The Quicktwist by Urbancyclo is a twisting stem that allows handlebars to be rotated to sit parallel with the head tube, making it easier to store a bike indoors.
Conceived by a team based in Oxford that includes an ex-F1 design engineer, the stem is due to go live on Kickstarter very soon.
Why would I want a twisting stem?
By allowing you to reduce the width of your bike, the Quicktwist stem makes it easier to store indoors, reducing the risk of theft, which according to government data quoted by Urbancyclo, occurs most often on the street outside of the owner's house.
As well as making internal storage easier, we can also see the benefit of reducing the width of a bike when trying to fight it into increasingly crowded bike racks.
How does the Quicktwist stem work?
The stem interlocks using four stout locking pins, which retract into the stem when you want to twist the bars. A sleeve that sits on the outside of the stem has a quick release lever to lock everything in place.
According to Urbancyclo, the stem has a failsafe design that means when the bars are in riding position, the stem can only ever be 'locked', even without the quick release lever being secured. It would be impossible for the bars to be 'unlocked' in this riding position.
Haven’t we seen this before?
Those with a long memory may recall that the Quicktwist stem first surfacing in 2016, with BikeBiz and others reporting on it at the time. Now, the stem is close to completion, with a Kickstarter campaign due to launch later this year.
Where can I buy the stem?
The Kickstarter aims to raise £70k, with early supporters eligible for a half-price Quicktwist stem in custom colours alongside branded merchandise. The stems are due to cost around £68, but final pricing is TBC.
Can you see the benefit of the Quicktwist stem or would you struggle to trust a stem that rotates in the middle? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
