CX bikes are now a do it all option. We have light frames, carbon forks and now disk brakes. Hhoever, riding a bike that was designed for an hours thrash round a muddy field for three hours over rocky terrain still induces a lot of fatigue in the hands and arms (especially for us old gits. Surely, now is the time for a modern flexi-stem to make a comeback? I did in fact try this last year with a retro JD Components stem. The suspension was there but the length and lack of damping made the ride ‘interesting’ to say the least. However, with modern materials and damper technology (with lock-out?)should it not be possible to take the sting out of the trail but maintain the overall excitement and skill factor. I know that Cannondale made a CX bike with 1″ suspension a few years ago and I happily admit to using a suspension seat post on mine…or is the whole idea anathema to the hairy chested paradigm?

That’s a distant memory now, flexistem. I had a ‘offroad’ one before they become Girvin, in bright yellow and black, which match perfectly to my pink muddyfox!!

or is the whole idea anathema to the hairy chested paradigm?

<- this.

you want to ride a cross bike, ride a cross bike. If you want to ride an MTB, ride an MTB.

Tried some carbon bars or carbon fork?

Tried some MTFU or more MTFU?

Just get a mountain bike.

All part of the fun for me.

Girven flex-stem. I thought that word combination was illegal in several countries. Worst. Idea. Ever.

mag21 road bike forks?

Commuted in every day this week on a bike with a flex-stem 🙂

Thanks to those suggesting I get an MTB – I think I have about four already. Of course they (even my rigid 29er) are nothing like a CX with a bit more compliance. I’m no pussy having done the 3 Peaks several times but I have a bus pass and feel entitled to a bit of comfort!

Ahhhh, happy memories of my mate Ian in a race, out of the saddle, honking on the pedals, pulling on the bars, with a FlexStem.

Guess what? It went wrong, he went very far backwards, very fast!

Snap

Sold mine to my mate stu who loved it

Bout 6 months later riding from mine down to the trails and he hopped onto a kerb – only he lifted up and the bars and stem just swung backwards nd all control was lost !

Flexstem ,pah 🙄
The Softride stem was far superior.150mm of arm stretching lovelyness 😀

I am just waiting for people to start selling the Hite Rite again.
None of these new fangled dropper thingies for me 😉

<que posh voice>

I say Mr Frankz ::looks down to polish his monocle without looking up:: I do believe you need a hefty dose of MTFU.

;O)Kidding.

Nah,a quality seatpost and stem to take away the buzz would be great. After my mountain bike (26 inch wheels) I would prefer a cyclocross bike with this new fangled post and stem than the full bounce 29er as my 2nd bike.

Once enough people have forgotten about flexstems, it’s possible they’ll come back. But there’s still a few of us who instead of going “What a clever idea” will go “They were terrible!”

TBF if they sorted out the issues it could be a good application.

It’s no dafter than a softail IMO.

And so the wheel turns. You’ll put on a flex-stem, like the suspension, but not the issues with it flexing in the direction you don’t want. So instead you’ll get a sus-fork. Then you’ll find that with such capability from the fork, the narrow tyres are limiting, so you’ll put on some wider ones. With a sus-fork and fat tyres you’ll realise that those drop bars don’t give you the control you want, and on will go some flats.

So now you have 5 mountain bikes. Fancy trying a cross bike as a change?

We wont go the route of suspension forks to sort out the stem flexing in the direction we don’t want as that problem wont come around in the first place. Its possible to sort all those issues out (more so now with a-head and not quill) so lets see what happens.

speak for yourself aracer 😛

TBF my flexstem didn’t flex too badly IIRC but developed play in the bushing after 2 rides…so went back.

Just run a fatter tyre with a bit less air in it? You could give it some fancy niche name. I suggest Monster Cross.

yeah that would be just as fast as a 32mm tyre at 80psi on teh road…

Interesting responses – I was promoting the application of new technology not a return to the bad old days. Putting bigger tyres on or getting an MTB is not the same as a cross bike with a little bit of give. The fun I get from my CX is being able to do some interesting trails and/or winter road training. Arm pump and sore wrists are just for bragging about in the pub – they are not fun in themselves.

Arm pump and sore wrists are just for bragging about in the pub – they are not fun in themselves.

Yeah, but as soon as you start diluting the CX experience you lose some part of what it was you were aiming for in the first place. After all, a CX bike is never going to be the best solution for anything other than racing round a muddy field for an hour.

I had one and a Hite Rite!

CX bikes are now a do it all option

Gimme a few days to stop laughing.

Hhoever, riding a bike that was designed for an hours thrash round a muddy field for three hours over rocky terrain still induces a lot of fatigue in the hands and arms

sorry but you seem to have answered the question/problem already.

Can’t you run suspended fork in a crossbike race?

aracer explains it well.

I used a flexi-stem back in the day and loved it. I was in a circus group at the time, before the flexi-stem I couldn’t go juggling the day after a hard mtb ride cos my hands/wrists ached to much. It’s not a bad solution for limited suspension *if* engineered properly. Never tried proper cyclocross, but I imagine it would have some negative effect when honking hard on the bars.

2 x MTFU.. 🙂

Oh well, I’ll be seeing all you hard nuts at the 3 Peaks then..

Over and Out

I still think the OP has a point.

29er sus-fork and drop the handlebars a bit? Good suspension minimises unsprung mass.

Too heavy and complex!

What about one of those suspension hubs that used to have elastomers between axle and hub shell..

Hi Jameso – that’s interesting. I only have the vaguest recollection of such a thing but Pantour still seems to exist
http://www.pantourhub.com/products.html
Still seem to be in business despite reports to contrary their disk hub is only a few grams more than an XT but is pretty expensive once you factor in the Rohloff type disk required – say £130. Still it is another avenue that might be re-explored.

Pantour, that’s the one, they’re still going? I wasn’t sure if that was a useful suggestion or a very daft idea, never tried one. I didn’t realise they made disc versions, a slightly scary concept.

Isn’t it a bit like riding a TT bike to work and trying to make it more comfy? I think the CX bike is refined for specific performance, not comfort. Long term repeated fatigue can be pretty damaging on the body. Do you compete at CX?

The solution is 33mm tubs run at 25psi.