USE Components Vybe stem and seatpost review

Seriously?  No link to the 90's?  You can pretty much draw a straight line through USE's product catalogues from their first shokposts of the 90's to this elastomer sprung, telescopic post.... Surely the fact that thay have been making and evolving these for 30 years is more of a point to make, than trying to erase the relevance of the brands history??  

And while there is a significant discontinuity between the Girvin Flex Stem and modern suspension stems, they are all of the same basic concept.  The only one that has a different concept I've seen is a "meroca" branded parallelogram stem on AliExpress...  

None of this is to say the products are not as good as described, but to cast aside a companies 30 year history of making such products seems a little flippant?  

It does seem like a bit of an odd statement to make, as you say, the USE Shokpost established the brand back in the very early 90's and the new version is pretty much identical internally to the SX and XCR (and later I think the RX) posts. Different seat clamps, yes, the DURO/SUMO head is miles better than the old alien head, and they've done away with the gaiter for a proper seal, but it's still a coil and elastomer, preload at the bottom type post. 

Posted by: keithb

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The only one that has a different concept I've seen is a "meroca" branded parallelogram stem on AliExpress...  

Interesting that, I think it's a design copy of the Vecnum stem, which of course takes it's principle from the old Allsop softride, back in the 90's.

I still have a '90's USE XCR post on my Kona

I bought the vybe seatpost for my mums Xmas for her turbo Vado sl bike but at 400mm it’s too long to fit in her seat tube, shame as it looks a decent bit of kit.

Guess I’ll be selling it on here

I borrowed a USE Vybe seatpost at one of the Mayhem races. Used it for a lap or two and I thought it was brilliant…. Well worth a look if you think you need one. 

I’ve had a USE Vybe seatpost for a few years now and I love it on my gravel bike. It really comes into its own when I am going down bumpy shallow descents where you can sit and pedal. I always take the seatpost and trusty wtb saddle off my bike when it is locked in the outhouse

Kind of Interesting, TBH I'm mostly interested in the stem which appears to be lighter and cheaper than the redshift equivalent with about the same travel... 

I'd be interested to know how they compare in terms of feel, any noticeable difference or is one elastomer sprung bouncy stem kind of the same as another? 

Got a Vybe on test at the moment, it definitely looks more like a conventional stem than other offerings and the rebound and compression damping adjustment works well. But it does have some short comings, especially if you tackle tech descents on the drops.