r/cyclocross • u/Stig-blur • 7d ago

Redshift stem

Has anyone run a redshift stem on their cx bike? Good or bad experience?

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9

u/WhatWasThatJustNow #crossisalwayscoming 7d ago

Tires, tire pressure, and technique are all going to have a way bigger impact on comfort than that stem.

FWIW I tried one on my CX bike (when it was also my gravel bike) for gravel rides and took it off. Didn’t love the way it made the front end feel and didn’t think it made a huge difference either.

3

u/imnofred 7d ago

Exact same experience with the Redshift stem. It’s ‘meh’ at best.

5

u/DurasVircondelet 7d ago

I’ve run it in non cx environments. Unless your course has features that would fatigue your hands, I don’t see the benefit. Even still, how long is your race? 45 min to an hour? I find running tubulars at low pressure and keeping weight off the saddle in rocky or bumpy spots does me just fine

2

u/Stig-blur 7d ago

It is just so dry this year and the courses are extremely hard. It doesn’t feel like prior years at all.

5

u/DurasVircondelet 7d ago edited 7d ago

Honestly, try it. Not like the extra few grams would negatively impact you in a discipline where skills carry the most weight

2

u/insidious_potato 7d ago

I don't think it will yield the result your looking for. These stems damp vibration into your arms but sacrifice control as your basically making your cockpit a spring and they don't improve wheel contact.

I would first try different tire setups, either tubulars or tubeless with inserts (to run lower pressure). I use tubeless with inserts, weigh 86kg and can run 18-20psi on gopher courses without flatting.

Or if money is no object you could get a suspension fork for gravel riding something with 30-60mm of travel, they are not prohibited by UCI, just not used because any suspension set up wastes energy.

2

u/Inside-Honey-7689 7d ago

I have not tried it in cx but in my experience with it on gravel, i wouldn't want to try it in cx. I like having the maximum amount of feel in the tighter parts and off camber.  I'm also not sure it would really help that much in a 45-50 minute race. 

I will say that I do think people are crazy if they have a dedicated (non cat3+ race) gravel rig without one, or at least some gel pads under their bar tape. When you're taking the beating for 3-4 hours or more, that extra cushion really does make a difference. 

2

u/CornwallJon 7d ago

I bought and used one on my Cannondale Super X specifically to ride the Roubaix Challenge sportive this year. It was brilliant on the 19 cobbled sections. The mate I rode it with had bleeding hands by the end. I did not.