Comfortably Numb
This is a great name for a great song by Pink Floyd. It is not a great feeling for my hands while cycling long distances on both gravel and our terrible paved roads which are only nominally better than the gravel ones, if that.
As I found myself riding more on gravel and more long-distance randonneur rides I was trying to find a solution to the very uncomfortable numbness in my hands. The problem was the rough nature of the roads and the repetitive shocks being transferred to my hands.
Gravel has a different dynamic than paved roads. It has much more of a “rat-a-tat-tat” washboard surface and sudden batches of severe potholes caused by rain washing out the softer materials from the road surface. It also has freshly laid rocks to fill those voids as well as ruts and soft, sandy stretches all of which require a firm and sensitive grip on the handlebars. Your bike is bouncing all over the place while you try to maintain control at a reasonable speed.
On the paved roads we have a multitude of different elements to challenge the hands. Patches on top of patches, crumbling patches leaving gaping holes, cracks that keep growing despite all attempts to fill, longitudinal cracks that travel with you, railroad tracks of varying quality and my personal favorite-the chop-often found on chip sealed roads and appearing every 10 to 15 feet for miles on end or so it seems.
Like most cyclists I have tried everything to alleviate the vibrations from the road surfaces. Wider tires with lower pressures helped a bit but you can only go so far with this before pinch flats and/or clearance problems stop any further progress. Gel pads under thicker handlebar tape helped as well but again there is a limit to how thick you can go.
All of these helped to reduce the numbness and slow it down but did not eliminate it. I was soon ready to give up and just accept that numb hands and fingers were the price we pay to ride a lot of miles. This winter I read an article on one of the Gravel Ride sites on Facebook and they had just reviewed the Shockstop Stem by Redshift Sports. I had seen references to various suspension components in the past and pretty much dismissed them as overly complicated and bizarre contraptions that lasted until the check/credit card payment method closed. There were things for the seat stem, the seat and various other components. Trek had introduced their ISO Speed on the Domane and Madone as well as a variation on the front headtube. Specialialized had their Zertz inserts on the seatstays and front fork as well as a spring system in the headtube. Other manufacturers had tried to find a solution to the issue of isolation of road shock but none had really solved the problem. The quandary was how to isolate the shock while maintaining positive control of the bike over rough surfaces.
I was now intrigued by the Shockstop Stem. I was upgrading my gravel bike with better components and thought why not try this new stem. Amazon had it in stock and I could always return it if it did not live up to its billing. I had nothing to lose so I placed the order and 2 days later my new stem arrived. The unit was nicely packaged and seemed well-made. The instructions were easy to follow and a link to a Youtube video helped me understand exactly how it worked. The unit uses a variety of elastomers to maintain a tension on the stem depending on the riders weight and that allows a very slight movement of the stem in response to shock inputs delivered through the front wheel and fork which are the main generators of vibration and resultant numbness of the hands and fingers.
The real test began when I began riding the course for the Waterloo Grit & Gravel in the Pinckney Rec. Area. I had signed up for the race and had recruited a team from Downriver Cycling Club. I knew the course was a bit rough in spots and could be a challenge. I could immediately tell the difference in ride quality on my bike with the new Shockstop stem. I rode the course on 4 different occasions before the race. I was also riding our Winter Wednesdays Gravel Rides as well as long solo gravel rides. This stem was a winner. I could still feel the road thru the bars but the shock was gone. The control of the bike was not compromised in any way and in fact was enhanced since I could now ride faster over varied surfaces.
This season was also to be a full Randonneuring year with rides up to 600 km. The previous year had me completing many 100+ mile rides on my road bikes. Again there was an issue of numbness due to the shock of our pitifully maintained roads. Shockstop seemed to be the answer so I ordered another. Did a few rides and once again saw an immediate improvement with no loss of control. On Sat. March 31 I did a randonneur Populaire with the Randonneurs Ontario club. The roads in Ontario are on a par with ours since we have very similar climates and geology. The Shockstop stem handled the roads with aplomb. I had no numbness whatsoever.
This past Sunday I took my other road bike on a reconnaissance ride for our upcoming MGST. It is a Trek Domane which handles rough roads better than most with its Isospeed technology. It does not have a Shockstop stem. It does have gel pads on the bars and thicker bar tape. Even with those I could tell right away that there was a huge difference between my bikes that had the new stem. When I got back home I ordered a new stem for the Domane knowing a superior ride was waiting for me.
So, dear riders if you are having issues with numbness from riding long distances on gravel and poor roads you need to take a serious look at the Shockstop Stem by Redshift Sports. Read the reviews from people like me who find it to be an impressive product.
I wish I was a paid spokesperson for Redshift, but I am not. It is just a really well-made American product.
See you on the road,
Dave Nall
This is a great name for a great song by Pink Floyd. It is not a great feeling for my hands while cycling long distances on both gravel and our terrible paved roads which are only nominally better than the gravel ones, if that.
As I found myself riding more on gravel and more long-distance randonneur rides I was trying to find a solution to the very uncomfortable numbness in my hands. The problem was the rough nature of the roads and the repetitive shocks being transferred to my hands.
Gravel has a different dynamic than paved roads. It has much more of a “rat-a-tat-tat” washboard surface and sudden batches of severe potholes caused by rain washing out the softer materials from the road surface. It also has freshly laid rocks to fill those voids as well as ruts and soft, sandy stretches all of which require a firm and sensitive grip on the handlebars. Your bike is bouncing all over the place while you try to maintain control at a reasonable speed.
On the paved roads we have a multitude of different elements to challenge the hands. Patches on top of patches, crumbling patches leaving gaping holes, cracks that keep growing despite all attempts to fill, longitudinal cracks that travel with you, railroad tracks of varying quality and my personal favorite-the chop-often found on chip sealed roads and appearing every 10 to 15 feet for miles on end or so it seems.
Like most cyclists I have tried everything to alleviate the vibrations from the road surfaces. Wider tires with lower pressures helped a bit but you can only go so far with this before pinch flats and/or clearance problems stop any further progress. Gel pads under thicker handlebar tape helped as well but again there is a limit to how thick you can go.
All of these helped to reduce the numbness and slow it down but did not eliminate it. I was soon ready to give up and just accept that numb hands and fingers were the price we pay to ride a lot of miles. This winter I read an article on one of the Gravel Ride sites on Facebook and they had just reviewed the Shockstop Stem by Redshift Sports. I had seen references to various suspension components in the past and pretty much dismissed them as overly complicated and bizarre contraptions that lasted until the check/credit card payment method closed. There were things for the seat stem, the seat and various other components. Trek had introduced their ISO Speed on the Domane and Madone as well as a variation on the front headtube. Specialialized had their Zertz inserts on the seatstays and front fork as well as a spring system in the headtube. Other manufacturers had tried to find a solution to the issue of isolation of road shock but none had really solved the problem. The quandary was how to isolate the shock while maintaining positive control of the bike over rough surfaces.
I was now intrigued by the Shockstop Stem. I was upgrading my gravel bike with better components and thought why not try this new stem. Amazon had it in stock and I could always return it if it did not live up to its billing. I had nothing to lose so I placed the order and 2 days later my new stem arrived. The unit was nicely packaged and seemed well-made. The instructions were easy to follow and a link to a Youtube video helped me understand exactly how it worked. The unit uses a variety of elastomers to maintain a tension on the stem depending on the riders weight and that allows a very slight movement of the stem in response to shock inputs delivered through the front wheel and fork which are the main generators of vibration and resultant numbness of the hands and fingers.
The real test began when I began riding the course for the Waterloo Grit & Gravel in the Pinckney Rec. Area. I had signed up for the race and had recruited a team from Downriver Cycling Club. I knew the course was a bit rough in spots and could be a challenge. I could immediately tell the difference in ride quality on my bike with the new Shockstop stem. I rode the course on 4 different occasions before the race. I was also riding our Winter Wednesdays Gravel Rides as well as long solo gravel rides. This stem was a winner. I could still feel the road thru the bars but the shock was gone. The control of the bike was not compromised in any way and in fact was enhanced since I could now ride faster over varied surfaces.
This season was also to be a full Randonneuring year with rides up to 600 km. The previous year had me completing many 100+ mile rides on my road bikes. Again there was an issue of numbness due to the shock of our pitifully maintained roads. Shockstop seemed to be the answer so I ordered another. Did a few rides and once again saw an immediate improvement with no loss of control. On Sat. March 31 I did a randonneur Populaire with the Randonneurs Ontario club. The roads in Ontario are on a par with ours since we have very similar climates and geology. The Shockstop stem handled the roads with aplomb. I had no numbness whatsoever.
This past Sunday I took my other road bike on a reconnaissance ride for our upcoming MGST. It is a Trek Domane which handles rough roads better than most with its Isospeed technology. It does not have a Shockstop stem. It does have gel pads on the bars and thicker bar tape. Even with those I could tell right away that there was a huge difference between my bikes that had the new stem. When I got back home I ordered a new stem for the Domane knowing a superior ride was waiting for me.
So, dear riders if you are having issues with numbness from riding long distances on gravel and poor roads you need to take a serious look at the Shockstop Stem by Redshift Sports. Read the reviews from people like me who find it to be an impressive product.
I wish I was a paid spokesperson for Redshift, but I am not. It is just a really well-made American product.
See you on the road,
Dave Nall
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