USE VYBE Suspension Stem and Suspension Seatpost Assessment

Gravel suspension stems and seatposts actually don’t get sufficient love. Final Sports activities Tools (USE), the makers of the primary suspension seatpost again in 1990, are out to vary that with its VYBE Suspension Stem and VYBE Suspension Seat Put up mixture.

Every part 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 youngsters 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.

Briefly: The USE VYBE Suspension Stem and seatpost use springs and elastomers to supply 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 opponents.

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 usually 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 effectively.

Suspension stems, nonetheless, can vastly dampen the very 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 tender tail. They are often tuned mild sufficient to swallow higher-frequency vibrations. However tuning that mild can have you ever bouncing and dropping 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 major applied sciences: springs or elastomers.

The previous tends to be extra energetic and tunable. Springs swallow small, repetitive bumps effectively, 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 growing the compression damping fee and the power required to activate it.

Elastomers, in the meantime, have a better compression threshold and slower rebound, making them higher at absorbing barely larger hits and providing a extra managed really feel. As for tuning, the same old 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 modifications the leverage appearing on the spring or elastomer. This ends in 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 power is up and ahead. The path of the power and the suspension motion don’t align effectively. This directional mismatch reduces how effectively 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, in addition they higher align the power or bumps with the path of damping.

USE VYBE Suspension Stem and Seatpost Assessment

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 will have 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 tender 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 gives various clamps for oval rails.

The VYBE Suspension Stem, in the meantime, is just suitable with 31.8mm handlebars. It should work effectively with most handlebars. Nonetheless, these few of us 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 desire a unfavourable 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 dearth 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 opponents, resembling Redshift, which gives seven lengths between 55 and 120mm.

VYBE Suspension Seatpost: First Impressions

The VYBE suspension seatpost is exclusive, combining springs and elastomers to attain the perfect 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.

Fortuitously, 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 tender or stiff it’s.

It did require some fiddling. I needed to take away the seatpost, alter the screw, then reinstall it. Then, check 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 degree of responsiveness was much less on-the-fly pleasant, however hardly an inconvenience.

I put in and dialed in my check 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 upon 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 good video on the best way to 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 want two separate keys.

Putting in the stem was no completely different than another — till I put weight on it. Anytime I received into place, there was a slight sag, only a millimeter or two, earlier than the elastomers supplied resistance. Fortuitously, tilting my bars up a smidge compensated, leaving me in my regular 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 right. Since I journey on 50/50 pavement and gravel in my space, I wished 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 honest, 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 normally desire a single-pivot spring suspension stem and a linkage-driven elastomer suspension seatpost. The previous is easy, and comes absorb high-frequency chatter higher. It gained’t damp as a lot within the drops, however I spend most of my time within the hoods. The linkage seatpost gives 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 effectively to its strengths.

Elastomers, relative to springs, are stiffer, rebound extra slowly, and usually tend to take up barely bigger hits. Accordingly, I wouldn’t name the VYBE stem tremendous snappy on the rebound. Nonetheless, its tuneability permits you to obtain a variety of performances on the fly. The stem can span from mushier however extra chatter-absorbing to a stiffer and extra energetic 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 only 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 once 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 via the rear wheel. Nonetheless, that mechanical benefit comes with additional weight, complexity, and (normally) decrease journey. The telescopic USE VYBE Suspension Seat Put up labored surprisingly effectively.

Whereas suspension seatposts make operating a bikepacking-style saddlebag harder, telescopic posts play a bit nicer with them.

The USE VYBE Suspension Seatpost did an honest job of quieting high-frequency chatter. However with a powerful 50mm of journey its robust swimsuit was the extra substantial hits: the dips, potholes, divots, roots, and correct stones among the many gravel.

In that regard, it did its job effectively, with easy internals, for a good value, 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 motorbike 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 usually 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 course of nowhere. Between 10-15 kilos of digicam and fishing gear and a predilection for metal frames, I may most likely stand to shave weight.

The USE VYBE system gives important weight financial savings over opponents, with a easy design that requires little upkeep.

Put vibration on a 1 to 10 scale. One could be the murmurations of a nice 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 lined all of that.

Simplicity, tuneability, reliability, mild weight, and a design that takes the sting out of that vary of vibrations is strictly what I would like. I’m prepared to wager most different bikepackers, tourers, and long-distance riders, specifically, 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 isn’t a scarcity of linkage-driven techniques that will beat the USE VYBE elements when it comes to efficiency consistency and reactivity. However, at its present $330 value, the VYBE combo’s simplicity, low weight, and flexibility make it a steal.

Whether or not particular person objects or collectively, the VYBE Suspension Stem and Suspension Seatpost have a ton of enchantment for bikepackers, tourers, and aggressive gravel riders. If you happen to desire tires north of 40mm, are prepared to take a slight hit in responsiveness for the sake of reliability, and recognize 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 regular route, you may desire the eeSilks and Cirrus Kinekts. These choices provide a bit extra reactivity or streamlined on-the-go adjustment.

I’ve thought a lot 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 recommend for anybody with a gravel bike who needs extra compliance and prefers the identical.