Softening the ride without breaking the bank

[Alaskan]

I remember reading somewhere that Stromer saddles were made by Ergon. Is the saddle in the link a different design then the one came stock on the ST2?

Yes it is significantly different (and more expensive) It has some new design and material elements that are actually quite revolutionary.

 

[rannyv]

There was a study that showed that there was no calorie/mileage difference between max pressure tires and lower pressure tires. (I did not save a link to the study.) The reason is that while low pressure tires do have more rolling resistance, high pressure tires transmit more road shock through the frame and the rider which reduces efficiency—road shock being an equal and opposite reaction to forward movement. The efficiency reduction of low pressure rolling resistance was about the same as that produced by a harsh, high tire pressure ride. In other words, there was no gain in efficiency by running high pressure tires.

This sounds like a study Compass Cycles / Jan Heine would do. I doubt he would have any interest in e-bikes, but he's all about comfort / "retro" bikes. His articles are well written and worth the read.

 

[Zagdig]

I love listening to good tunes sometimes when I ride. However ear buds are to much of an impairment to situational awareness, something I do believe can prolong my life. I use this little bluetooth speaker/radio/horn/ hands free phone unit. Damn near the best $40 I have spent on my bike. I can listen and still hear what is going on around me.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Bike-Premium-Sound-Quality-Loud-8W-Mini-Speaker-15-Hours-Portable-Bluetooth/122297805871?ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&var=423485324339&_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649

Alaskan: Your recommendation for this speaker was very timely for me! I have been looking for a horn for my bike ST2 How easy is it to use this device as a horn? I.e. How easy is it to use the button on the speaker?

 

[Alaskan]

Very easy on both counts with right thumb, hands on grips

 

[Zagdig]

Great! Thank you.

 

[Robie]

Thanks Chuckee
Really interesting. My St 2 would be much smoother upfront. Those French flex bars seem to be the real deal. Good slow - mos.videos too. And even for MTBs. If they can take the jumps riding trails . ,they must be a remarkable piece of enginering. Should handle the street no problem.

 

[Chuck E. Cheese]

Thanks Chuckee
Really interesting. My St 2 would be much smoother upfront. Those French flex bars seem to be the real deal. Good slow - mos.videos too. And even for MTBs. If they can take the jumps riding trails . ,they must be a remarkable piece of enginering. Should handle the street no problem.

The Trek model I got (they have a swept City version, a straighter Trek, and the flat MTB version) are pretty stiff. They take away the vibrations very well, but they don’t flex nearly as much as the MTB version in the videos. The MTB version has replaceable flex sections to tune it to the way you ride. They are also twice the price ($200). As happy as I am with the Trek bars, I have been considering possibly getting the MTB version. I prefer the flat geometry and I really want to see what the more pliable inserts feel like. I wish they had US distribution so I test them before purchasing. I have about 400 miles on them and would still definitely recommend them.

 

[PDX_Commuter]

I have the redshift shockstop stem on one of my road bikes and it does soak up some of the bumps but under hard breaking you do get the front dive feeling. On my other newer road bike, it has specialize’s future shock which is pretty awesome. I don’t notice the dive feeling under braking as much - possible because it’s pure vertical up/down travel with only 20mm of travel but the redshift has more of an arc travel - hard to describe but the feeling is different. I plan on moving the shockstop stem over to my ST2 once I get the redshift shockstop seat post in which is suppose to ship in January. I personally thought the ride was pretty plush with the Big Ben ballon tires and originally didn’t think I would need to move the shockstop stem over but I switched over to continental top contact winter tires and while the grip feels 10x better in the rain it does have a much harsher ride.

 

[bob armani]

I bought a rear trunk bag on ebay made by a company called "Cool Change". I have no idea why they put so little effort (or so much effort?) into naming things stupid names.

Also- an update on the Baramind BAM Trek handlebars: They are worth every penny. I've been riding with them for almost a week now and can report with confidence that they do what they claim to do. I don't feel them flex, but I do notice that roads and paths simply seem much smoother. The numbness in my hands is gone completely. The tension in my upper back, shoulders, and neck after a long ride is gone. They make for a far more relaxing ride and I feel like I can ride harder, faster and farther without feeling as though I've worked harder. Hell, if it were only placebo I'd still be happy that I feel better, but I really didn't expect such a difference. Here is a video of them in action. Note: the slo-mo video makes them look almost flimsy, which is not at all how they feel.

I am not affiliated with the company in any way and have nothing to gain by posting this. I just know that I appreciate it when someone alerts me to something new that really works. These things really work.

Really love this product (BAM Trek handlebars). If they work as you have mentioned, I also can become a big fan. Thanks for posting. I did not have a clue they even existed. Brilliant! Wish I had these 20 years ago.

 

[Johnny]

A lot of folks here have commented on the stiffness of the Stromers without any suspension. The carbon fork on my ST2 allegedly helps absorb vibrations better than aluminum, but that's not saying a whole lot. Even though I got a spectacular deal on my ST2 (Thank you Crazy Lenny's!!) I spent more than I had planned. After I bought the necessary little things like extra inner tubes and tire liners, chain lube, a better headlight, panniers and locks, I was out of money.

Lots of folks here have Thudbusters or Bodyfloat seat posts which are quite pricey. Even the less expensive Suntour version isn't cheap. Then I found the Satori Animaris parallel- linkage post on Amazon:https://www.amazon.com/Satori-Anima...id=1533567644&sr=8-1&keywords=satori+animaris

It's gone up a bit in price since I got it, but for the money I don't think you'd find something that works nearly as well. Even large irregularities in the road are smoothed out.

I didn't want and couldn't afford to buy the front suspension kit offered by Stromer dealers. But my hands have been numb since the day I got the bike. Gloves help a bit, but I really wanted a Sta-Fast suspension stem. But they cost a lot. I tried a less expensive RedMotion Shockstop stem, and that was good for minor road chatter. It would probably be fine if it were my only option, But then I stumbled on these suspension handlebars from Baramind (a French company): (Link Removed - No Longer Exists)

They make three different versions: a City version with quite a bit of rise and back sweep, an MTB version with adjustable amounts of deflection which are flat bars, and a Trek version which is halfway between the first two. I got on the mailing list and ordered it last week when they began to ship. It took only 5 days from Paris to Vermont which was impressive, but not nearly so impressive as the handlebars themselves. They are amazing. At $100 they're not exactly cheap, but they're still cheaper than the available suspension stems, and the design makes more sense to me and from my experience, they work better.

For $150 I went from numbness in some very vital body parts to feeling like I'm riding on deflated fat tires, but the handling hasn't changed. If anything, being more comfortable improves how the bike handles.

Stay comfy and wear your helmets-

I just saw Satori Animaris with 31.6mm seatpost for $35 on ebay and purchased it.

It is simply beautiful and the build quality is outstanding. Even the seatpost part feels better than what came with my bike.

Here is the problem though, it is too stiff. It came preload nut tightened all the way and I can barely move it when I put all my body weight on it. So I was wondering if you adjusted the preload if so how much ?


I wish I could find softer springs for it. I tried to find a document since I didn't receive anything with it, the pdf file on Satori website only shows a picture of the product and nothing else.

Oh well, did I say it looks beautiful? ;D

 

[siclmn]

You will have a plusher ride if you let some air out.

I ride with 30lbs in the tires and I weigh 150. I still get jolting bumps from the front end. I won't even try it with less pressure than that for fear of the tires coming off in the turns. Stromer has made no effort to make the bike ride smoothly over bumps. As a comparison my Specialized Roubaix has nailed it with the spring in the head tube and the 28 size tires with 60 lbs.

 

[JRA]

Looking further forward to judge your best line to avoid “bumps” is good practice. If there is something unavoidable you can post, rise up off the saddle slightly, and still keep pedaling or just hold your cranks @ 3 & 9 until it is past.

If you are bothered by road buzz all the above will work in one form or another.

 

[MarkF]

I bought this seat post from Suntour and love it. Best deal on these is on ebay. https://www.ebay.com/itm/Suntour-SP...:ShippingMethodStandard!89130!US!-1:rk:3:pf:0

 

[PDX_Commuter]

After switching over to conti winter tires the ride got quite a bit harsher than the Big Bens on my st2 but the added traction was more than worth it. I decided to move the redshift shockstop stem over from my old road bike since my ST2 is now my primary commuter. I did have to put another spacer in and had to use the stock stem cap and tilt the bike up to get the retainer bolt back into position but wasn’t too difficult to install. There standard st2 spacers are a bit thicker than the one I had but it’s not too noticeable. The front end is significantly smoother now over speed bumps and small road imperfections and road buzz from the winter tires. Still waiting for redshift to ship their shockstop seatpost that I preordered.

 

[Chuck E. Cheese]

I just saw Satori Animaris with 31.6mm seatpost for $35 on ebay and purchased it.

It is simply beautiful and the build quality is outstanding. Even the seatpost part feels better than what came with my bike.

Here is the problem though, it is too stiff. It came preload nut tightened all the way and I can barely move it when I put all my body weight on it. So I was wondering if you adjusted the preload if so how much ?


I wish I could find softer springs for it. I tried to find a document since I didn't receive anything with it, the pdf file on Satori website only shows a picture of the product and nothing else.

Oh well, did I say it looks beautiful? ;D

I spent a lot of time playing with the spring preload. The day after I bought it I went to a stretch of road near my house that needs repair desperately. I spent the better part of an hour riding over cracks, broken pavement and potholes, hopping on and off my bike with Allen wrench in hand making small adjustments to hone it in. A couple of months later I went back and did the same thing. It didn't take nearly as long, as I had become accustomed to how it "ought" to feel. The spring had compressed a bit and the elastomer had softened a bit and I ended up tightening the spring to account for the changes.

The key is to set it as loose as it can be, and then tighten it bit by bit until you feel the ride stiffen noticeably, then back it off again a little, so the spring is at the edge of doing the work of the elastomer. This lets the elastomer do its job without getting overly compressed which will cause it to fail sooner. I do notice that when I have it set optimally for me I can barely make it move by pushing down on it. The inertia of your mass when you hit a bump in the road is far greater than slowly pushing down on the seat while stopped. One of the things I like about it is that it feels like a regular seat post until it gets activated by an imperfection in the road. It really should come with instructions, but for less than $50 I guess you can't complain.

 

[DDBB]

I bought the same unit and agree it's too stiff out of the box. I'm afraid to back out the tension screw all the way fearing that the cap will pop off if I go too far.. Does it have a stop at full soft on the spring so it won't completely un-thread itself?

 

[Johnny]

I spent a lot of time playing with the spring preload. The day after I bought it I went to a stretch of road near my house that needs repair desperately. I spent the better part of an hour riding over cracks, broken pavement and potholes, hopping on and off my bike with Allen wrench in hand making small adjustments to hone it in. A couple of months later I went back and did the same thing. It didn't take nearly as long, as I had become accustomed to how it "ought" to feel. The spring had compressed a bit and the elastomer had softened a bit and I ended up tightening the spring to account for the changes.

The key is to set it as loose as it can be, and then tighten it bit by bit until you feel the ride stiffen noticeably, then back it off again a little, so the spring is at the edge of doing the work of the elastomer. This lets the elastomer do its job without getting overly compressed which will cause it to fail sooner. I do notice that when I have it set optimally for me I can barely make it move by pushing down on it. The inertia of your mass when you hit a bump in the road is far greater than slowly pushing down on the seat while stopped. One of the things I like about it is that it feels like a regular seat post until it gets activated by an imperfection in the road. It really should come with instructions, but for less than $50 I guess you can't complain.

I tried tension screw halfway sticking outside even that did not make it very bouncy now I am back to the way it arrived. I also realized that this suspension post is made to be stiff (I can barely move it by pushing it down as you experienced), it does not dampen small vibrations however since I have been using it I have never felt any pain from going over bumps, potholes at high speeds(assuming a Brooks saddle does not dampen the vibration more then a padded serfas saddle). As you said the ride is not bouncy and feels almost the same as a solid seatpost yet I don't feel the previous sudden bumps etc. but I pedal efficiently.

I bought the same unit and agree it's too stiff out of the box. I'm afraid to back out the tension screw all the way fearing that the cap will pop off if I go too far.. Does it have a stop at full soft on the spring so it won't completely un-thread itself?

I actually popped it off then put it back on, the spring had a plastic cap which prevents it from getting out when the threaded metal cap is off. I used some parktool grease on the thread and inside when I put it back on to prevent squeeking etc.

 

[DDBB]

Thanks for that info. The only worry now would be losing the threaded adjusting cap if it's not screwed in far enough. I suppose I could put some thread locker on it once I find the ideal setting

 

[Chuck E. Cheese]

Thanks for that info. The only worry now would be losing the threaded adjusting cap if it's not screwed in far enough. I suppose I could put some thread locker on it once I find the ideal setting

As long as there is some pressure from the preload spring on the cap I wouldn't imagine it would loosen itself. A quarter turn after it has made contact with the spring I can't turn it by hand.

 

[Acey]

As long as there is some pressure from the preload spring on the cap I wouldn't imagine it would loosen itself. A quarter turn after it has made contact with the spring I can't turn it by hand.

I picked up an Animaris, a few handlebars and stems from Satori at Interbike to test and potentially add to my e-bikes (pre-arranged samples). I've been injured and haven't been able to ride on rough surfaces (torn rotator cuff) and I'm very interested in your experience. I currently have Promax suspension seat posts (40mm travel) on my bikes, but looking for better quality - the Promax can feel like a pogo stick if you don't adjust the rebound correctly, but aren't bad if you take the time to adjust them to your weight. One of my concerns with the Animaris is the 4.5" it adds to the seatpost height and how that makes the bike unsuitable for shorter riders (measured from seat rail) - especially a concern for petite women. I really wanted to add it to all models, but now thinking it would have to be an optional upgrade.

Now that you have it tuned and broken in, what is your overall opinion? Any regrets that you didn't get a more expensive version (Thudbuster, SR Suntour, Bodyfloat)? Would you hesitate to trade it for one of those? All of the Satori parts seem to be very good quality and made in Thailand. According to my contact at Satori, the prices will continue to go up as they gain traction and sales.

Overall, my goal is to reduce the percentage of Chinese made components so I can manufacture elsewhere and avoid the "made in China" label associated with e-bikes with over 50% Chinese parts (Chinese parts = companies who produce their parts in China, not no-name parts). Tariffs gutted me and my bikes now cost between $1100 and $1300 to land. Yes, they're over-built and I'm being punished for it by paying an extra 25%...

Anyone with experience (or an opinion) can message me or post any details you'd like to share! Thanks!