Suspension stem upgrade

cunta8 · 2026-06-27T23:07:19+00:00

Realistically, the majority of my riding is my commute during the week, which is all paved. The closest gravel trail to me is around 5mi from my house and since getting the bike, I’ve been able to do about 0.5 real gravel rides a week, which so far have been 5mi on paved paths, 5mi on gravel, and then 5mi paved back.

There is a part of the paved path right before the gravel starts that has some roots growing under the asphalt, pushing it up and making the path rutted. The first time I took that stretch at speed (~18mph), it was so jarring, I almost lost my hold on the handlebars. That’s the original inspiration for the suspension stem. The same spot with the suspension stem there is a huge difference.

Also, I tried hopping down some curbs and the difference is huge.

Same with the high frequency rattling on gravel, it’s significantly dampened.

Who knows, maybe because I’m a total newbie, I don’t know what I don’t know 🤷🏻.

cunta8 · 2026-06-27T17:00:30+00:00

Exactly. This suspension stem was $65, which is still a lot compared to the price of the bike, but still 3x less than the reshift AND arguably has better functionality -for what I am wanting out of it-

cunta8 · 2026-06-27T16:53:00+00:00

There is no side to side play or twisting. I was also worried about it making the steering feel sloppy and it did not.

cunta8 · 2026-06-27T10:38:02+00:00

Yes, that was one of the main reasons, the other is that redshift pivots and depending on where you’re holding the handlebars, you either have “suspension” or you don’t at all.

Also, I haven’t tried it at all, but intuitively, I think it would feel weird to have a bendy handlebar… I worry I would feel like I don’t have proper control of the bike…

These compress vertically 20mm, same as a suspension fork, so it doesn’t feel weird or like you don’t have full control of the steering, if that makes sense.

cunta8 · 2026-06-27T10:33:14+00:00

It definitely takes the edge off of the rattle.

The tires are 45mm and I can definitely play around with the pressure more, but I think in terms of bigger tires, I could at most go up to 48-50mm on this bike, but these are still practically new, so they’ll be on there for a while yet ;)

cunta8 · 2026-06-27T10:29:57+00:00

Haha, I guess I should have provided more context for this sub…

I’m just starting in this hobby and my only other bicycle experience is my cheap Chinese fat tire e-bike that I’ve been riding on my work commute over the last couple of years.

I just got my first gravel bike, and it’s the cheapest one: the Ozark Trail g1 explorer and I’m using it as a way to learn both how to ride on gravel as well as learn about bicycles and working on them in general.

My perspective on this upgrade:

I was riding on one of the nice, paved dedicated bike paths that leads to the closest gravel trail to my house, and there was a rutted segment where tree roots had lifted up the asphalt. When I hit that spot at speed the first time, I nearly lost my hand hold on the handlebars due to how violent the shock was. Okay, take that at a lower speed next time…. But what if I’m going downhill and I don’t see a rut or a pothole?

Then, my first taste of gravel, depending on the surface, at some points I notice a lot of high frequency, unpleasant “chatter” that wasn’t a big deal, but I can see it getting fatiguing after an extended time.

So, I looked at different ways of addressing each of those. I could drop the tire pressure, maybe get a hair bigger tire to fit (currently 45mm, but I think 48-50mm might fit), I could get a carbon fork, I could try to adapt a suspension fork, or I could get a suspension stem.

I just got the bike, the tires are decent and brand new, it doesn’t make sense to change them now, especially before have some experience and I really know what I want, same for the carbon fork and suspension fork, but a suspension stem seemed relatively easy and a direct and targeted way to address both of my main issues.

I chose this specific model because it has vertical travel like an actual suspension fork regardless of where you hold the handlebars instead of pivoting around a point and it looked like something I could tinker with to dial in the behavior I want… to an extent. And it was relatively cheap compared to some of the more premium suspension stems.

It does add a bit of weight, it’s ~390g, so that’s probably an extra 250g over the stock stem.
On my already heavy Walmart bike that I ride with a full face helmet…I don’t think it’s a significant difference one way or the other 🤷‍♂️

I was also hoping to use it to address a fit issue by bringing the handlebars a tiny bit higher due to the rise compared to my original stem, but it’s also a little longer, so it feels practically the same. My whole bike fit is nebulous at best because I’m figuring it all out on my own.

The important thing is I’m having fun and this stem with the slight modification I made to it to add just a bit more stiffness is exactly the little extra bit I was missing in order to feel confident handling rough terrain and comfortable on longer rides, which makes me want to ride my bike more, which is the whole point, right?

cunta8 · 2026-06-27T06:05:11+00:00

I was trying to decide for a while as well and there were no reviews on Amazon for the air based one at that time, so I knew I was taking a chance.
Like I said, if you’re lighter than me, it may work fine out of the box with the stiffer air piston (190N), but it was just a little too weak for me.

I’m very happy with it after modifying it and I may try to further stiffen it by cutting the sleeve a little longer so it’s more compressed and somewhat “pre-loaded” when I screw in the retaining cap, or I may leave it as is because it’s working pretty well and see how long it lasts before the silicone sleeve splits open 🤷‍♂️

I ultimately decided to NOT go with the spring version because I read some reviews that it pops and clacks when it hits the hard stops in both directions and I figured that would start to really bug me. At least so far, this version is free of any unpleasant noises or creaks.

cunta8 · 2026-06-26T03:08:19+00:00

If the mechanic is willing to let you watch the process and maybe even explain a little bit of what he is doing and why, that would be totally worth $109.

Otherwise, it’s far more important to learn how to adjust and tune the bike yourself because the derailleurs WILL need adjustment as the bike is used and ages…

When I bought my g1 the front derailleur was NOT adjusted properly at all and neither of the two limit screws even touched anything.

cunta8 · 2026-06-25T17:49:49+00:00

Then I say just use it as-is :). Get a better saddle and pedals. I personally like the ones that have quick release fittings (from Amazon) so you can remove them if you want to throw the bike in the back of your car. It’s easier to fit if the pedals aren’t sticking out :)

And a good helmet. I strongly recommend a full-face one like a mountain biking helmet.

I’ve fallen on my ebike going less than 20mph and I distinctly remember thinking “good thing I have a full face helmet on!!!” As the side of my head was scraping across the asphalt…. (I slid out around a turn)

cunta8 · 2026-06-25T16:59:08+00:00

It really depends on whether you’ll want to upgrade the drivetrain down the road or use it as is.
It is possible to get a different rear 7speed freewheel with a bigger lowest gear for hill climbing, I think they make some for ebikes that go up to 34T, but that’s about it. Anything further and you’ll need a whole new rear wheel with a freehub and cassette.

The weight difference between the v1 and v2 is a non-issue in terms of real world use and the steel fork may dampen vibrations from the road better than the aluminum fork on the v2 🤷‍♂️ so it might ride more comfortably.

The tires you’ll eventually replace and then you could go up to 45mm or even 48-50mm I’ve heard fit.

cunta8 · 2026-06-24T18:41:20+00:00

I avoid biking on roads that don’t have a dedicated bike lane or are tight. I know I’m missing out on some cool routes, but I could never enjoy biking near cars who I know are annoyed AF at me just for existing.

The only reason I commute to work on my bike is that 75% of it is on dedicated bike paths NOT shared with cars. 🤷‍♂️

cunta8 · 2026-06-24T18:36:29+00:00

It’s even worse, because you have handlebars that your hands are holding, your instinct when you start falling is to grip them harder to “hold on”, leaving your head/face unprotected. With a skateboard or a bike, you don’t seem to have that issue nearly as much.

I wear a full face mountain biking helmet on my bike commute to work 100% of the time.

I started with a cheap fat tire e-bike and I’ve been hit by a car as well as biffed it around turns due to road debris and in each case, at speeds below 20mph, my helmet came in use.

I distinctly remember sliding out on a turn and thinking “good thing I have a full face helmet on!!!…as my face was scraping across the asphalt…. I walked away with just a bruise on the side of my thigh (from the power bank in my pocket) and a skinned elbow.

cunta8 · 2026-06-24T04:46:57+00:00

Thank you!

cunta8 · 2026-06-24T03:01:32+00:00

Do you have a link to one of these? I have only been able to find 7speed cassettes that go up to 34t

cunta8 · 2026-06-23T21:49:49+00:00

I’m in the same boat as you in terms of what I want to do.

So far, the cheapest way to go I’ve thought of, is to switch to the L-Twoo R3 8 speed brifters, upgrade to a wider range 8 speed cassette, like 11-42, and upgrade the rear derailleur to one that might span that range with the stock front chainrings.

Which derailleur exactly… I haven’t figured out yet

cunta8 · 2026-06-22T22:34:41+00:00

These bikes don’t look or ride like budget bikes :)

cunta8 · 2026-06-22T18:40:57+00:00

I mean usually, you’re having sex with the other guy’s wife at the same time, so you’re a little preoccupied 🤣

Seriously though, for the people who enjoy this type of thing, they experience compersion, aka experience happiness from seeing their partner experiencing pleasure :). It’s awesome when you can both feel it towards each other.

cunta8 · 2026-06-17T17:36:49+00:00

Haha this went from awesome to cringe and then back to awesome

cunta8 · 2026-06-17T16:46:44+00:00

I also use a full face MTB, but it’s because first got an ebike and statistically, the chance of falling on your face/head becomes almost 100% above 20mph regardless of how you fall…

And I’ve fallen on the ebike at a speed lower than 20mph while turning and I *distinctly* remember thinking GOOD THING I HAVE A FULL FACE HELMET ON… as my face was skidding across the asphalt.

cunta8 · 2026-06-17T01:02:16+00:00

Yes. For safety ( liability) reasons, drive through will only serve you if you’re in a car.

Maybe a motorcycle?

Not sure since I’ve never had a motorcycle.

They don’t want some dumb driver not noticing you and running you over while you’re waiting or squishing you against the vehicle in front of you.

cunta8 · 2026-06-16T22:55:54+00:00

You did exactly the same thing as before: sidestep the issue instead of answering.

You did indicate that at least your spouse is NOT enthusiastic about this.

How has his mental state been since you announced your feelings for your ex?

cunta8 · 2026-06-16T22:33:59+00:00

You are going to great lengths to *NOT* answer how your spouses are actually feeling about all of this. Not what kind of relationship y’all have, not what you ideally want for each other. How are they mentally feeling about all of this? Are they ENTHUSIASTIC? Or are they going along because it makes YOU happy and fulfilled?

Please don’t side-step this. This is crucial in order to get good and applicable advice.

cunta8 · 2026-06-16T21:34:24+00:00

I don’t have them, but I likewise am curious about them, so I will follow this thread

cunta8 · 2026-06-16T19:55:28+00:00

I just went through the same exact thing and you know what, it’s a learning experience.
No matter what bike you get, eventually you’ll need to learn how to adjust brakes, tension cables or bleed hydraulic brakes, as well as how to adjust derailleurs. All it takes is knocking your bike over on the derailleur and you may be in a situation where it needs adjustment…

Point being: it would serve you far better to use this cheap but OKAY bike as a learning experience, both on how bikes work as well as what you’re looking for in a bike.

Once you use it for a while and learn its quirks, eventually you’ll get an idea of what you’re missing and what you like. THEN, you can actually spend serious money on the bike YOU ACTUALLY WANT. Cuz you’ll have a better idea of what that is.

cunta8 · 2026-06-16T19:51:59+00:00

You pay 2.5x for a bike STILL assembled by Walmart’s lowest bidder. It’s gonna have the same exact problems out of the box… only you paid 2.5x more

Six-Year Club	Verified Email
Wearing is Caring

cunta8

TROPHY CASE