He was forced to pass.
Decades after debuting its first Thudbuster suspension rod, and now with two generations and two models of its high-end eeSilk suspension rod, Cane Creek has completed the set with its new eeSilk suspension rod. Sure, it has some similarities to Redshift Sports ShockStop, but there are several key differences as well.
A simple formula
There are two main philosophies when it comes to additional suspension rods. On the one hand, you have models like the Cirrus Cycles Kinekt, which uses a parallelogram-style link that maintains a constant angle on the handlebars throughout the ride, but at the expense of weight, complexity and volume. More common is the single-pivot approach. Here, the angle of the bar changes as the stem moves, but the format is much lighter, simpler and more compact.
While faithfully adhering to the parallelogram approach for its range of suspension seat rods, Cane Creek has been left with a single-pivot design for the new eeSilk stem. There’s up to 20mm of travel available, just like the ShockStop, though Cane Creek does it from a different angle.
Cane Creek’s long-awaited eeSilk suspension rod is a strong competitor to the Redshift Sports ShockStop Pro.
Like the ShockStop, the eSilk places its pivot right in front of the steering tube. However, Cane Creek reverses the layout of the pivot, with the extension of the stem rotating within two tabs on the body of the main clamp. And instead of completely hiding the elastomer-based mechanism inside the stem like the ShockStop, the eeSilk stem has an L-shaped extension, with the elastomer crushed underneath between a short tab and the body of the clip. direction.
According to Cane Creek, the inverted pivot configuration adds rigidity to further minimize handlebar rotation, while the unique elastomer arrangement facilitates exchange between the three available durometers. It is a single screw process, without the need to remove the handlebar (unlike the ShockStop).
The most obvious difference between eeSilk and ShockStop, though, is the curious lever on the Cane Creek stem. Called the compliance switch, it allows users to quickly strengthen the suspension with a simple 180 ° turn, which Cane Creek says is ideal for motorcyclists who are regularly on a varied mix of terrain. Do you have a long stretch of asphalt before you hit your favorite piece of land? Just turn the switch to minimize bounces to the front. Rotate it again for these 20mm arm-saving motion before you go off-road, and then reverse the process when it’s time to go home.
The compliance switch works as advertised, although it’s a bit tricky to grab if you have gaps at the top of the stem.
Despite the added complexity, the Cane Creek eeSilk is surprisingly light, with a 100mm long sample weighing only 236g, a few 2g heavier than a ShockStop Pro of equivalent size and 41g lighter than a Standard ShockStop. . Perhaps most importantly, these 20 mm of movement only have a penalty of about 100 g on a conventional non-suspended stem.
Cane Creek only offers the new eeSilk in lengths of 80, 90 and 100 mm at the moment, all with a black finish for US $ 230 / US $ TBC / £ 220 / € 250 (which is only a hair less expensive than the ShockStop Pro ). , but slightly more expensive than the standard ShockStop). There is also a limited edition eeSilk Launch Edition stem with a shiny, shiny silver finish for the same price. Technically, it is offered in the same lengths as the standard version, although the sizes of 80 and 100 mm are already sold out, so that only 90 mm remain.
Lots of time to come
One would think that creating a single-pivot suspension rod based on elastomers would be quite easy. However, as with most things, doing it right is easier said than done, and Cane Creek has been working on this project for quite some time, at least for a while in 2018.
I was lucky enough to be able to try this first design four years ago, and it doesn’t look much like the one Cane Creek finally released. This first-generation prototype had its pivot located in line with the steering tube to help reduce the amount of rotation of the bar as the rod moved along its path, and the low-lever design placed the elastomer disc-shaped behind the steering tube.
The original Cane Creek concept for the eeSilk stem used a very different design. It was mechanically superior, but much more complicated to manufacture. The original design placed the elastomer stack behind the steering wheel, which was perhaps something that would not have gone so well visually on the market.
It worked well and achieved the technical goals that Cane Creek had set for the most part, but there were two main drawbacks. One was more behind the scenes: the complex design was apparently too expensive to produce in large quantities. But the other was certainly more doomed: he was too ugly.
Return to the drawing board.
So silky
While the eSilk stem may have had a bumpy road to get here, the one that ended up at Cane Creek works very well (and certainly looks much better).
Not surprisingly, riding the Cane Creek eeSilk is very similar to the Redshift ShockStop. He is very flexible and sensitive, and most of the shorter talks disappear. After mounting a suspension rod like this, it’s not until you switch back to a conventional rigid rod that you realize how protected your upper body is. Much of this movement is also impressively transparent, in the sense that you’re often not too aware of what’s going on in your hands.
In any case, it is almost as if less is happening. Instead of the bars or hoods shaking in your hands as you fly over the dirt with washboards or less-than-perfect flooring as would be the case, everything feels smooth and controlled. It’s mostly only when you’re on smooth asphalt that you’re fully aware that there’s all this extra hardware (and movement).
There’s a lot to do here, but on the bike, the power is pretty understated.
Also, the eSilk doesn’t feel too hard if you use all available trips (within reason, of course), nor is there too much annoying noise if you lift the bars and finish things off.
It is on that smooth track where the eSilk takes its main advantage over the ShockStop (or any other suspension rod on the market, therefore). Turning this small lever clockwise does not completely block the movement, so it is called a compliance switch and does not lock, but drastically limits the total travel and greatly hardens the remaining few millimeters. Dead roadies on wool will almost certainly still find that there is too much movement, but it’s okay; Anyway, Cane Creek doesn’t seem to be directing the eSilk at these riders.
Also, like ShockStop, marking eeSilk requires a bit of trial and error. Cane Creek sends each eeSilk stem with three different elastomer hardnesses. Changing them is a one-screw process that is easy to do, even on the road, without removing the bar, unlike the ShockStop.
However, it seems that Cane Creek prioritizes rider comfort over everything else when it comes to elastomer fit.
I’m a pretty average weight of 72kg (159 lbs), but even the firmest option wasn’t as firm as I wanted it to be. The initial sensitivity is roughly the same with all three (i.e. the wash board and road buzzing feel more or less the same no matter which way you go), but the difference is the amount of travel used in a particular blow and the excess of movement that is there. And yes, I know I could easily move the compliance switch when needed, but ultimately what I want in something like this is a very progressive spring pace to maximize the usefulness of such a limited trip. If it’s too soft, you end up blowing everything you have on a regular basis, instead of keeping something in reserve for those bigger impacts where you could really help yourself.
Here’s a caveat, as it’s not just the weight of the rider that affects the power tuning here; The position of the pilot is also important. Riders using longer and / or lower handlebar configurations will have their weight farther from the stem pivot and will therefore need a firmer elastomer than someone with a shorter and / or taller one. For me, I’m running a moderately aggressive setup with a 7cm drop of the bar on a 100mm stem and an 85mm wide handlebar, so keep that in mind.
Aluminum slabs promise a very good fatigue life.
Either way, while ShockStop elastomers are much harder to change, Redshift Sports includes more elastomer options and covers a wider range of tuning than Cane Creek currently offers, and when it comes to suspension, l ‘adjustment is everything. Hopefully some firmer elastomer options are pending, along with some additional stem lengths. The 80-100mm range probably covers the bell meat curve, but Redshift also offers 110mm and 120mm sizes.
Crunching has not been an issue with my test sample, although I still have some reservations about the long-term eeSilk design. Cane Creek may have gained some general stiffness by reversing the pivot orientation, but doing so also leaves the pivot bushes exposed to the elements, while they are relatively protected within the ShockStop extension. This may or may not be a problem, but it is worth noting that there are no blankets on the eSilk to prevent dust, sand, and water from accessing these eSilk pads, and the pivot does not. it works at all (though it’s not technically useful on ShockStop either).
More options
The Redshift ShockStop has dominated the suspension rod market so far for many good reasons: it works, it doesn’t weigh too much, it offers a wide range of fit and many sizes, it is …