We actually previewed a prototype of the Redshift Kitchen Sink handlebar more than a year ago, with its unique ergonomic Cruise Control drop bar grips. But now they are real, and ready to bring all the comfortable hand positions to your adventure bike, as is a new shorter version of their excellent ShockStop suspension stem to bring off-road comfort to more riders…
Redshift Kitchen Sink handlebar for gravel & adventure bikepacking
Redshift says their Kitchen Sink handlebar was designed for the gravel & adventure bikepacking rider that wanted a little bit of everything in their bar. You get big widths, big flare, a good bit of ride, some back sweep, and even an optional loop. Each of those attributes has already been offered in other gravel bike drop bars, but the Kitchen Sink throws it all in together… and at an affordable price.
The Kitchen Sink’s 25° flare to its compact bend drops gives a stable hand position for mixed surface riding. The mountain bike-like 20mm of rise reduces pressure on the hands getting you up into a more comfortable, more upright position without having to change your stem. And 7° of back sweep to the tops effectively shortens overall bar reach and brings your hands back when you sit up on the tops. Then lastly, you get to add on (or ignore) an optional 150mm long loop out front for support & extra hand positions in a stretched out aero TT-style position, which then doubles as support for front mounted bar bags.
The 6061-T6 aluminum bars are available in three wide widths 44, 47 & 50cm measured center-to-center at the hoods (and much wider of 55, 58 & 61cm respectively, measured c-c at the drops due to the wide flare.) The standard versions (without a front loop) sell for $100 and weigh 360, 370 & 380g, respectively. The Loop version sells for $120, with claimed weights of 455, 465 & 475g, respectively. The loop bar especially will require extra-long bar tape for a full wrap, which Redshift also sells for $40 in a couple of color options.
We had a preview of the bar last year as a prototype, but now it is ready for the primetime and for your gravel adventure bikepacking setup. Redshift Kitchen Sink bars are in production now and available for pre-order, with deliveries slated for December 2020.
Redshift Cruise Control Grips, first dedicated ergo grips for drop bars
The first thing to realize about Redshift’s new ergonomic Cruise Control Grip System is that it isn’t just limited to the ends of your bars. They call the setup “The first dedicated grip system for drop bars” and it goes beyond simply putting an MTB-style pair of ergo grips on the ends of the drops, by also adding a flexible set of grips for the tops too.
The $50 set includes a set of Kraton rubber Top Grips & Drop Grips with ergonomic shaping to support your hands across a wider area of your road & gravel bars, supporting the pads of your hand and filtering out road buzz. Much like more expensive carbon dropbars add more shaping to the bar tops, the Cruise Control Grips improve the comfort of any standard road alloy or carbon bar, at a fraction of the cost.
The Top Grips (94g per pair) are lower profile & designed to get over-wrapped by your bar tape, with cut marks to trim them to fit for the perfect transition depending on your bar width & taper of the clamping area. Then, the Drop Grips (144g/pair) go over the end of your bar and fold over the end of your tape, allowing you to fine-tune their angle with a lock-on style end clamp.
Cruise Control grips are available for pre-order now, with deliveries also expected in December. A full set of four individual grips sells for $50, or get a pair of Top Grips individually for $25, or Drop Grips set on their own for $35.
Redshift ShockStop stem now in shorter 80mm version
As for the update to the ShockStop stem, it’s simply a case of Redshift adding a fifth smaller size for riders with shorter cockpit needs. Now available in an 80mm long, +/-6° version with 31.8mm bar clamp for the same $150 price, you still get up to 20mm of effective suspension travel at the bar. By tailoring the combination of the included 5 elastomers of varying hardness, riders can tune the movement of the stem to their individual weight and riding style, so you take the edge of the bumps without ever feeling like the bar is bouncing up and down. To be honest, after suspension stems of the 90s I was skeptical. But the ShockStop delivers.
After riding one for myself for a week on a test bike earlier this spring, I can see why Tyler kept in on his own bike long after the review he wrote a few years back.
