This morning I took a 20 mile ride on a trail system that has....generally....a nicely paved asphalt and concrete path. There are imperfections on the path....many bridges with washboard planks, some sharp bumps etc.
The RedShift stem really does a fine job of dampening those imperfections and planks. I can indeed see the suspension stem moving when I give the bars a good push.
For those who ride nice pavement exclusively the RedShift may not prove terribly valuable. I can see that gravel riders would love this stem. For my mixed use(s) I plan to keep the stem on the bike. It does reduce shock and fatigue most definitely......but it is not terribly impactful when riding on my nicely paved asphalt roads.
This is a good thing....not a bad thing. When I am out of my saddle standing on the peddles, pushing/pulling on my bars, and tackling quick steep hills the RedShift does not bob around or move in any noticeable way whatsoever. I notice no 'play' in the bars from the RedShift stem even at the most strenuous times. The RedShift doesn't change the handling of the bicycle at all. This is a good thing. I had expected a much 'softer' suspension out of this stem but I am pleased that it is not so. In fact the suspension is so stiff/rigid during any/all normal riding conditions that you may not realize the benefits of the stem at all depending upon the terrain. Once you travel across raked concrete....you will notice the benefit of the RedShift. Granted I am a relative lightweight....I am using a flat-bar bicycle....and I am using their shortest (80mm) stem length. I could imagine that the suspension may get quickly softer should you select one of RedShift's longer stems.
I liken the impact/feel of this stem as slightly lesser than changing my tire from a 700x38 to a 700x42. The difference is substantive....subtle but substantive. I could have lived without the RedShift given my predominant terrain but I'm happy that it is there....for the money I spent on it....a no brainer. Tire size, tire type, and proper inflation go a long way to providing similar results.
When I started on this Vado SL I was running 700x38 tires at 65psi without a RedShift stem. Now I am (currently) running a 700x42 at the front, 700x38 at the rear (for now), PSI at 37-41psi, and a RedShift stem. I no longer feel that the Vado SL 4.0 is too rigid.
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