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Submitted by
cliff eisler
a Cross Country Rider
from regina saskatchewan canada
Date Reviewed: July 10, 2004 | | Favoriate Trail: | wascana trails | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$20.00 | | Purchased At: | western cycle regina saskatchewan canada | | Strengths: | simplicity, durability, comfort, ease of setup, doesn't change bike's geometry, ease of maintainance, better and cheaper and easier to maintain than cheapo forks, works great with rigid forks. | | Weaknesses: | doesn't soak up real crushers, but it helps. | | Similar Products Used: | some cheap rip-off, can't remember who made it. | | Bike Setup: | rigid rocky mountain stratos | | Bottom Line: | I rode my old rocky for eight or ten years with the flexstem on it so I havce to say that they really do last. The elastomer will last a few years if you treat it well. You can use Judy Butter (tm) on it or Manitou Prep M (tm) to keep it slippy. The only thing that eventually does wear is the pivot; you can only get about ten years out of it! Try that with any fork! I had to respond to the person who typed in that the Flexstem wouldn't last. It will, trust me, he just neded to give his a little more time to prove itself. I really do wish that someone would revive that old patent, there is nothing like it on the market today. Great for a commuting bike, and even a benefit off-road. Takes up small edged bumps that some forks miss. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Mark
a Weekend Warrior
from Canada eh.
Date Reviewed: September 8, 2003 | | Favoriate Trail: | Behind the Igloos. | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$5.00 | | Purchased At: | Nashbar | | Strengths: | It's cheap, light, smooth. Works better than el-cheapo forks. | | Weaknesses: | Can't buy the bushings anymore. | | Bike Setup: | Weird "high end" Alloy SR Duotracks. Girvin Aluminum Flexstem. Ironhorse MT100. Alivio Groupo | | Bottom Line: | This thing works much better than cheap shocks, and is much ligther too. It also complements cheap shocks well. Grab one if you can still find one. I have a set of SR DUOTRACKS that have little travel and it goes excellent with them. Going to try skateboard bushings once this one wears out. Keep your elastomer heatlhy by lubing them up with appropriate oil. Such as paintball gun lube, which won't break down the elastomer.
| Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
aHeathenScott McIntosh
a Weekend Warrior
from Canada
Date Reviewed: December 2, 2002 | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Strengths: | Very good at smoothing out small bumps and most vibrations typical of gravel roads & cracked up city streets. Even better than many types of shocks for vibration absorbtion. | | Weaknesses: | Bad for real off road riding. | | Similar Products Used: | I've used Quadra10, Mag21, Judy XC and now use Marzocci Bomber MXR shock. | | Bike Setup: | Flexstem is on a rigid fork fork Rocky Mtn. Fusion (also have full susp off road bike - but not with flexstem :) | | Bottom Line: | My hands and wrists don't hurt when I take the old beater on gravel roads. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Turp
a Weekend Warrior
from Danville,Va.U.S.A
Date Reviewed: July 4, 2002 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$10.00 | | Purchased At: | Bikes Unlimited | | Strengths: | Responsive | | Weaknesses: | Slightly heavier than a normal syem | | Bike Setup: | Specialized Expedition with road tires. | | Bottom Line: | A great product that soaks up those bumps. Great for urban riding and commuting. The shock bushing is interchangable and you may be able to use bushings that are made for skateboard trucks | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Darryl
a Weekend Warrior
from Danville,Va,U.S.A.
Date Reviewed: June 18, 2002 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$10.00 | | Purchased At: | Bikes Unlimited | | Strengths: | Simple, Functional design | | Weaknesses: | The supplied bushing is a little soft. | | Bike Setup: | Specialized Expedition with flat bar and narrow tires for fast cruising. | | Bottom Line: | It really does smooth out the vibrations caused by the hard narrow tires on rough pavement. It would need to be a good deal stiffer for any formidable off roading. I'm going to try the stiffer bushings. It is alot less exspensive than buying even a cheap front shock. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Yannie
a Cross Country Rider
from UK
Date Reviewed: October 30, 2001 | | Favoriate Trail: | Puddletown Forest | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$30.00 | | Strengths: | Reliable. Comfortable. I have it installed on a tourer. It's the aluminium version. Remains plush vertically and passably rigid laterally. Makes a great difference to a tourer without the weight or slop of suspension forks. I choose to run a narrower front tyre since getting this gadget, so I get more comfort AND lower rolling resistance. Looks after your wrists too. | | Similar Products Used: | Sus. Forks on my X-country MTB | | Bike Setup: | Peugeot touring frame. Rigida Alloys. Shwalbe marathon tyres. Profile Bars | | Bottom Line: | Lovely. Simple, effective, reliable design. Works well for years on end of commuting! Shame they don't make them any more!
An outmoded idea for MTB's, though. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Keith Dilly
a Weekend Warrior
from Baltimore
Date Reviewed: April 16, 2001 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$10.00 | | Purchased At: | online | | Strengths: | Inexpensive, easy to install, no maintainance required | | Weaknesses: | Heavier than a normal stem, BUT much lighter than suspension forks. Some flexing when climbing using bar ends. | | Similar Products Used: | none. | | Bottom Line: | The best $10 I've spent on my bike. Wish I had one of these a long time ago. Of course it doesn't soak up the big bumps, however, the 3/4" or so of shock absorption provided make a big difference when you're used to a rigid set-up. After a couple of rides the elastomer seems to get a little softer. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
A
a Cross Country Rider
from Menlo Park, CA, USA
Date Reviewed: August 11, 2000 | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Strengths: | cheap, easy to install and replace. | | Weaknesses: | develops side to side play and makes ride unstable, especially with front rack and paniers. | | Similar Products Used: | rocks shocks... much better. | | Bike Setup: | rock hopper with slicks, front and rear racks. | | Bottom Line: | don't waste your time; company is going (gone?) out of business and will not take the product back. It won't last and is not worth the little effort of replacing stem twice.
If you tour, be tough; live with the road bumps. If you offroad, get shocks.
| Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
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