When you're cycling over rough roads, there are two main parts of the bike where you feel it – the seat and the handlebars. Washington-state-based Cirrus Cycles previously released a suspension seatpost to address the former, and now it's announced a stem to tackle the latter.
Known as the Kinekt Suspension Stem, the 6061-aluminum-bodied device features what is described as a unique parallelogram linkage design. As the bike goes over bumps in the road, a shock-absorbing spring within the stem allows it to respond by moving up and down accordingly. It offers 20 mm of travel.
Because everyone is different, riders can choose between three included user-swappable springs – these range in plushness from Soft to Medium to Firm. The stem is also being offered in four lengths ranging from 90 to 100 mm, in 7- or 30-degree rise angles. Depending on the model, the reported weight starts at 465 grams and tops out at 510 g.
The internal hardware is made of stainless steel, and no maintenance is required.
Should you be interested, the Kinekt Suspension Stem is currently the subject of a Kickstarter campaign. A pledge of US$119 will get you one, when and if they reach production. The planned retail price is $180.
Prospective backers might also want to check out the ShockStop stem, which utilizes elastomer inserts instead of springs, and the StaFast stem, that features an air-sprung shock absorber.
Source: Kickstarter