Originally Posted by
Wildwood
i did the Softride flexible stem thing decades ago with a flat bar bike. Never again! Flexible stem/moving handlebars over bumpy terrain is not a desirable trait for me. Regular road vibration I can deal with in better ways. This is an old idea being recycled thru the current trend that a 'pillow smooth ride' is superior. If they start to squeek it's even worse.
yeah, yeah, yeah - this new design overcomes all the previous problems of earlier versions that are in the junkpile of innovative products.
edit Willing to sell the Softride stem at 1/2 the price of the Redshift product. Evaluate floppy bars for yourself.
This nothing like the Softride though. It doesn't flex up and down as much as just dampen the vibration. You don't really think about it or feel it, you feel like you are riding your road bike as usual. At this point I'm conscious of it being there because it is new to me. I guess on gravel or other rough conditions it would become more obvious, but that's the point isn't it?
I still have mine at the default flex. I could stiffen it if I feel like it is too flexible in the future. I wouldn't want it any more flexy though as then I might actually notice it.