MegaSack DRAW - This year's winner is user - rgwb
We will be in touch
Bought a USE Vyce stem for my recent build.
And now regretting it. One bolt to do everything: hold the stem to the bars and the the stem to the steerer.
Headset keeps loosening, and, after using a torque wrench multiple times to tighten the fiddly little bolt, I chanced my arm at tightening it without a torque wrench, and guess what? I stripped the thread.
This could be one of my most regrettable cycling purchases.
So, while I wait for USE to call me back regarding a replacement part:
- If you're thinking of buying one of these, consider other options. I wanted to buy local. Regrettably, USE don't do short stems in conventional format, so I went with this. I may need to change to something else. I'm hating it.
- If you have one, any tips? Any advice on setting it up nicely so the bars don't move and scratch during adjustment (nice scratchable surface on those bars, USE!), so it doesn't slacken off mid-ride, and so you can tighten it while out riding without a torque wrench?
Cheers all. <goes away to look up stems that are less ugly than Hope, and more practical than USE>
When you say headset keep loosening you are still using a starnut/steerer bug for preloading the bearings?
@dirkpitt74 - Currently has a wedgy-bungy thing doing that job. Tried a Hope Hed-Doctor. Dreadful luck with that, so switched to a no-brand basic version of the same thing. Better, but still not great. Might switch to star-fangled nut.
Given their track record, I'd never trust anything load bearing from them.
I'm not familiar with that particular stem, but let me guess, being USE, it relies on a single 3mm allen bolt 😉
I've got one as well. Its not fitted to my bike which pretty much says it all as I think its a very nice subtle stem. Mine creaked like mad and as you say was an absolute nightmare trying to get torqued up and stay tight. Careful though - stem choice is a slippy slope. I now have choices of Renthal, Burgtec and OneUp. Finding the perfect stem has turned into an obsession.
DrP has one for sale, they're brilliant, absolutely superb bit of kit.
I've always thought they looked like trouble. If it was mine I'd drill it out and stick M4's in it.
I’ve had one fitted to my Sherpa for about 5 months, including for some short bikepacking. It is a rather big faff to fit with the single bolt, but other than that it has worked really well - star nut in SID forks, Stantons own headset and carbon bars.
Have been using one for 10 months, not had any slipping issues, torqued exactly as specified. Wasn't much choice when I purchased at that stem length, and was a bit worried about all that clamping relying on one small bolt but so far been fine. It is more of a faff to fit, and annoying if you like to take your forks off the bike to service....
DrP has one for sale, they’re brilliant, absolutely superb bit of kit.
😀 😀
This is a running joke at my expense..... they are literally the WORST thing ever!
I bought one cos, you know, cool stuff etc etc..
No-one..i mean NO-ONE asked for ONE SINGLE BLOODY BOLT TO ADJUST EVERYHTING IN TEH COCKPIT...
it's a terrible idea.
bin the thing.
chalk this down to learning.
want to slightly roll your bars back a bit... well you can't, cos you'll also be rotating the forks AND loosening the headset.
Slight crash and simply need to restraighten your bars? Well you'll also be making the bars flip forward and 6mm to the left whilst you do it...
Genuinely... i wouldn't give the USE Vyse stem to my worse enemy!!!
DrP
PS - lightly used Vyce stem up in teh classifieds now... PM for details. It's fab.
Are they paying George French a license fee? Seems like a rip off of the Odyssey Elementary stem:
I knew the picture of the Elementary was minutes away. Probably the worst BMX product I ever bought.
At least you couldn't strip the bolt though, it could take all the torques. You could crush your steel handlebar so it's a different set of problems.
Turns out I'd never seen one of these before - ooft. Definite hints of "just because you can, doesn't mean you should" about it
That elementary stem looks awesome.
Vaguely relevant bit at around 3.45, but I think it's all worth a watch/re-watch because, you know - BF!
I've got one on my Broken Road and have had zero problems with it for over a year. My only regret is that I briefly thought of trying out a Jones bar (or similar) and this design pretty much rules that out.
All that said, I can't really figure out the advantage of it over another stem (in my case it was just availability).
I knew the picture of the Elementary was minutes away. Probably the worst BMX product I ever bought.
I never said it was good! Top load stem every time, as BF said above, there's just no need!
and this design pretty much rules that out.
No it doesnt.....!
You can take all the wedge gubbins out and just slide the bar in.
DrP
After smashing up my knee on my stem I tried a wedge design one back in the 90's when they first came out, advertised as knee friendly, think it was a tioga, awful, terrible creaky design that needs overtightening to actually do the job, even then it's hit n miss.
When I saw this stem in the bike mags I thought it was a terrible idea and wouldn't touch it with a barge pole, what were USE thinking and what were yous thinking buying it 😀.
Nukeproof horizon for a worry free good looking, well functioning cockpit.
If you want a nice UK made short stem, I’ve put a Unite Co one on a new build and it’s lovely.
https://uniteco.bike/product-category/stems/
If you want a nice UK made short stem, I’ve put a Unite Co one on a new build and it’s lovely.
I looked at these but 35mm clamp only. I'm sticking with 31.8 for as long as possible.
I've got one of these in my bits box waiting to go on a new build. Might have to rethink that now!
+1 on wanting to find a subtle (not Hope awful branding), black, 50mm length, 31.8 clamp stem that isn't an absolute boat anchor!
There are loads of 35mm clamp stems, loads of weird lengths, loads of nice stems out of stock for eternity... any ideas?
I've got a Joystick Binary with a 31.8 clamp. Comes in 35 and 50mm reach.
Dmr defy comes in both clamp sizes and 50mm. Solid.
Joystick make some of the nicest stems I've ever had, but you cannot get them in the UK (or Europe..) if you go on their website they're looking for a European disti.
Vast majority of reviews from real world users I've seen are bad. A stem is not something I wouldn't want to trust 100%.
No it doesnt…..!
You can take all the wedge gubbins out and just slide the bar in.
Of course, duh! I hadn't given it much thought since idly thinking about it on a ride. Sounds like I have something else on my list of things to ponder again.
Cheers!
I just got a DMR defy 50mm, it's a lovely stem but it's not what you'd call light. I was a bit concerned about the steerer clamp mechanism but it works well and means there isn't anything sharp to hit a knee on in the event of a crash (I sliced my leg open on the back of a RaceFace Turbine).
got a vice on my proto stooge rambler, has been really trouble free**, even with my drunken monkey antics and I kill stems quite often. Use Vyce is simple to set up. If you are having trouble I would suggest sir has all of the mechanical sympathy of chimpanzee on PCP
**now I've hexed it and had better wait for ripping the stem apart on the next ride !
I kill stems quite often. ......I would suggest sir has all of the mechanical sympathy of chimpanzee on PCP
ahem, glass houses n all that.
How are you managing to kill stems often? My list of bust stems stands at 0 in 23 years, and some of them were shite
What are you doing to kill stems quite often? I've seen maybe 3 broken stems in 20 years.
ahem, glass houses n all that.
oh thats not a lack of mechanical sympathy, but sheer bloody singlespeed buffoonery and using wide ti bars that flex a bit under load, in one instance making a face plate explode of the front of the stem mid race. (although to be fair that was all 4 bolts letting go)
I've also twisted a thomson, Cracked a thomson, snapped a 4axis ritchey in an really ugly landing.
I've found stuff that works for me now and I'l also a little old man these day so ride far less aggressively and just pootle. 🙂
My carbon enve mountain stem is still a worry, but its sooooo pretty