'suspension' handlebar stem

[Pkhoo]

In the olden days, there was a handlebar stem that had a kind of a rubber grommet (I think) that
provided some sort of flex. Are they still available? Did they work? Would they be an adequate
alternative to fitting a pair of boingy forks onto a mtb? Enquiringly yours, Peter

[Steve Peake]

On Thu, 26 Feb 2004 20:39:54 +0000 (UTC), pkhoo wrote:

> In the olden days, there was a handlebar stem that had a kind of a rubber grommet (I think) that
> provided some sort of flex. Are they still available? Did they work? Would they be an adequate
> alternative to fitting a pair of boingy forks onto a mtb? Enquiringly yours,

Ah the good old girvin flexstem, it worked, but not a lot! I got one 10+ years ago when I started
getting pain in the ulnar nerve, and that stem solved it.

It isn't a patch on a sus fork, but it could well be better than those springs they attach to
supermarket bikes. Don't know if it (or something similar) is still sold though.

Steve

[Pete Biggs]

pkhoo wrote:
> In the olden days, there was a handlebar stem that had a kind of a rubber grommet (I think) that
> provided some sort of flex. Are they still available?

There's a "suspension stem" here: http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3662513141

...Looks as if there's more to it than a grommet or two.

> Did they work? Would they be an adequate alternative to fitting a pair of boingy forks onto a mtb?

I don't know but I would expect boingy forks to result in better front wheel traction as well as a
softer ride.

~PB

[Graham Bowers]

"pkhoo" <cuckooblue@btopenworld.com> wrote in message
news:c1lliq$b93$1@titan.btinternet.com...
> In the olden days, there was a handlebar stem that had a kind of a rubber grommet (I think) that
> provided some sort of flex. Are they still available? Did they work? Would they be an adequate
> alternative to fitting a pair of boingy forks onto a mtb? Enquiringly yours, Peter
>

I have 2 pals who had them. They did offer some isolation, but just to your hands, i.e. the front of
the bike still bounced around and made you fall of if too enthusiastic. OK for cycle paths but not
if you're too enthusiastic on the bumpy stuff. Wonder why they're not in the shops any more???
Cheers Graham

[Alan Braggins]

In article <c1mktr$oq0$1@news8.svr.pol.co.uk>, Graham Bowers wrote:
>
>"pkhoo" <cuckooblue@btopenworld.com> wrote in message news:c1lliq$b93$1@titan.btinternet.com...
>> In the olden days, there was a handlebar stem that had a kind of a rubber grommet (I think) that
>> provided some sort of flex. Are they still available? Did they work? Would they be an adequate
>> alternative to fitting a pair of boingy forks onto a mtb?
>
>I have 2 pals who had them. They did offer some isolation, but just to your hands, i.e. the front
>of the bike still bounced around and made you fall of if too enthusiastic. OK for cycle paths but
>not if you're too enthusiastic on the bumpy stuff. Wonder why they're not in the shops any more???

Edinburgh Bicycle has a picture of one on their "Handlebars, Stems, Grips & Bar Ends" page, and the
text for "Comfort Stems" includes "Suspension stems" - but if you follow that link the subsection
doesn't actually have any. http://www.edinburgh-bicycle.co.uk/catalogue/subcollections.cfm?ID=139

I think I've seen one in Cycle King though. Probably works as well as the suspension on their 69
pound full suspension bikes :-) (That is a "Scratch and Dent Sale" price, and I'm quite happy with
the rigid hybrid I bought from them a while back. They do tend heavily to the bouncy gaspipe end of
the market though. http://www.cycleking.co.uk/ )

[John Murf]

Alan Braggins wrote
> I think I've seen one in Cycle King though. Probably works as well as the suspension on their 69
> pound full suspension bikes :-)

Phew, that's heavy.

--
John Murphy

[Terry]

Stanley Fearn's cycle shop in Matlock took one off my bike a couple of years ago.You might phone and
ask if they still have it(long shot that). I prefer a thick foam on the hb extensions to give me
somewhere to rest my hands while having normal rubber grips on the bars.The flexstem was not much
good off road compared to suspension. TerryJ

[saddlesores]

Originally posted by Pkhoo
In the olden days, there was a handlebar stem that had a kind of a rubber grommet (I think) that
provided some sort of flex. Are they still available? Did they work? Would they be an adequate
alternative to fitting a pair of boingy forks onto a mtb? Enquiringly yours, Peter

girvin flexstem. got one on my commuter hybrid, and another
on my hardtail mtb. i like 'em.

i got a spare i might could sell.....

manngumby@aol.com

[Pkhoo]

been trying to contact u but can't get through... can u email me on cuckooblue at btopenworld dot
com ta peter

> girvin flexstem. got one on my commuter hybrid, and another on my hardtail mtb. i like 'em.
>
> i got a spare i might could sell.....
>
> manngumby@aol.com