Sorry for the late response...

The stem pictured above looks like the AVA stems that Peugeot used on PX-10 bikes from the mid 60's until about 1973. They were better quality than the standard AVA stems used on lower cost models.

Those were the stems pictured in Sheldon Brown's (RIP) vilification of AVA stems that gave them the name "Death Stems".

https://www.sheldonbrown.com/velos.html (scroll down to stems)


From the 1940's through the mid 1970's millions of cast aluminum stems were produced world wide using "sand cast", "lost wax" or "investment cast" technology.

In almost 50 years I don't recall seeing a cracked or broken AVA stem. Not to say it didn't happen... The cast stems made in France by PIVO during the bike boom in the early 70's were the REAL death stems. See my link below...

In the 1970's stems started being made using "pressure cast" or "injection molding" technology. The process reduced voids and gas bubbles in the castings which along with low strength alloys were problem with the old cast stems. BTW, the Japanese euphemistically refer to this as MELT FORGED! Total marketing BS!!!!

Even the best cast stems are not equal to high quality forged stems like those made by Cinelli, 3TTT and Nitto.

I posted this message back in 2018. Scroll down to stems:

PX10 find!

Here's another good discussion from 2012 on AVA stems (ava-death-stem-fact-fiction):

AVA "death stem" fact or fiction

BF member [MENTION=40306]cudak888[/MENTION] website goes into a lot of additional details:

The Headbadge: Death Stems Demystified: AVA and ATAX

In summation, if you have one of the bike boom era cast stems, pull it out and inspect it regularly for cracks forming at the top of the expander splits. Radius the top or tops of the splits to reduce the chance of cracks forming from stress risers.



Limit use to casual rides like C&V get togethers. Don't trust them for hard climbs honking out of the saddle or fast descents.


verktyg