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.
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! 😎
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.
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 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.
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.
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
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.
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.