stress on your hands/palms. You're still exerting a force on the handlebars to make the "suspension" compress. The suspension on my mountain bike is more for keeping the front wheel on the ground than it is to help my hands feel better. Speaking of the suspension on my mountain bike.... If you're riding on washboards, you're probably better off with a different bike anyway (other than a road bike...).

CliffordK

I believe the bike in the photos is the Specialized Roubaix which is supposed to be designed for rough roads. It makes some sense to put the spring in the bars rather than expensive lefty suspension systems. Actually, I snagged a Specialized handlebar (not mounted yet) that is supposed to have zerts and flex in the bars).

I tend to mash and pull up on hills, so I wonder how annoying the added bar flex would be.

FrozenK

Google Girvin Flexstem or Softride stem.

Wingsprint

You wont see one on any of my bikes. Last thing I want it a flexy stem while riding out of the saddle....

dgodave

If it performs as advertised, it would be just great!

IF.

corrado33

Why would it have to be a lefty fork? Why not a traditional fork with suspension???

Here's the thing. Generally bikes that need suspension do not need that much aero, and visa versa. Adding a traditional suspension fork would probably be fine. (Yes, mountain bikers go fast, but not for long periods of time and they don't need to save every Joule of energy to win.)

FrozenK

Mountainbikers do need every Joule of energy to win. But keeping traction and control is often worth the watts lost to weight and drag by using a suspension fork.

That stem aims at adding comfort rather than control or traction. The same reasons why the old suspension stems (Girvin and Softride) didn't work apply here.

Trakhak

The SoftRide stem might have been a better design for front suspension than the internet has given it credit for.

"Suspend the rider, not the bike!" In the early '90s, one pro riding a bike with a Softride stem and rigid fork won or placed well enough in a number of races to earn the World Cup against fields of American and European pros using suspension forks.

Another pro with a Softride stem won the World Championship. (Tom Frischknecht was one of the riders; I've forgotten the name of the other.)

As it turned out, the allure of the suspension fork ("you can ride a bike that looks just like Daddy's motorbike!") more than offset any rational appeal the Softride stem might have held.

FrozenK

Johnny Tomac won downhill races on drop bars against guys running flat bars. Does that mean drop bars are better for downhill racing?

No, it doesn't. The Softride concept doesn't help with traction and a handlebar and saddle that change position do not help with control. At least the Softride stem had damping so it was a bit more predictable. But a suspension fork will help yout maintain traction and remain in control through sections where you'd otherwise be bouncing around. It wasn't about looks, it was about what works and what doesn't.

On a gravel road a flex stem will still change your handlebar position as it moves -which can be disconcerting and even make you crash. It won't help with traction. And most people are already running 30 or even wider tires on those bikes. How much more comfort you need?

Wilfred Laurier

First, I think the two riders who used Softride stems were Thomas Frishknect (sp?) and Henrik Djernis (sp?).

Second, suspension at the stem will absolutely help increase traction, but likely not as well as a good suspension fork. THe main difference is the amount of unsprung weight, which with a suspension stem is probably close to half the bike weight. THe concept is the same for stems and forks - allow the wheel to move up and down to follow irregularities in the ground without requiring the rider to move his hands or arms up and down. When the Softride stem was popular, suspension forks were not nearly as good as they are now - much less travel, much less damping control and/or high stiction. My the mid/late 90s suspension fork technology had improved and they were clearly better than suspension stems.

fietsbob

To be helpful to your question, You will have to find out who sells it, not just where it was reviewed, Lars.



Thing is there were no Softride stems other than Long ones ..

merry cycles distributors https://www.merrysales.com/merry_cata...ricingfree.pdf page 191



"27309 IRD Stem Riser w/Suspension 1-1/8" is a 52mm threadless stem riser with suspension within it .

Available from a Bike Shop with an account with that Distributor.. ask your local to apply for one..

NormanF

Fatter tires will make a lot of difference on gravel washboard roads and be comfortable. Plus they'll be cheaper as well.