I’ve to confess, I’m a giant fan of USE – I’ve used their lights for years and I just like the construct high quality and (hardly ever wanted) aftersales help. I’m additionally a giant fan of suspension stems on gravel bikes – I believe they supply simply the correct quantity of safety with out including an excessive amount of weight or complication. So the Vybe suspension stem from USE ought to be proper up my gravelly alley.
I’m a long-time consumer of the Redshift ShockStop suspension stem on my Cannondale Topstone Carbon 3; I believe a suspension stem works properly with the Kingpin rear compliance and gives a really balanced trip. Its muting impact on path chatter is a kind of issues that you simply don’t discover till you trip a motorcycle with out it after which the additional jarring is instantly obvious.
Development
Just like the Redshift, USE’s Vybe makes use of easy, interchangeable elastomers within the aluminium stem physique to supply the boing however provides primary rebound and compression management, through 3mm Allen bolts prime and backside. These push plates onto the elastomers to squish them down and supply preload to tune the stem’s motion. They may also be used to change the angle of the stem a bit of by loading one and releasing the opposite. That is necessary as a result of presently, the Vybe stem is simply obtainable in two lengths (70mm and 90mm) and a optimistic rise possibility, so the elastomers are the one solution to alter the stem angle. USE says that it shouldn’t be used the wrong way up.
(Picture credit score: Tim Russon)
The rebound and compression adjustment is what units the Vybe other than its opponents, permitting a lot better fine-tuning of the stem’s efficiency and better rider customisation than is feasible simply by swapping elastomers. Doubtlessly that is one thing that could possibly be executed on a ride-by-ride foundation in addition to per rider. It could possibly be stiffened up for tough terrain and slackened off for simpler rides with just some twists on an Allen key in order that the good thing about the stem was nonetheless accessible.
USE Vybe stem with black rebound and yellow compression elastomers in place
(Picture credit score: Tim Russon)
Aesthetically, the Vybe is fairly neat, much less industrial-looking than the Redshift (and far much less steam-punk than the eeSilk suspension stem) – in the event you squint a bit it may move as a normal stem, other than the silver pivot bolt. As such, I believe I’d have most popular a black bolt to additional disguise its skills. Weight is superb contemplating the development; the 90mm stem got here in at 206g in comparison with my 100mm Redshift at 280g and the SRP additionally undercuts the Redshift product by £10 and it’s lighter and cheaper than the eeSilk too.
The Journey
The field contains the stem, a selection of 4 elastomers and a bit of pot of acceptable grease to make sure it operates easily. The preliminary setup was easy sufficient – I adopted the suggestion for the proper elastomer for my weight and the directions for preload on the great instruction sheet. Nevertheless, my very unscientific workshop bounce checks appeared to trigger the stem to backside out (when the suspension abruptly reaches the restrict of its journey), so I wound on some extra preload to stiffen issues up and headed out the door for the closest little bit of gravel.
USE Vybe stem rebound adjustment bolt
(Picture credit score: Tim Russon)
Two issues turned shortly obvious. Firstly, it was far more energetic and compliant than my Redshift, and secondly, I used to be nonetheless in a position to backside it out sometimes when bunnyhopping a puddle or clumsily hitting a rock. The softer spring fee was very welcome although, permitting the stem to react extra simply to smaller irregularities making for clean progress over rougher trails, however nonetheless with out ever feeling like I used to be being tipped ahead over the bars. This was my (and is most individuals’s) principal concern when suspension stem curious; would it not really feel just like the entrance finish was continuously collapsing or that I used to be going to slide forwards off the hoods? In reality, even when descending steep floor, I’ve by no means skilled that feeling. I believe the angle change is simply too small to detect amongst every thing else that is happening when using off-road.
It’s value additionally saying that there is not any influence on lateral stiffness, with no detectable motion from the left or proper sides when heaving on the bars uphill or honking out of the saddle. If blindfolded using was attainable, I believe you would be hard-pressed to inform that you simply had a suspension stem on in that respect.
USE Vybe stem on Cannondale Topstone Carbon 3 gravel bike
(Picture credit score: Tim Russon)
Subsequent trip, I switched to the more durable, purple elastomer with some preload, which was a simple 5 minute job, and this solved the bottoming-out challenge for me when experiencing greater hits while on the hoods. Though it stiffened the stem up a bit of, there was nonetheless loads of compliance obtainable to clean out smaller bumps. Nevertheless, at 73kg I’m not notably heavy, but ended up with the stiffest elastomer fitted so greater riders may battle a bit.
Burbage valley gravel using
(Picture credit score: Andy Jones)
It’s value discussing right here an inevitable challenge which impacts all suspension or flex stems on drop bar bikes, which is that the leverage adjustments considerably relying available place. Clearly, an extended stem has better leverage so would require much less weight to maneuver it, however when you think about the very variable distance to the hoods, drops or handlebar tops from the pivot level close to the steerer, it’s simple to see a possible downside; using on the hoods exerts about twice as a lot leverage as when on the tops, so the proper elastomer or spring fee for one hand place can’t even be right for an additional. As I trip primarily on the hoods when off-road I attempted to set the stem up for that, however in the event you mainly trip on the tops or the drops then your set-up shall be totally different and would require the softer elastomers. When on the tops, there was little or no motion from the stem for me.
Worth and conclusion
I favored the look, weight and suppleness of the USE Vybe loads. In the event that they made an extended, decrease model I’d swap my Redshift ShockStop for one however as but, they don’t so I can’t. The extra energetic, softer nature of the stem fits gravel using properly and it does a very good job of isolating the rider from path vibrations in addition to greater hits. The value may be very aggressive, particularly on condition that the load is significantly decrease than the alternate options, while I’ve each confidence in USE’s high quality as a producer.
The one downsides are the restricted measurement choices presently obtainable and the potential for even the firmer elastomers to be too mushy for some riders. On the flip facet, for smaller riders or smoother trails, the stem will nonetheless be energetic sufficient to be of worth.
Arguably, a suspension stem does an analogous job to a giant tyre, (though a big quantity tyre suspends the bike in addition to the rider). Nevertheless, the benefit of transferring the suspension to the stem is that it offers you extra choices and management. You possibly can run a small quantity tyre for primarily clean trails and nonetheless profit from additional compliance, or you possibly can use increased pressures when loaded down for bikepacking and retain some vibration damping. You possibly can match a stem like this and giant tyres and luxuriate your method serenely down any gravel path.
