What The Hell is A Pademelon CS.1?

The Pademelon CS1 is a steering damper for mountain bikes, designed and built here in Australia. It sits around the steerer tube and adds a touch of resistance to your bars, smoothing out those quick, twitchy hits that can make the front wheel dance around on rough trails. Think of it as giving your front end a calmer, more planted feel without dulling the steering.

Who’s it for

It’s aimed at riders who want a bit more stability, especially on fast, rough trails or long days in the park. If you’ve ever felt your front wheel deflect through roots or rocks and wished it would just hold a line, this thing’s for you.

For testing, we ran it at three points: fully open (0), middle ground (about 1.5 clicks), and fully firm.

First impressions

The first test was on a pump track, and even at the middle setting you could feel it straight away. The bike tracked straighter and felt calmer through the rollers and corners, with less of that small, twitchy steering movement. You don’t have to work as hard to keep things lined up, the front wheel just stays on course.

Switching from 1.5 clicks back to 0 made the difference so much more obvious. Suddenly the bars felt lighter but busier, a bit more front end chatter, and you notice every bump again. On trail, the CS1 took the edge off those small hits and square bumps that normally have your hands doing micro-corrections. It doesn’t feel heavy or slow, just a lot smoother.

What stood out most was how it let me focus on everything else: body position, braking, and line choice. It’s subtle, but by the end of a long run, your hands and forearms definitely feel fresher.

Verdict

After a few laps, it’s clear the Pademelon CS1 actually does something useful. It’s nothing flashy, and to be honest, it isn’t the ‘coolest’ looking piece of kit—but it does make your bike feel a whole lot more predictable. The difference isn’t night and day, but once you’ve ridden with it, you notice how twitchy things feel without it.