All In For Comfort with Redshift – The Full Gravel Cockpit Build Review

Something I love about gravel is that there are so many ways to customize the set up of your bike. For road, swapping your wheels and tires are the most common, maybe swapping some gearing depending on how hilly the day is. It’s more about focusing on speed for flatter days or weight for climbing days. But gravel, you’ve got wheels, tires, gearing, suspension, maybe a dropper, there are so many different ways to dial in your bike for speed, weight, or comfort, depending on the course. Redshift got us set up with a build kit for our new gravel rig, a Ceepo Rindo, to take on the LuLackaWyco Hundo in Jenkins Township, PA. This included the Kitchen Sink Handlebar, Cruise Control Really Long Bar Tape and Grips, and Shockstop Pro Suspension Stem and Pro Race Seat post.

While it wasn’t their first product, Redshift has been in the shock game since 2016, when they released their original Shockstop Stem, and the seat post followed in 2019. As gravel continued to grow, what originally was designed to extend the versatility of road bikes, found the perfect home on dirt roads and wider tires. From there, they saw the opportunity to round out the cockpit with their Kitchen Sink and Top Shelf handlebars, along with adding bar tape and grips for comfort and control.

The Line Up

Let’s talk about the product line first, and then jump into the reviews.

For stems, you have the original Shockstop Stem and the Shockstop Stem Pro. The basics of both stems are the same. Both use a pivot just in front of the steerer tube to offer 20mm of travel. Interchangeable elastomers inside the stem allow you to customize the firmness of the suspension.

The differences between the two versions are the hardware and the Pro has stealthy black graphics compared to the original’s white. For the Pro, it uses titanium hardware and some additional CNC’ing to help drop 50g. The Pro is available in 1 1/8″ steerer in lengths from 80 to 120mm, and ranging in weight from 220g to 248g. For reference, the Full Speed Ahead SL-K stem is 159g in 100mm, so the weight penalty isn’t too high to add comfort on the front end. The original is available in 1 1/8″ and 1 1/4″ steerers and 80-120mm length, along with 55 and 70mm lengths for 1 1/8″. Weights range from 185g for the 55mm up to 302g for the 120mm. All stems are +/-6 degree, but they also offer two lengths in the +30 degree, 80 and 100mm

For the Shockstop Seat Post, there are a few more options. The original is now called Endurance, and there is also the Pro Race, the Pro Endurance, and the City.

The form factor is all relatively the same from post to post, but it’s the dampening that makes the biggest differences. The Pro Race uses tunable elastomer and coil spring dampening for 20mm of responsive travel. You can tune how stiff the dampening feels by swapping the elastomers and springs. It does involve a little disassembly, so not quite a trail-side adjustment, but the instructions Red Shift includes are easy to follow. The Pro Race saves about 130g over the original Endurance. The Pro Endurance almost doubles the amount of travel to 35mm for when things get a little rowdier. Both Pro models are available in 27.2mm and 280 and 350mm lengths.

The Endurance switches to a dual-coil spring dampening system that is housed in the tube of the seat post. It’s tunable from the bottom of the post where the springs can also be swapped out, making it a bit easier to swap springs, but also allowing you to adjust the preload. Adjusting the preload doesn’t change the amount of travel either. The Endurance is available in 27.2, 30.4, 30.9, and 31.6mm (with a shim for 34.9mm) and 280, 350, 400, and 450mm lengths. The City is a beefed up version for urban riding and ebikes. It can handle up to 300lbs and uses the same two spring tunable dampening system. It’s available in 30.9 and 31.6mm (shimmed to 34.9mm), and 350 and 400mm lengths.

Last, but not least, is the handlebar, bar wrap, and grips. What started with the Kitchen Sink handlebar, has morphed out to four different options, along with two more by way of the Top Shelf bar. Available in 41, 44, 47, 50, and 53cm widths, the Kitchen sink comes with or without a loop, and in wide or low flare options. It features 20mm of rise, 7 degrees backsweep, 110mm compact drops, and 25 degrees flare for more control in the drops. All of this makes for a more ergonomic position for your hands, whether you are on the tops, hoods, or drops. If you are looking for something more like a traditional road bar, the low flare version keeps the same design, but drops down to 10 degrees flare. Both offer a version with with a 150mm front loop, offering additional hand positions or the ability to mount a bag inside the loop for quick access to items. The bag has molle loops on top to attach items or a computer mount.

The Top Shelf bar offers even more rise of 50 or 70mm. It carries over the backsweep, drop shape, flare options, and sizing from the Kitchen Sink. Instead of a front loop mounted bag, Redshift offers a bag that straps to the top bar and the bottom bar the stem mounts to, for additional stability.

Because of how wide the bars are, most bar tape won’t be long enough to wrap all the way to the stem, or even continue onto the loop. That’s where the aptly named Really Long Bar Tape comes in. The 3mm thick padded tape is 315cm long, compared to traditional tape, which is about 180-200cm long. Available in grey or black, the tape has an adhesive back to keep it in place, and plenty of grip when things get nasty.

Additionally, Redshift offers their Cruise Control Drop bar grips. There are two parts, the Top Grip and Drop Grip. The Top Grip goes under the bar tape where the tops start to curve towards the hoods. It adds some additional thickness and depth to the bar, allowing you to really customize the shape, along with a little extra cushioning. The Drop Grips almost look like flat bar grips, but add some ergonomics to the ends of the drops, helping to support your hands and keep them comfortable for longer.

Set Up and Installation

So now that we did a bit of a run through of the products, let’s focus on what we actually tested. Redshift sent over the Shockstop Pro Race post in 27.2 x 350mm, the Shockstop Pro stem in 120, the wide flare Kitchen Sink handlebar in 41cm, Really Long Tape in black, and the Cruise Control Drop Bar Grips. The rest of the build consisted of a Ceepo Rindo gravel frame and fork, Wheeltop EDS GeX wireless drivetrain with hydraulic brakes, SRAM Force CX1 crank with absoluteBLACK rings, Flo Cycling wheels, and a Velo Angel Revo saddle.

Before I started adding the post and stem, I made sure to set them up based on my preferences for the dampening. Since I weight around 200lbs, I went with the firmest setting for the seat post, the red elastomer with both inner springs. I’m not going to go through the whole process, as Redshift has it documented on their website and in the instructions that come with the parts, but it did include disassembling part of the upper linkage so it would pivot away and make the spring and elastomer in the tube of the post available to swap out. It took a little bit of time and patience, but is worth it to ensure that you have the post set up right for you and your riding style. For the Shockstop Stem, it comes with five different elastomers that are different colors and have, 50, 60, 70, 80, and 90 printed on the side. The higher the number, the firmer they are. This is where you can have some fun mixing and matching numbers to find the desired firmness. Redshift includes a chart in the instructions for both flat and drop bars, and I believe I went with the 80/60 combo for a little bit more give than the 80/70 recommended for my weight. Swapping them out meant taking off the face plate, and unscrewing a bolt that holds a plate inside in place that holds the elastomers in place. Once that is out, you can slide the elastomers in and out, but make sure you are putting them in the top chamber based on how you plan to orient the stem, and make sure the stem is lined up for the bolt to go back in straight when reassembling. After you have the post and stem dialed in, installing them onto the frame and adding the saddle and bars are both pretty straight forward.

For the rest of the kit, adding the Kitchen Sink to the stem, installing the brifters and hydraulic lines, and fitting everything was pretty standard. The stem doesn’t quite match the internally routed headset and spacers on the bike, but that’s fine. You see it mainly at the back of the stem where the FSA internally routed stem sits flush with the headset spacers, while the Shockstop stem is more traditionally shaped. This could be a future model, possibly offering internal routing in a compartment under the stem, and either change the shape of the steerer tube mounting area, or add a cover to sculpt it out more.

Adding the Cruise Control Grips and Really Long Bar Tape took a little bit of work. I started with the Top Grips, and using the included double sided tape, checked where I felt like they would fit the best for my grip and riding style. From there, I was able to trim the stem side down to where I wanted it, press them in place, and then eventually tape over them. The Drop Grip slides over the end of the drop, so you don’t actually tape all the way to the end like you would a traditional bar wrap. Instead, you start about 80mm or so from the end, and start wrapping the bars up from there. The Drop Grip slides onto the bar with the very end sliding over the part you taped, and then you clamp it in place. Before you do, try it at different orientations to see which angle feels best for you. Redshift suggests starting at a 45 degree inward angle, and then go from there. The Really Long Bar Tape is REALLY long. I didn’t come close to using all of the tape, but if I had a wider bar or had a loop, I would have used more. If you are going with the 53cm looped option, you should still be good.

On The Road (and Gravel)

Redshift’s products are all about making your ride more comfortable. Whether it is taking out some of the sting and hum of the road, or adding ergonomics through their bars and grips, all of this helps you ride longer and more comfortably. Keep in mind, the LuLackaWyco Hundo was my first ride on the set up, so when I say it took a little (maybe a mile) to get used to, it was literally the first ride. Later riders afterwards felt right at home from the first pedal stroke.

Starting at the back, I set up the Shockstop Pro Race on the firm side to provide a more solid platform for pedaling in the saddle, while still able to take the edge off of bumps, ruts, and the occasional pothole I wasn’t able to dodge. When the suspension moves, the saddle moves vertically, but also shifts backwards slightly in a subtle arc, which if you think about it, helps to compensate for the slight change in saddle height. It’s not a major shift backwards, but just enough that it limits the impact on saddle height you would feel if the saddle just moved up and down. Thinking about this more as I’m typing, I actually prefer this movement over another stem and post combination that I’ve tried in the past from a different brand where both parts only move vertically on a flat plain. Since the movement is at places on the bike that affect the fit, the slight arcing movement feels more natural than moving up and down only.

Over the 100+ miles of the LuLackaWyco Hundo, I could feel a slight difference between a rigid post and the Shockstop when pedaling in the saddle on the smooth flats. It had a ever so slight give to it, definitely not a bounce, but felt normal within the first few miles of the ride. After that, the post paired well with the 42mm Hutchinson Caracel Race tires in helping absorb some of the road buzz and sting. When things did get bumpy, the Shockstop post took out some of the sting without bottoming out or feeling harsh. There is no rebound adjustment, but the travel is so short that I didn’t feel like I was going to get bucked off the saddle.

Moving forward, the Shockstop Pro stem felt like it had a touch more suspension to it than the post did, but that was by design of how I set it up. I wanted to let it soak up a little more of the bumps, but still stay pretty firm when it came to standing and climbing. If it was a shorter course, I might have gone a little stiffer to stay a little firmer when out of the saddle, but with 100 miles ahead, I wanted to prioritize comfort over performance. Just like the post, it took a little (a mile or so) to get used to the movement, but it became natural quickly. It pivots just in front of the handlebars, which again, helps to keep the fit in check with a slight arc to the movement versus the bars only moving up and down vertically.

With both pieces of suspension working together, it allowed the bike to somewhat float over the imperfect roads of Northeastern Pennsylvania. The ride was still firm enough that I didn’t feel the bounce of a fork like the Lauf Grit, but closer to a rigid stem and post. There was no lateral play on either end of the bike, so guiding the bike through tight situations was precise.

Now for the bars. I have to add a disclaimer that I’m not really a flared bar kinda guy. I prefer a more narrow, road style bar, as most of the gravel in my area contains large chunks of road section, and fairly well maintained gravel and fire roads. When I was talking to Redshift for the review, I had spec’d a narrow bar in a 41cm, but received the wide flared version. Yeah, I could have had them swap it out, but you know what, it forced me to embrace the gravel life. In the end, I still think I would have liked the narrow bar better, but it’s personal preference. But I have to say, it was still nice.

I tend to spend a lot of time on the hoods, but also use the tops for climbing and the drops for speed. For this ride, I spent a lot of time in the drops to try and avoid the 20mph wind I was feeling all day. The wider drops might not be as aero as narrower drops, but there was plenty of room for my wrists to clear the bar. The slight rise of the bars will help some riders get the fit they are looking for in a slightly more upright position, great for long days in the saddle. I still had plenty of spacers under my bars, so I was able to remove some to get my position dialed in. The 7 degree sweep was heavenly on my wrists, not only on the tops, but also the hoods. If you hold your arms straight out and grip your hands like you were holding a tube, you’ll see that they tend to fall into that swept back position, especially the wider the bar, so it just fits better. The compact drops were a great size for me. Not too shallow that I bang my wrists (the flare helps that too), but not so deep that I feel like I’m riding old school classic drops. This allowed me to spend plenty of time in the drops, also thanks to the Drop Grip.

The Cruise Control Grips and Really Long Tape are a great combo, and can live on just about any bars, as long as the bottom of the drops are straight. Both the Top and Drop grips helped me customize the fit of the bars to my liking. I do enjoy a flatter, deeper top bar, which is why I tend to gravitate towards aero drop bars. The Top Grip allowed me to customize the fit and shape to get them exactly how I prefer. This part can be a little time consuming, but definitely better to measure twice (or even a few more times) and cut once. Try them in different place and even test ride them on the trainer a few times to help make sure you are getting them in the right place. The tape part can be a little finicky, but a little bit of electrical tape does wonders as well.

The Drop Grip was another part I was skeptical if I was going to like it or not, and I did. On both of my Ceepo bikes this year, I am finding I’m spending a bit more time in the drops than I did in the past. Especially for long rides (75-100+ miles), it does add a bit more ergonomic comfort to the palm, along with a little more leverage at times. The material does take a little sting out of the road buzz as well.

And for the tape, it works. It might not be the thickest tape out there, or the fanciest, but its party trick is how long it is. The rolls are huge, and feel like they unroll for forever. They have a little bit of texture to them to help grip when wet. Besides that, it’s pretty standard, but checks off all of the boxes of what you want in a bar tape.

While there are plenty of positives, there are a few draw backs. If you are looking for the lightest parts out there, then stick to their rigid counter parts. The Shockstop Pro Race versions are some of the lighter options I’ve seen for suspended stems and posts, so they do make a good compromise. If Redshift would begin offering carbon versions, it could save a few more grams. The inability to run internal routing through the stem can be a deal breaker for those that want the fully integrated look, but I could have also swapped out the headset upper cap and spacers for something that is made for a non-internally routed stem. I have no complaints on the bars, wrap, or grips, other than I wish there was a 36 or 38cm option of the bars.

Now, for the prices. The Pro Stem is $249.99 and the Pro Race post is $299.99. The Kitchen Sink handlebars add in another $99.99, or $139.99 for the version with the loop. The bar tape is $39.99, and the grips can be purchased individually for $39.99 or together for $69.99. If you pick up the bar and add the tape and grips, you can save about another $20 for the entire package. All together, our build would go for $759.95 if bought individually.

Conclusion

So is the weight and price worth the benefits of more comfort and ergonomics? Yes. Will I run them all the time? Maybe not, but definitely when I know I’m riding a rougher event, or if it is going to be a long event that I want a little more comfort than what I can get from the tires alone. The gravel events I ride aren’t typically that rough that full blown suspension is necessary, but something like Redshift’s Shockstop stem and post are perfect as they help to add a little bit of comfort on both ends of the bike without the complexity and weight penalty of full suspension. You can run them individually to customize the ride even further. The Kitchen Sink bar is a great option, and Redshift really put a lot of through into the ergonomics in all three positions (four if you add the loop). It’s not as light as a carbon race bar, but it is made to be bulletproof, which is important for those of us without pro contracts.

Whether you are looking to go faster or add more comfort to your ride, they don’t have to be mutually exclusive when it comes to gravel. Gravel is a unique discipline where for now, you can have a lot of fun with your set up (until the UCI decides to ruin it). Redshift’s Shockstop Pro stem and Pro Race post add that little bit of comfort that can help keep you a little fresher and smooth things out to help you go faster for longer. They offer comfort for those looking for it without a big hit on the scale. Even if you are staying rigid, the Kitchen Sink bar is a great option for gravel, one of my favorites actually, even with the wider flare that I’m normally not a fan of. The Cruise Control Grips and Really Long handlebar wrap give you additional versatility for whatever bar you are using. As individual pieces, they all work great, but as a system, they all come together to make for a smooth and fun ride.

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