Gravel suspension stems and seatposts actually don’t get sufficient love. Final Sports activities Gear (USE), the makers of the primary suspension seatpost again in 1990, are out to alter that with its VYBE Suspension Stem and VYBE Suspension Seat Put up mixture.
Every little thing previous is new once more. I mirror on classic merchandise just like the Girvin Flex Stems from over 30 years in the past, after which the workaround of MTB children who couldn’t get sufficient suspension from forks. Now, suspension stems are making a comeback, particularly for gravel driving. These stems, and now seat posts, provide a mechanically easy and low-maintenance possibility for absorbing higher-frequency vibrations.
On a gravel bike, the place the majority of vibration damping comes from the tires, these stems and seatposts make a world of distinction when driving washboarded roads, root-strewn singletrack, and chunky gravel. This makes them a very welcome boost for bikepackers and tourers.
In brief: The USE VYBE Suspension Stem and seatpost use springs and elastomers to offer compression and rebound damping. Each are adjustable on the path, however the stem is probably the most tunable available on the market, making this technique a standout amongst its rivals.
Usually simple to regulate
Good price worth
Wide selection of damper choices
Permits on-the-fly damping tailoring for various journey sorts
Low upkeep
Light-weight
Much less reactive and constant than linkage-driven sytems
Few stem size choices
Tuning out preliminary sag of the stem could be finicky
Seatpost makes operating a saddlebag harder
Suspension Stem and Seatpost Fundamentals
Stems and seat posts are logical locations for vibration-damping efforts, as they’re one step away from two of the bike’s three contact factors.
Suspension stems sometimes have round 20mm of journey and are tuned to restrict high-frequency vibrations. Consider the ridges of a washboard entry highway, the vibrations of chunky gravel, or the rumble strip alongside a freeway shoulder. However tires, much more than suspension forks, swallow this sort of shallow, repetitive vibration as nicely.
Suspension stems, nevertheless, can significantly dampen the best frequency chatter, lessening fatigue and hand ache. This units them other than most suspension choices. Consider the fixed, fast, low-amplitude rumbling that well-maintained gravel roads can serve up. This makes them a pure alternative for bikepackers, tourers, and gravel cyclists with sub-MTB-width tires.
Suspension seatposts, then again, are a workaround for a smooth tail. They are often tuned gentle sufficient to swallow higher-frequency vibrations. However tuning that gentle can have you ever bouncing and shedding power whereas pedaling. Whereas suspension seatposts do quiet chatter, they lean extra towards decreasing correct bumps — much less for rumble strips and gravel rattle, extra for washboard, roots, and potholes.
How Suspension Stems and Seatposts Work
So far as what’s truly absorbing the influence, suspension stems and seatposts have a tendency to make use of one among two important applied sciences: springs or elastomers.
The previous tends to be extra energetic and tunable. Springs swallow small, repetitive bumps nicely, however (particularly in a seatpost) can bounce round and really feel mushy.
Springs are additionally simple to tune. A screw mechanism can preload (compress) the spring, shortening journey however rising the compression damping fee and the drive required to activate it.
Elastomers, in the meantime, have a better compression threshold and slower rebound, making them higher at absorbing barely greater hits and providing a extra managed really feel. As for tuning, the standard strategy is to easily swap between elastomers of various densities.
Final up is leverage. With stems, a single pivot makes for a easy system. Nonetheless, with drop bars, shifting your hand place adjustments the leverage performing on the spring or elastomer. This leads to a really completely different really feel between the hoods and drops.
Equally, telescopic suspension seat posts are easy. Nonetheless, they’re angled up and again. When your again wheel hits a bump, the ensuing drive is up and ahead. The route of the drive and the suspension motion don’t align nicely. This directional mismatch reduces how nicely telescopic suspension seat posts work.
Linkage-driven techniques, with two or extra pivot factors, are extra complicated and doubtlessly vulnerable to failure. Nonetheless, they provide extra constant damping no matter hand place. For seatposts, additionally they higher align the drive or bumps with the route of damping.
USE VYBE Suspension Stem and Seatpost Overview
Compatibility and Set up
It’s price discussing the compatibility necessities of the USE Suspension Stem and Seatpost.
The seatpost is so simple as it will get. You’ve gotten choices between 27.2mm and 30.9mm. USE additionally sells shims to adapt the seatpost to different sizes if you wish to swap one put up between bikes with completely different seatpost diameters.
USE contains three units of elastomers with its VYBE Suspension Seat Put up. It states that smooth is for riders between 85 and 120 kilos, medium covers 120 to 174 kilos, and arduous handles 174 to 225 kilos.
My model has USE’s DURO Clamp, which allowed me to simply alter not solely the horizontal place of the saddle, but in addition its angle. I merely loosened one screw, slid and tilted the saddle and retightened the screw. This clamp is suitable with 7x7mm seat rails. Nonetheless, USE additionally provides different clamps for oval rails.
The VYBE Suspension Stem, in the meantime, is simply suitable with 31.8mm handlebars. It is going to work nicely with most handlebars. Nonetheless, these few people operating thicker 35mm carbon bars are out of luck.
The VYBE stem has a optimistic rise, i.e., an incline from the steerer tube to the handlebar. That is customary, however those that favor a unfavorable rise for a extra aggressive driving place are out of luck.
The VYBE Suspension Stem is suitable with most gravel bikes. Its greatest limitation is the shortage of lengths. The stem solely is available in 70 and 90mm. It will cowl the bases for many riders, particularly within the gravel division, but it surely does pale compared to some rivals, similar to Redshift, which provides seven lengths between 55 and 120mm.
VYBE Suspension Seatpost: First Impressions
The VYBE suspension seatpost is exclusive, combining springs and elastomers to realize one of the best of each worlds. At 212 kilos, I’m on the higher finish of the system’s 174-225 pound vary. Nonetheless, tire width, seatpost angle, driving place, and different elements impacted the responsiveness of the USE VYBE Seatpost.
Happily, the USE Suspension Seatpost makes use of a simple adjustment system. A screw within the put up compresses the damper, permitting you to tailor how smooth or stiff it’s.
It did require some fiddling. I needed to take away the seatpost, alter the screw, then reinstall it. Then, take a look at and repeat as essential to dial it in. It was a bit extra concerned than some fashions, such because the Kinekt, which lets you alter preload with out eradicating the put up.
However, the bottom adjustment screw is well-protected and easy. Having to take away a seatpost a couple of occasions to get my desired stage of responsiveness was much less on-the-fly pleasant, however hardly an inconvenience.
I put in and dialed in my take a look at pattern inside 10 minutes. If I needed to exchange the dampers, that’d be a special story. Nonetheless, every spring/elastomer combo covers a reasonably large vary. And after getting it set to your liking, it’s unlikely you’ll alter it once more.
VYBE Suspension Stem: Preliminary Ideas
My first thought: “Lighter than I anticipated.” I wasn’t conscious I used to be holding the lightest suspension stem available on the market. The USE VYBE Suspension Stem is noticeably lighter than many competing single-pivot suspension stems, such because the Redshift ShockStop and Cane Creek eeSilk, and leagues lighter than most linkage-driven techniques.
I by no means wanted to swap elastomers. It got here with the one applicable for my weight put in. Nonetheless, it appeared a disgrace to not, with USE together with all of them with the stem.
USE has a very good video on swap elastomers. It’s not troublesome, but it surely does require separate 5 and 6mm Allen keys concurrently to take away the pivot. You can not alter it with only one multitool; you would wish two separate keys.
Putting in the stem was no completely different than some other — till I put weight on it. Anytime I bought into place, there was a slight sag, only a millimeter or two, earlier than the elastomers provided resistance. Happily, tilting my bars up a smidge compensated, leaving me in my normal driving place.
Dialing within the stem’s damping was extra trial and error. The USE VYBE Suspension Stem has two adjustment screws. The underside one adjusts the compression preload. Clockwise will increase the forces it takes to compress the stem, and barely decreases the downward vary.
Counterclockwise: vice versa. The highest screw adjusts the rebound preload. Clockwise lessens the upward motion and slows down the rebound. Counterclockwise: vice versa.
It took some driving to get the compression and rebound appropriate. Since I journey on 50/50 pavement and gravel in my space, I needed a excessive compression damping fee with fast rebound for swallowing bumps, potholes, and tree roots.
As somebody who runs a handlebar bag, having to fiddle with it to regulate the compression screw was annoying. And to be truthful, some suspension stems, such because the Vecnum Freeqence and Cane Creek eeSilk, provide simpler changes.
However, the USE VYBE stem was nonetheless simple to regulate and was probably the most granularly tuneable suspension stem available on the market.
Taking part in to Strengths
I often favor a single-pivot spring suspension stem and a linkage-driven elastomer suspension seatpost. The previous is easy, and is derived absorb high-frequency chatter higher. It received’t damp as a lot within the drops, however I spend most of my time within the hoods. The linkage seatpost provides a extra pure really feel and higher effectivity.
After 3 months of use, the VYBE system has me reconsidering for one motive. Every merchandise performs so nicely to its strengths.
Elastomers, relative to springs, are stiffer, rebound extra slowly, and usually tend to soak up barely bigger hits. Accordingly, I wouldn’t name the VYBE stem tremendous snappy on the rebound. Nonetheless, its tuneability lets you obtain a variety of performances on the fly. The stem can span from mushier however extra chatter-absorbing to a stiffer and extra vigorous really feel.
A suspension stem will solely present round 20mm of journey anyway, so why not make it extremely tunable?
In comparison with a linkage system, the one pivot USE VYBE Suspension Stem on a drop bar is much less energetic on the flats and within the drops. Nonetheless, I spend 90% of my time on the hoods.
My drops are reserved for descents and after I want most braking energy. In these conditions, I don’t thoughts my handlebars feeling a bit stiffer. Why not save weight?
Linkage-driven techniques are extra justified on a seatpost as a result of the suspension journey is extra in step with the forces of a bump touring up by way of the rear wheel. Nonetheless, that mechanical benefit comes with additional weight, complexity, and (often) decrease journey. The telescopic USE VYBE Suspension Seat Put up labored surprisingly nicely.
Whereas suspension seatposts make operating a bikepacking-style saddlebag harder, telescopic posts play a bit nicer with them.
The USE VYBE Suspension Seatpost did a good job of quieting high-frequency chatter. However with a powerful 50mm of journey its sturdy go well with was the extra substantial hits: the dips, potholes, divots, roots, and correct stones among the many gravel.
In that regard, it did its job nicely, with easy internals, for a good worth, with reasonably granular adjustment, and a variety of springs and shims to select from.
Change My Thoughts
I’ve been biking for over 20 years. I’ve performed with many toys. After almost 3 months of driving on asphalt, gravel, mud, and snow, I can confidently say that few issues I’ve ever placed on a motorcycle have been as satisfying because the USE VYBE Suspension Stem and Seatpost Combo.
I commute in all seasons. My summers are spent in no matter Forest Service or BLM boonies wildland fireplace work takes me. I journey a mixture of entry roads and highways greater than singletrack. My winter commuting sees me hopscotching between Illinois rail trails and icy Chicago streets. There, I don’t really feel like having to fret about upkeep in salty, frigid circumstances.
The USE VYBE system made it simple to tune efficiency to all of these circumstances and required no babying.
My hardest use is on sometimes 1- to 2-week bikepacking journeys in Arizona, Arkansas, and Utah. I pack closely each time.
For me, reliability is king. I’ve had sufficient breakdowns and flats in the midst of nowhere. Between 10-15 kilos of digital camera and fishing gear and a predilection for metal frames, I might in all probability stand to shave weight.
The USE VYBE system provides important weight financial savings over rivals, with a easy design that requires little upkeep.
Put vibration on a 1 to 10 scale. One could be the murmurations of a wonderful gravel rail path. 5 could be a washboarded BLM highway, sneaky root bumps, chunky gravel roads, and potholes. Ten are drops and impacts that make you would like you had a full suspension fork.
I run foam inserts and MTB tires on gravel bikes, so I have already got some additional cushioning. My wrists need one thing that may dampen a 2.5 to 7 on that scale. My butt desires one thing to take the sting out of 4 to eight. The USE VYBE system coated all of that.
Simplicity, tuneability, reliability, gentle weight, and a design that takes the sting out of that vary of vibrations is strictly what I need. I’m keen to wager most different bikepackers, tourers, and long-distance riders, particularly, would agree.
USE VYBE Suspension Stem and Seatpost Verdict
USE’s VYBE Suspension Stem and seatpost are a barely odd couple. The seatpost is stiffer relative to the stem, absorbing bumps over rumble. And the stem is arguably the standout, with a best-in-class weight and next-level adjustability. However they nonetheless proved to be a smart pair. The stem absorbed the finer chatter, whereas the seatpost tackled the larger bumps.
There is no such thing as a scarcity of linkage-driven techniques that may beat the USE VYBE elements by way of efficiency consistency and reactivity. However, at its present $330 worth, the VYBE combo’s simplicity, low weight, and flexibility make it a steal.
Whether or not particular person gadgets or collectively, the VYBE Suspension Stem and Suspension Seatpost have a ton of attraction for bikepackers, tourers, and aggressive gravel riders. Should you favor tires north of 40mm, are keen to take a slight hit in responsiveness for the sake of reliability, and admire the flexibility to tune your journey high quality to the stretch of floor you’re on, the USE VYBE system is for you.
Then again, if pace is your precedence, shorter rides are extra your pace, and tight multi-surface loops your normal route, you would possibly favor the eeSilks and Cirrus Kinekts. These choices provide a bit extra reactivity or streamlined on-the-go adjustment.
I’ve thought loads about what my vibe is as a bike owner. I worth simplicity, reliability, and adjustability geared for the lengthy haul. For my cash, after tires, it’s the primary improve I’d counsel for anybody with a gravel bike who needs extra compliance and prefers the identical.
