Nice Stems – What Options?

Inspired by the other thread with some luvvely cranks in it, what about stems?

Paging @TomHoward 😁

I’ve been pondering a few options for my next bike build for a while now, and although I’d love a 5dev titanium stem, it’s just that little bit too rich for me. But I still really appreciate a nice, unusual stem – you end up looking at it whilst climbing more than almost any other bit of your bike, and although it basically does the same job as any other stem, I want to go with something a little bit more unusual this time round.

I currently have a OneUp stem on my FS but my OneUp tool will be going on in my pump mounted to my frame so I don’t need to worry about that anymore. On my hardtail I have a DMR Defy 50+, needed for the low stack height and silver/black theme:

My next bike will also have a silver/black theme so I was considering a Raceface Turbine R in silver:

Or maybe a Chromag HiFi 35

But currently winning is the Yoshimura ENDH stem – partially because I don’t think I’d ever see another one, and also partially because it has 35mm rise along with its 37mm reach and I really fancy having a higher front end – I’ve got 35mm riser bars already but the new bike will have a similar stack to my current bike. I don’t know of any other short stems with that much rise.
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They come in a pewter colour so sort of silver. Will need to be imported from the US, around £260 with taxes etc once the GBP has recovered from the current freefall…

Also, stem caps. If anyone has some cool/unusual ones, post them too! 😎

This is the best stem cap I’ve found so far 😁

https://bentleycomponents.co.uk/shop/p/mini-deck-strap-on-8lke3-j9sn4-3jklt-5syc9-twn9c-6ghka

The boy got a bash guard from unite. Their stem seems pretty customisable.

Renegade Stem – Custom Builder

This is the best stem cap I’ve found so far

Bookmarked! 🤣😎

£260 for a stem does seem quite indulgent 😲

I’ve just bought the DMR to go on mine, looks nice enough for me.

£260 for a stem does seem quite extravagan

199 USD plus taxes etc.

The 5dev Ti stem is 400 USD plus taxes 😲😬

Bargain in comparison! 🤣

The Ritchie one i have is lovely

Edit. Too long perhaps? 60m is the shortest

Yeah I won’t need anything longer than about 40mm, it’ll be going on a Geometron with 535mm reach…

I really like the look of my Ragley stubbing stem. Only 25 quid!!

The new Hope gravity one looks nice as well.

Something by Intend or Bikeyoke?

Got a Chromag on the singlespeed, lovely looking thing. Had matching Chromag bars too until I trashed them in a crash.

Industry Nine

Title

Intend (comes in silver too)

I just bought a Turbine R but in black. Lovely looking stem and very light. Was only £70ish from Wiggle. Recommended but as far as I am aware they only come in 35mm diameter bar clamp size so that may or may not suit you.

Previous to this I’ve always been a big fan of Renthal’s Apex stem, and ran one of those on my last two bikes. However, I needed something with zero rise and the Turbine fit the bill.

Yep I’ll need a 35mm clamp for my OneUp 35mm carbon bars.

That Title stem is what I’d buy if I didn’t also have an infuriatingly short steerer tube.

I have the turbine stem. It’s good, in black it looks stealthy!

On the subject of stems, the used bike I bought my son has a Renthal carbon bar and hope stem. Simply for brand continuity (and a bit of bling) will the Renthal Apex stem be ok on the carbon bars? Mindful that the hope clamps over a wide portion, whereas the apex is sort of two narrow bands of clamp. Stress raisers etc..

I always had a thing for Thomson X4 stems BITD, but they go from beauty to beastly below about 60mm length.

<span style=”font-size: 0.8rem;”>Still rocking one in 70mm on my commuter!</span>

That Industry Nine one above is lovely.

That title stem is very shiny…

I could also buy just the Yoshimura base plate which basically gives me a direct mount stem base on a normal fork. That would then allow me to run any most direct mount stems 😁🤔

In that set up, an 18mm rise, 45mm reach DH direct mount stem would give me 35mm rise and 37mm reach. The Title DM1 stem would give me 37mm (20mm) rise and 38mm (46mm) reach.
Edit: the title DM1 stem wouldn’t fit due to its design.

The ability to get an extra 35mm or so rise may well be the deciding factor. With the 23.5mm stack height of the ENDH base kit it’ll let me play around with the bar height, and I could go much higher with some DM spacers.

Stems a stem, i have the Defy, same as you, it is nice and does the job, had a few nice CNC over the years, but they’re much of muchness in all honesty, i do prefer the CNC style finish over the others, so really just being a bike tart, and there’s loads that do those types, Burgtec, Renthal, Raceface Atlas, OneUp, I9, etc, etc.

title and industry 9 are lovely in the metal.

chromag stems are heavy should that bother you.

intend stems, due to only having 2 bolts may not accept your bars, but possibly the best looking stem of our times.

i like the idea of a syntace stem. looks like a brandx but is expensive and light and reported to be strong

the ENDH base kit it’ll let me play around with the bar height, and I could go much higher with some DM spacers.

raising the stem shortens the reach. not by a lot, but it could make your bike less fashionable

the Tilt stem is pretty heavy, too. i’m beginning to thing my idea of what a stem should weigh is out of date.

Bikeyolk barkeeper would be my choice (as it it on 2 of my bikes). Reasonably priced (for expensive stems) and very light weight. Does put restrictions on bar choice though. Bought from TF tuned.

I did have a 77dezigns, but managed to snap it (no it wasn’t In the recall last year).

If going for bling, Intend – especially now tf tuned are uk distribution.

I’ve got an Intend stem with Burgtec 38mm bars.

Oh Hai!

Right. *cracks knuckles*

Three Rock Components, new Irish brand, made in Germany. Looks like an Intend, bit cheaper.
https://threerockcomponents.com/shop/p/onepiecestem

Roost Ti stem, Cheaper than the 5Dev…

Roost Dominator Ti stem

Kingdom have also been teasing a 3d printed Ti stem, still at preorder stage, no idea how good it will be, or look…

Tune GT35, nicely machined in Germany and light, but maybe not the most exciting looking.
https://tune.de/en/134/gt35-stem

Engin MTB stem, for a more classic look.
https://engincycles.com/all-products/engin-35mm-mtb-stem

Williams Racing Products. Loads of options, inc custom. DM and steerer mount, even with an integrated Garmin mount. Best name for a stem, ‘Stuart’.

https://www.williamsracingproducts.com/shop

Pembree have been showing off a new stem at shows etc, not sure when that’s due for release.

Want carbon? https://beast-components.de/en/mtb/mtb-stems/

Or I’ll sell you a VGC Enve M7 carbon 35x35mm for £175. DM me.

Oh, top caps. https://dward-design.co.uk/product/titanium-top-cap-ltd/

raising the stem shortens the reach. not by a lot, but it could make your bike less fashionable

Yeah I’m aware I’ll lose a bit if reach but I’m not planning going to silly heights. 👍

Cheers Tom, and others – I’ll have a look through a few later today!

that Intend stem is lovely

These look nice

EMBLEMA 40

To paraphrase Robin Williams (talking about cocaine), fancy stems are god’s way of telling you that you have too much money.

Funnduro stem looks nice for cheaps: https://www.chainreactioncycles.com/funn-funnduro-stem/rp-prod156041

That ENDH stem looks horrible.  Matching stem and bar brand for me if possible, my OCD doesn’t fit well with mix and match brands.

There are some nice stems on this thread :D.

Nukeproof Horizon is well thought out, nicely machined and looks good.

Light and strong, no sharp edges, bolt torques marked, opposing bolts and a chunk cheaper than hope/raceface options.

One thing that Nukeproof has (and a few others, Hope/Enve also do it) is the clamp being set up so you tighten it fully at the top and torque it at the bottom, instead of trying to fiddle about making the gap even top and bottom.

That’s a good thing for folks liek me who remove bars to fly with the bike, less fiddly when reassembling

I like the Nukeproof, my choice was between that and the DMR. The DMR was slightly cheaper.

and a few others, Hope/Enve also do it

And Renthal. Makes installation so much easier. Very happy with my Apex. Although looking at this thread, it would be cool if they did them in polished rather than black.

Saw that NP stem in blue on someone’s bike the other day, seems good quality.

Better-looking than some of the chi-chi options up there, to my eye.

Ive got a nukeproof horizon on the hardtail and an ANVL Swage on my FS, ANVL comes in short 32mm version.

Personally i love the look of both.

Cant post pics as im a dumbass but heres a link ANVL Swage

I’ve got a 35mm 77 designs stem available if anyone wants it. Went back to a 50mm stem

https://www.bike-components.de/en/77designz/1-Piece-Stem-p72555/

I’ve the nukeproof horizon…lovely stemp, and good value…
I wanted a 45mm stem and this was one of the few.
happy with it!

DrP

I went through this a little while ago and settled on an Enve M7 Alloy stem. It has just the right combination of lines, curves, cuts and machined features to blend nicely with most things. Most stems these days look like giant blocks with two holes bored through them. I want something that wraps neatly around the steerer and bars.