Pademelon's CS.1 Steering Damper isn't new technology, but the benefits of dampers fitted to your steering tube have long been overlooked by the mountain biking world.
Reducing unwanted steering inputs coming from the trail is the aim of the CS.1. Doing so calms bike handling, potentially eases hand fatigue and pain, and makes riding easier.
If the tech is that good, why has the industry largely dodged widespread innovation in this area?
Cost is the first answer, both in development terms and the product's RRP. Starting at £404 / $529 for the damper alone, you've got to add a £71 / $93 mounting kit as well.
Personal preferences are likely another. The usefulness of steering dampers isn't widely publicised [ed's note - oops, that's our fault], nor are they well marketed, leading consumers to question whether or not they need one.
Clearly, the easier and cheaper answer to that question is that they don't. Otherwise, they'd be more prolific in the industry.
Keep it simple, stupid
Launched in 2022, Canyon's K.I.S. is a great example of how the consumer is king. While K.I.S. isn't the same as a steering damper – it doesn't stiffen or dampen your steering, instead it actively tries to straighten your bars – the claimed benefits are similar: smoother handling and a bike that's easier to ride.
A lot of Canyon's mountain bikes are fitted with the system, but it's hard to say whether they sell more bikes because of it. The brand is also quick to mention that it's easy to remove, acknowledging that many riders may not like it.
In a world where people vote with their wallets, potentially keeping bikes simpler and more affordable rather than hunting for hard-to-explain marginal gains is the smarter move.
A brief history lesson
Unlike Canyon's K.I.S., steering dampers aren't quite as new in the MTB world.
Hopey pioneered it for mountain bikes back in the early 2000s, but the brand went out of business in 2022. Tim Hopey, its founder, wanted to retire, potentially consigning steering damper tech to the history books.
That's until Jeremiah Boobar took it on.
Boobar is a big name in the industry. He's worked for SRAM, RockShox and Cannondale, and gives the small Tasmanian-based Pademelon some serious clout.
But whether his name is enough to help people justify buying the CS.1, or indeed for it to gain mainstream multi-brand support, is another matter.
How does the Pademelon CS.1 Steering Damper work?
Market speculation aside, the CS.1 is a neat bit of kit. It fits inside your fork's steerer tube and replaces your bike's star nut and top cap.
The CS.1's body houses a hydraulic rotary vane damper. This is attached to your bike's frame via the mounting point to provide an anchoring point.
Within the damper are vanes or fins that 'stir' or push against oil as they're moved through it. The oil and the fins create resistance, slowing down or damping the steering forces.
The CS.1 has an adjustment dial where your top cap would be, which opens or closes the internal fins to increase or reduce the resistance.
The adjustment range is wide, from "no resistance" to "powerful... support," so you can tweak the damper to your needs.
Added to this, the damper's action is sensitive to your steering position. It's active up to 37.5 degrees either side of a zero-degree steering angle, but from 37.5 degrees to 90 degrees, the damping effects are nonexistent.
On the return movement of the handlebars – anywhere from 90 degrees back to zero – there's no damping effect. Pademelon says this gives riders “precise control” over their front wheels.
My colleague Tom Marvin has one fitted to his bike, so stay tuned for a full review.
- Prices start from: £404 / $529 / €499
