Stem stiffness versus weight. What are your thoughts?

Discuss light weight issues concerning mountain bikes & parts.

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mythical
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by mythical

Hello everyone! I'd like to know what you think of stem stiffness in relation to weight. And what length do you prefer and why? Please share your experiences.

Would you trust a stem this light, even if it's really stiff? And if it passes EN14766?
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robgall13
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by robgall13

That's light for the length! Is it a 110mm?

As for whether I'd trust it, it depends who made it and how. If you know how it was made, where and by whom then you can make an informed decision. If you nothing about it, then I would be extremely careful with it.

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Calnago
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by Calnago

"Wow!, this is great... its the lightest stem ever Charlie Brown... creak, creak... hey, what's that sound... CRACK! BANG! THUD!... WTF!!"
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DRAGON60
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by DRAGON60

I've had a stem break----going down a big hill-----not fun and a broken collar bone too.

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53x12
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by 53x12

DRAGON60 wrote:I've had a stem break----going down a big hill-----not fun and a broken collar bone too.



What was the situation? Just a regular stem? As you know freak things happen, even with old heavy stems where that shouldn't happen. Always check your equipment over before a ride for any cracks, dents...etc.
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jooo
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by jooo

@mythical - I see you have a few issues with the fasteners but I guess that's what pre-production testing is all about. IMO it's great to be transparent with all of that so people actually know the amount of work that goes into a product. I'm not someone who thinks 'too light' is a number provided the product has good testing results and has also proven itself with real world testers.

I really like the look - aesthetically to me, a little like a Thomson steerer clamp, Extralite extension and F109 face plate(s) merged together, all good things :thumbup:

I would ride one, but my question is, can you match the Extralite on price because it seems like it would otherwise be a hard sell VS a similar, well established product?
edit: sounds lame mentioning in on a nice bit of gear, but colours and graphics or lack thereof could certainly be a good point of difference.

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mythical
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by mythical

yea, the aim was stiffer than Thomson, lighter than Extralite and more durable than Syntace. Let's hope it tests well too. Matching Extralite on price is difficult. There's a lot of work that goes into making a good part and machining time is crucial. Additionally, Italy is a country where labour costs are much lower than the Netherlands. While that's no excuse, prices will be slightly higher. A Straight Shooter stem has a determined consumer price of €228. On the other hand, this stem will cost less than many carbon ones, such as the AX-Lightness ones and a yet-to-be-released MCFK stem. I'm quite certain a Ritchey SuperLogic has a higher retail price as well. Hmmm..do people actually ride that one on their mountainbike?

For more info, please also browse the thread in the road section: http://weightweenies.starbike.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=119363
“I always find it amazing that a material can actually sell a product when it’s really the engineering that creates and dictates how well that material will behave or perform.” — Chuck Teixeira

DRAGON60
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by DRAGON60

I didn't realize at first that this is an engineered product with real tolerances taken in to account----I thought it might be a knockoff strictly for WW status.
Yes I have had a stem break but it was when I was very young and it was a stem probably made from a casting---lol. However that may be----it's still subconsciously make me a bit paranoid about stem strength and fatigue.
The cost will put this out of my pricepoint anyway but I think I have confidence in Wert's engineering ability after reading the other thread.

tonytourist
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by tonytourist

Make it in -17 and I would run it! :thumbup:

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mythical
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by mythical

It's already drawn up. The first series will be ±7.5º only, and a -17º still needs to be prototyped and tested. I suspect that won't be too big of a problem once production is underway. The more requests for a -17º, the sooner the release date.
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“I always find it amazing that a material can actually sell a product when it’s really the engineering that creates and dictates how well that material will behave or perform.” — Chuck Teixeira

JN2Wheels
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by JN2Wheels

-17 110mm here. But feel free to take your time, so I can craft an argument the wife will ok. :)

krzysiekmz
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by krzysiekmz

I'm up for one. ±7.5º in 80mm length, but it depends when it will be available.

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tonytourist
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by tonytourist

@mythical, definitely interested in a 100 or 110 in -17. Hopefully you'll be able to get one prototyped soon!

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mythical
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by mythical

krzysiekmz wrote:I'm up for one. ±7.5º in 80mm length, but it depends when it will be available.
Without further delays, around December. The -17º will take a bit longer, probably early 2014. People can stay updated via the Wert Cycling Facebook page.
“I always find it amazing that a material can actually sell a product when it’s really the engineering that creates and dictates how well that material will behave or perform.” — Chuck Teixeira

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mythical
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by mythical

Since this stem will be suited to both on-road and off-road use, please have a look at http://weightweenies.starbike.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=119363&start=85 for more information.
“I always find it amazing that a material can actually sell a product when it’s really the engineering that creates and dictates how well that material will behave or perform.” — Chuck Teixeira

by Weenie


Visit starbike.com Online Retailer for HighEnd cycling components
Great Prices ✓    Broad Selection ✓    Worldwide Delivery ✓

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