Jump to content

Stems


Longbarn Killer

Recommended Posts

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?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 62
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

Top Posters In This Topic

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..

Link to comment
Share on other sites

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 by droo
Link to comment
Share on other sites

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

Link to comment
Share on other sites

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.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

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?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Anyone actually ever seen a broken stem?

 

Saw a broken direct mount stem at Cascades this last weekend. Sheered straight through on both sides.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

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.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

What about stems that are on your bike when you buy them, like Giant or GT ones?

How capable are those stems?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

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.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

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 by Gandalf
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
Settings My Forum Content My Followed Content Forum Settings Ad Messages My Ads My Favourites My Saved Alerts My Pay Deals Help Logout