I have a Cannondale Trigger that has had many bits swapped/upgraded since I’ve had it.
The only own-brand bit left is the 80mm stem.
Now don’t get me wrong, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with it.
So why the urge to replace it with a nicer branded one?
I’m pretty sure I won’t tell the difference when riding but I think I want a Thomson Elite X4 (1.5″) which is £52 I don’t need to spend. Raceface Chester is a more reasonable £33 but prob no better than what I have (other than looking better!).
I know I’m being a tart, but does anyone else get these unreasonable desires or is it just me?

Buy it now or be known a coward forever, that new stem could save your life, free imprisoned children and help you ride like a God, Thomson needs your money to feed his famly

I’m facing the same decision on my road bike. You won’t be able to stop thinking about the new stem until you buy it and fit it. When fitted you will feel better and you will also like your bike more, and ride it more!

The only way the economy is going to pick up is if we continue spending money we don’t have on things we don’t need. For the sake of the children, just buy it!

Buy a 40mm, bang on enduro trend and you can justify it as a performance improvement. Your knees might hit the shifters but that’s a minor detail.

Both the stems you mentioned are probably heavier than the OE one fitted..
Thomson make guns so your threatening world peace and empowering the arms trade.. Also they’re heavy and the faceplates crack..
Raceface make crap stems that are overpriced and the owners are a venture capital group who sell illicit drugs to puppy’s in playgrounds..
[some of the above may not be true]
[but some of it is]

I had a similar stem dilemma on my tripster.
Basically, I said out loud “i’m simply buying this so it matches my seatpost, and will make me feel good”.
That was that, stem bought, and I was honest with myself and my peers.
Everyone’s a winner…

DrP

Just get it bought, take packed lunch to work for a month (3 days max in reality…..), have one less trip to the pub this month, resist some other crap that you really don’t need, a lovely Thomson stem will make your life much more betterer for ever.

Thanks people – that’s really helped!
Truth is I just wanted you all to say ‘buy it’ and you have!
Might even get it on the way home – much excite 🙂

Stems are always worth it, coz you look at them all them time when riding.

Seatposts less so.

Get a matching topcap too. Don’t buy a capuccino one day. Sorted.

Just buy it!!!

Stop being weird.

The problem is, you now have a spare, perfectly functional stem that could be built into a perfectly functional bike just using a few bargain parts and bits that you have lying around…….

…at least, that’s how my brain works. Damn you, brain.

I’ve always Thomson stems particularly ugly, but I’ve been looking at Easton EC70 80mm stems to replace the Whyte branded one on my CX bike over the weekend. 😳

I only realised the other day that the bike I was riding had both a Thomson stem and seatpost. Both bought s/h for a fraction of their new prices. 😉

The seatpost is a Masterpiece version, and is pretty light, but the stem is relatively heavy, although stiffer than the super-lightweight FSA one it replaced. But then I only noticed the increased stiffness when I swapped the fork over and fitted a rigid one.

I wouldn’t bother buying Thomson stuff new; it’s ridiculously overpriced for what it is.

A shorter Thomson stem was the first thing I put on mine, so crack on. I paid a lot less than £52 though as I got a bit of a bargain on ebay.

i’m simply buying this so it matches my seatpost, and will make me feel good”.

Amen brother!

Thomson stems

The stem’s RRP is £79.99 so £52 is not too bad though still more than I’d like to pay ideally.
I bet a decent used one would be £35 upwards though…

Buy it, think of the economy failing otherwise.

You’ll be wanting a spacer too. I got 23 + postage for the old one on ebay. So only 25 quid ish. Made a worthwhile difference, I’m still debating stem height but quite like it like this.

Buy it quick before exchange rates are reflected in prices.

Or don’t buy it now, wait until exchange rates are better.

Or don’t buy it?

A bike is a tool, not a fetishistic object to project your insecurities on.

I say this just after ordering a matching stem, instead of using the one in the spares box.

In times of existential angst, at least you can control your logos.

80mm 😯 I thought those died out with the dinosaurs!

A bike is a tool, not a fetishistic object to project your insecurities on.

I agree…!

No, no, I don’t. It’s nonsense.

Number of times I’ve visited that website, with those bikes on it, at such tempting prices…

Just think of it as an investment.
Buy as many as you possibly can.

Done my bit for the UK economy, world peace and for the baby robins.
Thomson stem and top cap ordered and hopefully fitted for this weekend’s ride 🙂

If you’re anything like me everyone else on this forum, you’ll ignore all the advice given to you and do as you originally planned.

There’s nothing to attach a top cap to btw.

There’s nothing to attach a top cap to btw.

What do you mean?

The top cap on a lefty is just a press fit there’s no star nut to bolt a cap to, so you can’t use a thomson cap. I don’t think you can fit a star nut in a lefty steerer tube either as it’s too wide (I might be wrong).

Yes well done with your purchase, just make sure you realize what a fool you’ve been (for being seduced by shiny things) and send it back 3 months later. Transactions are made so you’re still helping the economy and keeping people in work, all for a fraction of the cost.

60mm Thomson stem here for £30 posted – I just bought a gold one to match my gold Fab Bars

theupsetter – YGM.

jools – I’ve got Fox forks so no issue with the top cap – cheers though 😉

I have just fitted a gold faceplated,black body 55mm easton haven to my Solaris and combined with the white clamp area that shows through the hole in the middle I hate it so I am looking for something with a black clamp. Madness as it’s a brand new £40+ stem.

The only other option is see if can polish the faceplate to silver so it matches the collar on my reverb and caps on my XT brakes.

The white bit on the bars is annoying as they are stealth 3T ones so have gloss black graphics on the matte black carbon but then they stick a bit white bit in the middle. A black sharpie or some black tape will fix that though.

Ah OK so I didn’t talk you out of buying something you don’t need after all! 🙂