Lets keep in touch. I will build more up over the holiday break so maybe I can send you one. What type of riding do you do? How often, etc...?

I have a fingerprint reader for my garage door. Best cycling accessory I've bought in a while

I am alway skeptical of new products but this looks rather interesting and if it was well made and remained solidly fixed in place after adjustments I can see it having many practical uses.

I am involved in the bicycle business at many levels, I run a small shop, work in a larger one as a builder, fabricator, and mechanic, and am looking to carry new products at a new location with a focus on local and North American made products.

And if you want to see this tested at -30C to see how it works... I can do that.

If anything, post up some detailed shots so we can get a better look at this.

Looks like it keeps the bars at the same angle (that is, same angle to the ground; "level" is always "level", etc) wherever you set the height:
http://www.JLSDESIGNWORKS.com/testimonials.html

Yes, That is correct. That way your hands do not ever move from the grips. The shifter and brakes are always in the same position relative to your hands.
Also, the light stays pointed at the same position through the range of movement.

I'll be damned! This could potentially be great for touring cyclists assuming it's reliable enough for long rides in any weather and doesn't compromise the handlebar strength like during steep climbs with heavy loads. When touring I sometimes wished I could adjust the handlebar height easily on the fly.

Unfortunately, I can't offer any business advice as I'm totally green in that area but the touring cyclists could be potential target market. When on the road for hours and days you encounter different road conditions and you energy levels vary greatly. Sometimes you want to go low for a fast descent, or stretch for climbing, or sit up straight during easy parts. Drop bars and touring bars solve that to some degree by offering multiple hand positions, but this invention of yours appears to have far greater range of positions.

Oh, and yeah, many people - including myself - don't like drop bars. I don't like brifters nor bar-end shifters as well as the "twisted" palm position on the drops. Something like this used with a flat bar or butterfly touring bars could be beneficial on long rides.

Oh, and rather than approaching major corporate manufacturers (they're more likely to turn you down, then develop something like that on their, market it poorly, then kill it and screw you in the process or they may be less open to radical inventions altogether) you might consider a manufacturer who caters to niche markets, cycling aficionados and geeks, touring cyclists. I don't know, something like Paul Components comes to mind. There was another, run by a father and a son that I can't remember, they machine small accessories for bikes.

Adam

That is one of the brilliant aspects of the design.

Thanks for the input.

One competing design is the Speedlifter http://www.rosebikes.co.uk/article/speedlifter-t-100

Yours looks better in operation and I presume doesn't require so engineering skills or a specialised tool and the services of a bike mechanic to install? As to looks I'd be changing the design for aesthetics, the gas struts look cool but the centre bracket is too chunky, makes everything look too heavy; a thin framework like a Moulton bike's space age frame or like clip on aero bars would look better.

Good input Thanks

i'd be interested in testing this.

I have not read all the comments that others have wrote so i don't bias myself with what most people are thinking. So far i have just watched the video and read the short description of it.

My impressions are this, it is definitely a unique design. I have never seen it anywhere before. However, most people fit their bike once, hopefully perfectly and never mess with it again. Once you fit the stem hight there is really no reason to readjust it. In fact, i would hate my stem high ever changing once i have it perfect.

That being said, i see this product as something i could attach to my bike and ride with it for a little while to find out what my preferred stem hight is - on the fly. Afterwards, i would want to take it off to save weight, less moving parts, less reason to steal my bike. . etc

So the question which begs is, would i buy it? No.

Although the traditional method of determining stem hight is slightly tedious through trial and error, it absolutely works. Would i pay $50+ for the convenience of not having to mess with a allen key? No.

Edit:

I suppose i should clarify my riding style. I am a 1 1/2 hour a day city commuter. I just read in someone else's post that this could be really good for the touring group. I totally agree with that. On such long rides packing so much gear, comfort is a priority over weight. Touring/randonneuring cyclists would be a good target market - i think :)
Hope this helps!

Thanks for your thoughts. I agree that this is not for everyone.

I took your advice and removed the metal that is not needed for strength. It is lighter now and just as strong.

Hello to all! Spring is just about here! If you were interested in trying out the EZRIDE system, go to my website jlsdesignworks.com . There are instructions on how to trial one of the EZRIDE systems.
Thanks

Finally getting back to it.
 

Hi, I am sorry but it has been a very busy summer. I finally did another video that shows more about the EZRIDE System and also how easy it is to install. Please take a look. www.JLSDESIGNWORKS.COM

It's a good concept, if a little bulky right now. I think it might be possible to shrink the parallelogram arms to about the same size as the old Softride stem had. What worked for them should work for you. Both stems are subject to the same stresses. In fact, it may be necessary, at least from a marketing standpoint. One concern is that the wide stem with the relatively sharp corners would be a safety hazard. Stem manufacturers always boast about how their stem can't bash your knees. Use the Softride width with a single gas piston in the middle. To make space for the piston, increase the distance between the upper and lower arms. It should be possible to do this without increasing the height of the steerer clamp by offsetting the pivots forward of the clamp and the upper pivot upward. It still looks a little overbuilt. Like any good component, it could stand a good FEA analysis. I think the upper arm can be made of something lighter since it's only in tension (and some torsion), not compression.

Also, make the description more focused since people seem to be getting confused. Like HappyStuffing above, some seem to think this is only good for finding an "ideal" handlebar height. You need to let people know that this is for changing riding position on the fly just like using multiple hand positions on drop bars or on flat bars with bar ends, but keeping the brake and shift levers always at hand no matter where the handlebars are. That's a disadvantage of bar-ends or even trekking handlebars, where only the main hand position has access to the controls. Over the years, various companies have made right angle brake levers and lever extensions to allow braking from the bar-ends, but those never helped with the shift levers. Finally, at $275, the market would be very limited. Get it down to somewhere between $100 and $150, about the same price as what the Softride stem retailed for. I know I've considered buying a Softride on eBay over the last few years, although bushing wear has always been a concern, especially since the Softride is out of production so it's impossible to get spare parts. Maybe design the stem around Garlock DU bushings in one of their standard catalog sizes.

This product is an awfully complicated and heavy solution to a problem that drop bars already solve quite nicely. A drop bar set at seat height or higher offers more positions for less weight. Another poster said some people are "intimidated" by drop bars. Huh? Drop bars are scary?

The first time this mechanism fails(and law of averages says it will fail on someone) and a rider ends up doing a faceplant it's going to cost you a lot of money. Having people monkeying around with their bar height while moving is a recipe for disaster.

Looks good!

Drop bars aren't scary, but they are less than ideal. Can you brake or shift from the tops or the curves behind the brake hoods? How much does it cost to convert to drop bars? New handlebars, new stem, new brake/shift levers. That gets pretty expensive, too, considering Nashbar charges $232 for 105 STI levers, their cheapest Shimano kit. Plus they don't work with most cable-operated disc brakes and definitely no hydraulics. I haven't heard of any serious failures of Softride or Girvin stems or the RockShox Reverb hydraulic seatpost. I suspect redundancy is part of the reason he uses two air springs. If one fails, the stem may bounce a bit more, but it won't drop to its lowest position.

It's a solution looking for a problem. I'm not interested, but don't let that keep you from trying to design and sell your contraption. There may be a market for this, but probably not commuters, who like to keep things simple, reliable and cheap.

It looks good. I might be less interested now that I have sorta converted to drop bars, but I would like to test this out for real this time. =)

+1 actually. From the description I thought you might be nuts, but I looked on your website and it's actually quite interesting. I noted the stable position of the controls as the machine moves through it's arc.

The people who say that drop bars already solve this problem are taking a narrow view -- many people (including me) don't like drop bars and would probably benefit from something like this. Plus, there's a huge wave of new riders who use those "flat bar" fitness or road bikes -- all of which could use this. I actually prefer mountain bike controls to drop bar controls because I find that housing wrapped under handlebar tape annoys me after rain and slush find their way into my cables over time.

The grouchy commuters like this don't buy a damned thing anyway, so what's the difference? Bike shops are filled with people willing to dump their money on worthless crap like carbon water bottle cages, plastic underwear with some guy named "louis" on it, $200 sunglasses, bags of jelly beans with electrolytes, etc.

This product is potentially useful -- so I'd say give it a go.

Give one to Sixty-Fiver! That guy is a commuting machine and is quite knowledgeable. He'll tell you if it's good or not, I guarantee it. I'd be much more convinced if it were battle-tested in nasty weather. Send a few north of the border ;)

Let's address your questions one by one---

" Can you brake or shift from the tops or the curves behind the brake hoods?" What do you mean? If I felt the need to brake from the tops, I'd install an inexpensive pair of cyclocross brake levers, and that would be that.With my drops, I can brake from the hoods and the drops, and getting my hand to the brake from the ramp or the top is a matter of a second. Not a big deal. As far as shifting from that position, why? It's not difficult for me to reach down to my barcon and shift. Too much emphasis is placed on the need to shift IMMEDIATELY. Pedal harder. It's good cardio.

"How much does it cost to convert to drop bars? New handlebars, new stem, new brake/shift levers." That depends. Nashbar offers a drop bar for $25, and barcons will cost you AT MOST $100. eBay is always a source for cheaper parts. As a matter of fact, there are Ultegra barcons on eBay right now for $60. New stem? Maybe, maybe not. Still, even if you have to do that, it's going to end up cheaper than $275 and will weigh less.

"Plus they don't work with most cable-operated disc brakes and definitely no hydraulics." A Google search for "disc brakes with road levers" reveals there are LOTS of people using that combination. Maybe not hydraulics, but I don't this this adjustable stem is marketed at the hydraulic disc brake crowd, who are mostly MTB'ers. No, this product is going to be aimed at older cyclists with fit issues, and following a Rivendell-style fit with a nice wide drop bar will solve their problem much more satisfactorily than simply rotating the bar backwards.

What this product does not address is being able to CHANGE HAND POSITION. That's one of the keys to comfort. That's why tourists, who will spend 8 hours a day in the saddle, use either drops or trekking bars overwhelmingly. Being able to move from the tops to the ramp to the hood to the drops allows one's hands to recover. All being able to raise the stem does, IMHO, is rest one's back. But if someone is so uncomfortable they need to raise the bars that high, I think they'll tend to keep the bar in the most comfortable position.

In the states, probably. Elsewhere -- hell no.

I would see this marketed to a lot of the newer "fitness bike" people entering the hobby at present -- think of all the hybrids and flat bar road bikes flying off the shelves right now.

Not in mine. I don't get back problems, but I do get some wrist and hand pain on some rides. Also, headwinds -- or when I'm entering the city so I could see better.

To me, the question would be how reliable is it when exposed to the weather? The other is how do you get this down to a price that people will pay? Yes, old grouches and people who are already happy with their set-up won't care -- that's obvious. Honestly, I wouldn't need one either. I could just see a market for a neat idea, that's all.