“ShockStop” The Shock-Absorbing Bike Stem
In a world that’s constantly pushing things to be “harder and stiffer” (think pharmaceuticals), one company is trying to steer cyclists toward something that is “softer and flexible”.
Whether or not, you’re a cyclist who subscribes to the notion of anti-vibaration and shock-absorbtion as it relates to bike design, this latest gizmo on Kickstarter is a curious device worth checking out – for sure.
Bikes should be comfortable, but ride more than a few miles and you realize very quickly that bikes are stiff, and they transmit every little bump straight to your hands and arms. After a while those impacts and vibrations make it hard to enjoy the ride.
The ShockStop stem does what gloves and extra bar tape can’t: it isolates your upper body from the imperfections of the road, letting you ride further, faster, and more comfortably.
The patent-pending ShockStop is designed from the ground up specifically for road and hybrid bikes – the suspension travel, weight, feel, and aesthetics are finely tuned to perfectly complement modern bikes and the roads we ride on.
Unwanted vertical movement is absorbed by the elastomers, but lateral motion (i.e. steering input) is directly transmitted into the fork, so your bike feels just as responsive as the day you bought it.
Each stem comes with a number of different stiffness elastomers that can be swapped out, letting you tune the ShockStop’s road-feel to match your riding style.
The ShockStop uses the same sealed cartridge bearings that are used in high-end mountain bike suspension pivots, and the forged aluminum components are extremely torsionally rigid, so climbing and sprinting feel completely natural. The travel is also specifically limited to 1-2 centimeters (6°) – enough to provide amazing cushioning against most road impacts, without affecting the geometry or handling of your bike.
So what does it feel like? In a word: smooth. Road buzz is almost completely eliminated and impacts from larger bumps and cracks are dramatically muted.
Twin interchangeable elastomers let each rider fine-tune the road feel to perfectly match their own riding style. Racers, triathletes, and competitive riders can choose firmer settings to retain a more traditional front-end feel, while commuters, fitness enthusiasts, and endurance riders can dial in a softer feel to maximize comfort.
The ShockStop will fit virtually all road, hybrid, and triathlon bikes. If your bike has a threadless stem (similar the the picture on the left), then it’s an easy swap. If you’re bike has a quill stem (like the picture on the right), it’s still easy, but you will also need a separate quill stem adapter (commonly available for $10-$15 USD).
Learn more about the ShockStop at the link below:
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/redshiftsports/shockstop-the-shock-absorbing-bike-stem
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