What's the difference between Stems?

In article said:

Question:

I need a stem for my MTB as I've been using an adjustable stem but want to change to a fixed none
adjustable stem. My preferred length of stem is around 110mm with 0 degree rise as this appears to
be the most comfortable correlated to myself and the bicycle frame geometry.

However, looking at various fixed stems from different manufacturers and the considerable price
differences for the same dimensioned stem, are there really any difference in them other than the
fact its got a fancy logo on it? For example, whats the difference between a stem costing £20 as
opposed to one costing around £90 both are identical in dimensions and both are made of alloy?

Many thanks for comments

DC

It's largely a matter of prettiness/shinyness and of weight. In bicycling the status of parts
derives from the logo inscribed on the piece.

For a higher price, you should get thinner metal and pretty welds.

--
Ted Bennett Portland OR

Quoted message said:

It's largely a matter of prettiness/shinyness and of weight. In bicycling the status of parts
derives from the logo inscribed on the piece.

For a higher price, you should get thinner metal and pretty welds.

Right...

Look at how it was manufactured. More expensive stems will (generally) be manufactured to last
longer (shot peening, forging, higher quality metal, etc..)than cheap stems, they will weigh less,
and have a pretty logo.

Jon

Ted Bennett wrote:

Ted Bennett said:

It's largely a matter of prettiness/shinyness and of weight. In bicycling the status of parts
derives from the logo inscribed on the piece.

For a higher price, you should get thinner metal and pretty welds.

not a great assessment. logo aside, manufacturing route & material is key to longevity. if it's cold
forged, using a fresh, clean, high strength alloy & shot peened, it's a totally different animal to
something cast or welded from old garden furniture. while price is not an absolute indicator of
quality, the two tend to go hand in hand.

jb

In "]news:[email hidden],
DC <DC> typed:

Quoted message said:

Question:

I need a stem for my MTB as I've been using an adjustable stem but want to change to a fixed none
adjustable stem. My preferred length of stem is around 110mm with 0 degree rise as this appears to
be the most comfortable correlated to myself and the bicycle frame geometry.

However, looking at various fixed stems from different manufacturers and the considerable price
differences for the same dimensioned stem, are there really any difference in them other than the
fact its got a fancy logo on it? For example, whats the difference between a stem costing £20 as
opposed to one costing around £90 both are identical in dimensions and both are made of alloy?

Many thanks for comments

DC

IMO, there's only one stem a MTB should have lhthomson.comlhthomson.comOpen ↗

Mike

jim beam <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Ted Bennett said:

It's largely a matter of prettiness/shinyness and of weight. In bicycling the status of parts
derives from the logo inscribed on the piece.

For a higher price, you should get thinner metal and pretty welds.

not a great assessment. logo aside, manufacturing route & material is key to longevity. if it's
cold forged, using a fresh, clean, high strength alloy & shot peened, it's a totally different
animal to something cast or welded from old garden furniture. while price is not an absolute
indicator of quality, the two tend to go hand in hand.

jb

Dear Jim and Jon,

While your point about the quality of the material and the manufacturing process makes sense, I'm
curious whether there's any practical difference.

Do cheaper stems actually fail at a noticeably higher rate than technically superior stems? Or are
even cheap stems so over-built for their practical use that they're effectively just as reliable?

Are there other advantages besides strength? That is, are better-built stems siginificantly easier
to install and remove, better at holding the handlebars, lighter, or more aerodynamic?

Carl Fogel

DC said:

For example, whats the difference between a stem costing £20 as opposed to one costing around £90
both are identical in dimensions and both are made of alloy?

It had better be weight.

Carl Fogel wrote: <snip>

Quoted message said:

Do cheaper stems actually fail at a noticeably higher rate than technically superior stems? Or are
even cheap stems so over-built for their practical use that they're effectively just as reliable?

don't have figures, but i'd imagine cheapies don't get the same use as good ones, so even if they
did, you're hopefully not going to see it.

Quoted message said:

Are there other advantages besides strength? That is, are better-built stems siginificantly easier
to install and remove,

quality of fit is usually better. doubt this is "significant"

Quoted message said:

better at holding the handlebars,

depends ont he clamp design & tolerance i guess. my experience is that i have good luck with good
components, bad with poor.

Quoted message said:

lighter,

because it's better, it can be made lighter for the same strength.

Quoted message said:

or more aerodynamic?

possibly. don't know much about that.

jim beam said:

Carl Fogel wrote: <snip>

Quoted message said:

Do cheaper stems actually fail at a noticeably higher rate than technically superior stems? Or
are even cheap stems so over-built for their practical use that they're effectively just as
reliable?

don't have figures, but i'd imagine cheapies don't get the same use as good ones, so even if they
did, you're hopefully not going to see it.

Doubtful. True, really cheap bikes last forever, since they are never ridden, but many very
expensive bikes are ridden less, so it would seem, than more modest gear. The poseur factor comes
into play, and some people save their really fancy bike for "special" rides.

Transportation cyclists probably put the most miles on a bike, and most of them go for cheap
when they can.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Are there other advantages besides strength? That is, are better-built stems siginificantly
easier to install and remove,

quality of fit is usually better. doubt this is "significant"

Quoted message said:

better at holding the handlebars,

depends ont he clamp design & tolerance i guess. my experience is that i have good luck with good
components, bad with poor.

Quoted message said:

lighter,

because it's better, it can be made lighter for the same strength.

Quoted message said:

or more aerodynamic?

possibly. don't know much about that.

Interesting that there is an assumption that pricier parts are better quality. I don't think that is
universally true. Some, yeah, but other high-priced things are just fancier materials or stupid-
light, and are less durable --- and sometimes worse workmanship.

Some of the priciest things are simply fancy, dumbass ideas that have more appeal than they are
worth. I'm mostly thinking of wheels, here, but carbon stems would fit as well.

--

David L. Johnson

__o | I don't believe you, you've got the whole damn thing all wrong. _`\(,_ | He's not the kind
you have to wind-up on Sundays. --Ian Anderson (_)/ (_) |

David L. Johnson said:

jim beam said:

Carl Fogel wrote: <snip>

Quoted message said:

Do cheaper stems actually fail at a noticeably higher rate than technically superior stems? Or
are even cheap stems so over-built for their practical use that they're effectively just as
reliable?

don't have figures, but i'd imagine cheapies don't get the same use as good ones, so even if they
did, you're hopefully not going to see it.

Doubtful. True, really cheap bikes last forever, since they are never ridden, but many very
expensive bikes are ridden less, so it would seem, than more modest gear. The poseur factor comes
into play, and some people save their really fancy bike for "special" rides.

so true!

Quoted message said:

Transportation cyclists probably put the most miles on a bike, and most of them go for cheap when
they can.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Are there other advantages besides strength? That is, are better-built stems siginificantly
easier to install and remove,

quality of fit is usually better. doubt this is "significant"

Quoted message said:

better at holding the handlebars,

depends ont he clamp design & tolerance i guess. my experience is that i have good luck with good
components, bad with poor.

Quoted message said:

lighter,

because it's better, it can be made lighter for the same strength.

Quoted message said:

or more aerodynamic?

possibly. don't know much about that.

Interesting that there is an assumption that pricier parts are better quality. I don't think that
is universally true. Some, yeah, but other high-priced things are just fancier materials or stupid-
light, and are less durable --- and sometimes worse workmanship.

you raise a good point which i've been kind of avoiding. the all-time "high price does not mean
good" example in stems is all the hoop-la that tends to accompany the words "c.n.c. machined". some
of these are super expensive, but imo, are not worth it. if a component is simply machined from
billet, the grain flow properties of the material are *not* necessarily going to be best aligned
with stress orientations. unless the manufacturer goes to extraordinary levels to forge to shape,
/then/ machine, cnc'ed components can have awful fatigue properties. a [cold] forged stem otoh, can
be comparatively simple & cheap but can have /great/ mechanical properties. welded can be ok, but
personally i avoid them as long as there are good forged alternatives available.

again, absolute best is cold forged to shape, machined for accuracy, then shot peened.

Quoted message said:

Some of the priciest things are simply fancy, dumbass ideas that have more appeal than they are
worth. I'm mostly thinking of wheels, here, but carbon stems would fit as well.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

It's largely a matter of prettiness/shinyness and of weight. In bicycling the status of parts
derives from the logo inscribed on the piece.

For a higher price, you should get thinner metal and pretty welds.

not a great assessment. logo aside, manufacturing route & material is key to longevity. if it's
cold forged, using a fresh, clean, high strength alloy & shot peened, it's a totally different
animal to something cast or welded from old garden furniture.

Just stay away from IKEA brand stems!!! They're the bright yellow ones with I-K-E-A stamped in blue.

Dave

On Wed, 11 Feb 2004 12:47:44 -0600, "onefred" <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

It's largely a matter of prettiness/shinyness and of weight. In bicycling the status of parts
derives from the logo inscribed on the piece.

For a higher price, you should get thinner metal and pretty welds.

not a great assessment. logo aside, manufacturing route & material is key to longevity. if it's
cold forged, using a fresh, clean, high strength alloy & shot peened, it's a totally different
animal to something cast or welded from old garden furniture.

Just stay away from IKEA brand stems!!! They're the bright yellow ones with I-K-E-A
stamped in blue.

Are they made from particleboard?