I got a new stem delivered today (after wanting something with higher rise)

It doesn’t seem to have been made properly, to the point is visually quite obvious. One of the (threaded) holes for the (top)stem bolt isn’t straight:

The left side is the hole at a skew

Because of this, the bolt will be loading onto one side of the washer, and thus onto one side at one particular point(on the far edge where the bar stops being clamped).
How likely is it to snap my handlebar given its mainly loaded at one point, rather than right across the clamping zone(EA70s aren’t exactly thick walled)?

If it were for a commuter (with a thicker, narrower handlebar) I might not be so bothered, but I want to be able to do upto 3ft flat-flat drops and all manner of riding with it.

Should I send it back (given its a manufacturing defect) or Am I missing something that means it can’t load the handlebar unevenly?

Yip, send it back !

If you intend to do rufty stuff you should`ve bought a 4 bolt face plate stem in the first place!

“If you intend to do rufty stuff you should`ve bought a 4 bolt face plate stem in the first place! “

Who makes one in a 25 degree rise, in a 25.4mm clamp?
I reckoned(calculated) a 15 degree(thomson) wouldn’t be high enough (and cost 3/4 times as much)

If you intend to do rufty stuff you should`ve bought a 4 bolt face plate stem in the first place!

lol…. people talking them selves into heavier kit AGAIN … this forums class for that ….YOU NEED this and YOU NEED that if your doing 3 foot drops etc. .

Nothing at all wrong with 2 bolt stems if properly made. Unfortunately that’s not properly made – send it back, not worth risking it with a stem.

We had one in the shop just like that, the bolt sheared and the bloke’s handlebars fell off mid ride. Send it back.

That’s a pretty serious defect, it’s simply the work of a poorly controlled workshop, I know if I turned out work like that I’d be for the chop on the same day!! It’s been caused by nothing more than a system devoid of any care or attention to detail.

What make is it? There are plenty of stems knocking round for not a lot of money all with a seriously high attention to detail and beautifuly crafted finishing touches so you should be spoilt for choice at any price. That standard of manufacturing should never be endured!

“What make is it?”
Bontrager

I’d assumed they’d at least be half decent.

“There are plenty of stems knocking round for not a lot of money all with a seriously high attention to detail and beautifuly crafted finishing touches so you should be spoilt for choice at any price”
If you’re after a 31.8mm clamp and 5, 6 or 8 degrees of rise there is.
But if you have 25.4mm bars, wanting to raise the (mid rise) bars cheaply in hieght, but not affect the fore-aft position (hence why a 40 degree (ie salsa) won’t do) a 25 degree one seems like the only choice, unless you can point me elsewhere?

A 15 degree thomson isn’t enough rise and is £60

Don’t risk your health idiot.

Send it back.

“Don’t risk your health idiot”

I didn’t know If my logic was correct, if there was any reason in the design that meant that in-fact the clamping force would still be distributed evenly, despite a bolt at a skew angle

That looks cheap & shoddy. Is your face worth saving a few bucks on a decent stem?

“Is your face worth saving a few bucks on a decent stem? “

No, but as I’m sure I’ve said a few times already, I couldn’t find anything else to fit the bill (25.4mm clamp, 25ish degree rise)

Another quality bontrager part.

25 degree rise though!?

“25 degree rise though!?

I decided 6 degree isn’t enough, as having the bars lower than the saddle isn’t ideal. 15 degree didn’t seem (when worked out) to provide enough rise

Can you up the height with stem spacers?

Done that already. Already over the hieght rockshox reccomend

Not only that, but it would pull the handlebars further backwards