I am wanting to change the stem on my Giant xtc 4.5 as it is the orginal and I think 110mm.
I have recently changed to wider bars, and am now looking at a shorter stem.
Is there any real difference in all the stems out there as there is such a huge difference in the pricing. Yes some might be a little lighter but a few grams is not going to make much of a difference to me.

Bar weight, **** all IMO.

I now buy th cheapest thing that looks OK, I recently got a cannondale OS stem for £8 on fleabay for the road bike, no point inspending more.

Yes. If you’re using wider bars and you’re relatively strong you will notice how much stiffer some stems are.

Steve,

You can spend any amount of money on a branded stem.
Thomson are very well made and strong but heavy.

I can offer you a Specialized 90mm with 5deg rise for OS (31.8mm) bars on a try-it arrangement.

Yours for £13 posted, but I will accept it back within 30 days and refund £10 if not suitable. Effectively you pay postage both ways if you do not want it.

Email if interested.

paul.r.davisAThotmail.co.uk

There’s a huge amount of difference, whether you’ll actually notice is another matter.

Material, construction, design and manufacturing process all contribute towards how well it will do it’s job. Personally I’d go for a stiff/strong sensible design over a lightweight one everytime. I’d suggest anyone wanting to fit wide bars do the same.

CynicAl may be an idiot but at least building the most unused fatbike in the country cost him **** all.

I haven’t the time to build a jig to find out the actual numbers but my Haven Carbon bars and Renthal stem feel about five times as stiff (against torsional flex in the longitudinal axis) as my previous Ritchey XC bars and eXotic XC stem. However much it actually measures I noticed the change the stiffness more than the change in width (+41mm) and reach (-10mm).

Wider bars will make any flex in the stem more noticeable.

Steve,

You can spend any amount of money on a branded stem.
Thomson are very well made and strong but heavy.

I can offer you a Specialized 90mm with 5deg rise for OS (31.8mm) bars on a try-it arrangement.

Yours for £13 posted, but I will accept it back within 30 days and refund £10 if not suitable. Effectively you pay postage both ways if you do not want it.

Email if interested.

paul.r.davisAThotmail.co.uk

Not a Thomson though is it? With the best weight/quality/strength ratio acknowledged by many?

Gotta love a salesman…

yes lots of difference if you lean on your bars a lot, especially with wide bars.

tbh you will notice the difference between a stiff and flexible stem more than you will notice 30-50g in weight saving between two of different weights.

I’ve got a Thomson on one bike and an Easton Haven on the other. Easton is definitely ahead for stiffness and just happens to be a tad lighter. Thomson is still lovely though.

There’s a huge amount of difference, whether you’ll actually notice is another matter.

I went from a two-bolt raceface stem to a four bolt raceface deus to a thomson on my singlespeed with wide handlebar, because I thought the amount of out of saddle hauling i did it might be worth having a stronger stem. Can’t say that any of the three felt any different though: tbh 30+ cm of bar either side of the stem might have a bit of flex in it too, how I would tell this from the stem flexing don’t know… I do now expect the bar or steerer to give out before the stem does though. Remember the old advert where they hung a car from a crane with a thomson stem? 😆

andyl – Member

tbh you will notice the difference between a stiff and flexible stem more than you will notice 30-50g in weight saving between two of different weights.

You might notice a £30-50 difference in your wallet more still.

Depends where you buy them from and if you buy them new too. I am gobsmacked to see stems costing £60-80! Also a decent stem in a length you are likely to use on your next bike and so on is probably the one item that will get carried over. Everything else comes and goes and get worn out a good stem will last you years.

andyl
Is that thomson you’re talking about this one?

or this one?

Well they are both X4s but neither – 70mm compared to 70mm. Obviously have to compare like to like or it’s not a fair comparison.

When I sold my Thomson, it paid for my KCNC and my Gusset Staff and they both seem just as good, only lighter… (I think the KCNC one was on the bike when it dropped off the gondola at fort william and landed on the bars, so I judge it Strong Enough 😉 )

Cheers. What I was getting at is the 50mm stubbie one is different. Although they’re both X4s, the 50 is heavier than the 100mm.
I can’t imagine that it wouldn’t be stiffer too.

julianwilson

I went from a two-bolt raceface stem to a four bolt raceface deus to a thomson on my singlespeed with wide handlebar, because I thought the amount of out of saddle hauling i did it might be worth having a stronger stem. Can’t say that any of the three felt any different though

Take a 750mm bar and torque it from side to side/ up and down. With many stems you can clearly see them flex, even some 50mm stems.

You can’t “feel” just this one thing on the trail, or rather you can’t isolate and pinpoint it easily. Too much going on. But if you had an identical version of your own bike for side by side comparison, just with a stiffer cockpit, there would be a clear difference.

loum – I guess they made the 50mm a bit beefier due to the expected use of a 50mm. Uses the same face plate etc as all the X4 range but very different everywhere else.

I no idea if there is much difference between the stiffness of most stems in the 50mm and below range that you will ever notice riding but that is not everything – quality of machining, threads, bolts, tolerance, grade of aluminium, surface finish etc etc are what you pay for along with style and peace of mind – you make your choice and pay your money.

this is the same thomson that recently announced their faceplates are wear items?

how stiff is a sunline v1 AM btw? it’s a big ugly block of aluminium, i’m guessing pretty stiff, if your bars don’t slip in it.

Wouldnt a shorter stem whether expensive or not be stiffer, simply because it’s shorter?

Got one of these, fantastic stem at a great price. Had Hope, Thomson and Easton ones prior to this one and it’s just as good:-

Pro FRS Stem (made by Shimano)

http://www.tredz.co.uk/.Pro-FRS-Alloy-Stem_30056.htm

Wouldnt a shorter stem whether expensive or not be stiffer, simply because it’s shorter?

A shorter version of the same stem (made of the same stuff) should be stiffer. I run Easton Vices and can’t tell much between the 3 lengths but they are very tough.

+1 on Pro kit.

smiff – Member
this is the same thomson that recently announced their faceplates are wear items?

how stiff is a sunline v1 AM btw? it’s a big ugly block of aluminium, i’m guessing pretty stiff, if your bars don’t slip in it.

To be honest I think that is a VERY sensible statement and policy to have as it is a part that is likely to fatigue and they sell replacement fronts to back it up – unlike some companies who don’t back up their stuff with spares you need. Remember Thomson is actually a proper engineering firm who design and manufacture their stuff themselves, a lot of other makes is just source shiny stuff from the East. It’s a premium product, you don’t need it but then you probably don’t need most of the expensive stuff you own.

Anyone use any Superstar kit. Have been looking at one of theirs?

i’ve owned thomson stems, they’re beautiful, but i’d never buy another – they just don’t give the best value any more imho. forged stems are generally the best strength for weight, and value – gusset staff, Pro FRS and similar, i’ve never heard of one failing (?). if you really want a CNC stem because of the looks, look at the on-one Superlight, it’s the same as superstars Zephir (£45) but around £30 (often down to 19.99). And btw the CNC work on the Sunline V1 (£30 when it was on clearance) is the roughest i’ve ever seen. Anyone who called it a Thomson rival was smoking something good. if you could be bothered to hand polish the V1 up it might look good..

These days any 4 bolt stem from a major brand will probably work (not true of XC stems 10 years ago), just pick one you like the look of and is the right size! Another reason to buy cheap, you’re less likely to keep riding one that doesn’t fit..

You will certainly notice the difference if the marketing men have done their job right, other wise you probably wont

I’ve swapped between 3 70mm, 31.8, ~5deg rise, stems on my pitch.

The OEM one weighed ~130g, and was really flexy, disconcertinly so!

The (old style) easton vice DH that replaced it weighs ~300g and is stiff as a stiff thing.

The Race Face Atlas (~160g) I’ve got not is a good comprimise, much stiffer than the original, but not quite as stiff as the Vice.