Riding along rough roads on a gravel bike can make your hands and arms pretty sore, pretty fast. Cane Creek's new eeSilk handlebar stem is designed to help, by pivoting up and down to absorb vibrations.
Similar in principle to Redshift Sports' ShockStop Suspension Stem, the eeSilk features a hinge where the main body of the stem meets the section that clamps around the steerer tube.
Inside of that hinge is a removable elastomer insert, which cushions the vertical movement of the front section of the stem. Three of these inserts are included, each one offering a different amount of firmness. They can be swapped in and out simply by removing and reinstalling a single bolt.
Additionally – regardless of which insert is being used – flipping a lever on the stem allows riders to switch between soft and firm settings, depending on whether they're currently placing a priority on comfort or speed/stiffness. When adjusted for maximum compliance, the stem is able to move vertically by up to 20 mm.
Buyers can choose between stem lengths of 80, 90 and 100 mm, all of which have a rise angle of +6 degrees, and a clamp diameter of 31.8 mm.
The Cane Creek eeSilk Stem is available now, priced at US$229.99.
Source: Cane Creek via BikeRadar