Longbarn Killer Posted March 20, 2014 Posted March 20, 2014 I was looking at stems for my daughter's bike. A cheap, but well known brand came in at R189. There was also a stem there fore R2 300. My question is.........what does a R2 300 stem do that a R189 stem can't do? (and please don't mention the weight because there was only 30g difference between the two) Is there any body out there that has actually spent R2 000 on a stem?
MeridaHFS Posted March 20, 2014 Posted March 20, 2014 Have to agree with you on this one.. My KCNC stem work perfectly and I only paid R250 for it vs a carbon one for R2k. Then again I could shed a kilo or two myself..
droo Posted March 20, 2014 Posted March 20, 2014 (edited) Mainly confidence... I'd rather have a stem that's machined from a single piece of x-rayed billet (Thomson) than one that's cast and then machined with less than ideal quality control (KCNC). It's strength in a place I'm unwilling to compromise on. There are plenty in between that are perfectly good - BBB, Truvativ etc. Also it looks cooler and has less pointy bits to hit your squishy bits on should you dismount into it. Just my R0.02... Oh, and mine was closer to R 1.5k than R 2.5k, but I get your point. It's a lot. But like a King headset, you'll only ever need to buy one. Edited March 20, 2014 by droo BIERSTEKER, LazyTrailRider, Greybeard and 2 others 5
G00SE Posted March 20, 2014 Posted March 20, 2014 Mainly confidence... I'd rather have a stem that's machined from a single piece of x-rayed billet (Thomson) than one that's cast and then machined with less than ideal quality control (KCNC). It's strength in a place I'm unwilling to compromise on. There are plenty in between that are perfectly good - BBB, Truvativ etc. Also it looks cooler and has less pointy bits to hit your squishy bits on should you dismount into it. Just my R0.02... What droo said....Having said that, it still doesn't justify the huge price difference. You're also (as with everything else in life) paying quite a bit for the name
Rata Del Spruit Posted March 20, 2014 Posted March 20, 2014 Mainly confidence... I'd rather have a stem that's machined from a single piece of x-rayed billet (Thomson) than one that's cast and then machined with less than ideal quality control (KCNC). It's strength in a place I'm unwilling to compromise on. There are plenty in between that are perfectly good - BBB, Truvativ etc. Also it looks cooler and has less pointy bits to hit your squishy bits on should you dismount into it. Just my R0.02... Oh, and mine was closer to R 1.5k than R 2.5k, but I get your point. It's a lot. But like a King headset, you'll only ever need to buy one. Agreed. The stem carries all that levered force between your bike and your bars. If you find yourself in a situation where your bars are no longer connected to your bike it's going to get ugly very quickly. I'd definitely prefer having a properly engineered piece of kit there when I'm barreling down a hill rather than the cheapest one I could find. DARK KNIGHT 1
DR ◣◢ Posted March 20, 2014 Posted March 20, 2014 I was looking at stems for my daughter's bike. A cheap, but well known brand came in at R189. There was also a stem there fore R2 300. My question is.........what does a R2 300 stem do that a R189 stem can't do? (and please don't mention the weight because there was only 30g difference between the two) Snap?
Gandalf Posted March 20, 2014 Posted March 20, 2014 Anyone actually ever seen a broken stem? ScottCM 1
Rata Del Spruit Posted March 20, 2014 Posted March 20, 2014 Anyone actually ever seen a broken stem? Saw a broken direct mount stem at Cascades this last weekend. Sheered straight through on both sides.
G00SE Posted March 20, 2014 Posted March 20, 2014 The stem is for the OP's daughter, so assuming she doesn't weigh anywhere near a triple figure number, and isn't an aspiring Rachael Atherton I don't see why the R180 stem wouldn't suffice should be plenty strong.
andretraut Posted March 20, 2014 Posted March 20, 2014 My Zipp carbon handlebar (plus matching wheels and seat post) will look stupid with a Raleigh stem! The Big Bad Norm, BIERSTEKER, Big Wheel Cycles and 2 others 5
Mojoman Posted March 20, 2014 Posted March 20, 2014 What about stems that are on your bike when you buy them, like Giant or GT ones?How capable are those stems?
Rata Del Spruit Posted March 20, 2014 Posted March 20, 2014 The stem is for the OP's daughter, so assuming she doesn't weigh anywhere near a triple figure number, and isn't an aspiring Rachael Atherton I don't see why the R180 stem wouldn't suffice should be plenty strong. It would be fine, we're mostly discussing the latter part of OP's post.
Gandalf Posted March 20, 2014 Posted March 20, 2014 (edited) Saw a broken direct mount stem at Cascades this last weekend. Sheered straight through on both sides. Was the guy fat heavy? Do you know what stem it was? Edited March 20, 2014 by Gandalf
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