Which model stems stiffest?
 

It's time to upgrade my ancient ride to a 31.8 bar. And with that will be a new stem.

I'm a big guy and torque on things pretty hard as well as requiring a 120-140mm lenght (depending on bar reach).

Which stems are known to be stiffere than the rest? Preferably alu. As, I don't think I'll be spending on carbon at the moment.

Any limp pieces of spaghetti I should avoid?

Who's got the stiffest alloy stem going?

Check what the pro sprinters are using. Deda 35 (requires the 35mm bar too) is what Greipel is currently using.

Stiffest may be a carbon one. Shimano Cavendish stem or the Zipp 145 (which Cav is using now)

ehh, a stem is a stem is a stem.

When not using custom carbon, Chis Hoy uses a 3T 4GXL. He's a big boy.

How much weight are you putting on your bars?

No. especially when they are 120-140mm.

Do you have a specific price range? Is there much of a used market where you live? I've picked up some nice stems for really cheap on craigslist.

Ritchey c260 is a good solid stem.

true, but aside from length. they all do the same thing. The difference between steel, AL, Ti, Carbon. etc. Is 99% weight. I mean I could get into a convoluted explanation of the history of stems and the many different configurations of stem and handlebar. But 3 people have recommended 4 different stems. I have a deda magic, feels the same as a 3t, specialized, easton, and fsa stems I have used.

What effect, other than 'feel', does stem stiffness have? I can't imagine it affecting how much force you can put down on the pedals. There can't be that much deflection in a stem.

If you want something just super stiff try to find a kuota katch stem and handlebars. Those are standard equipment for the kuota KOM, you wont get stiffer than those two IMO.

I have that set and the thing is just insanely stiff.

i like my Thomson stem. Its plenty stiff and plenty light and has very nice finishing machine work and looks excellent with a matching seatpost.

I am a beast and this is what I use in a 120mm:
http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=295119


I also have a Deda Zero in a 140 but it is nowhere near as stiff :)

I can't tell the difference in any stem I've ever had, maybe mine are all just crappy. Pick one you like the look of and can afford.

Cavendish used to use the provibe. I'm sure it's stiff enough for the op.

If cost were no object the Pro Vibe or Zipp SL145 would be the no brainer solution. But, it's a decade old bike I'm trying to eak a little more time out of before I buy the next "last bike". So, carbon is not in the upgrade budget.

And, the Deda 35 is out, because I would like to stick to the 31.8 dia. standard for the greater selection of potential bars.

To those of you who can't tell the difference between stems, don't bother responding then. Simple enough, right?

The issue is not weight on the bars, it's leverage during standing sprints while in the drops. Something I'm just starting to refamilliarize myself with. I've ended up in a few lately and the amount of bar flex I experienced was concerning to say the least. The stem is only half of the equation, the bars are the other. But, the feeling of ones bars moving in a manner that differs from that of the frame will one, eventually lead to something breaking, two, result in a loss of power to the cranks and three, contribute to less than predictable steering.

Those of you who are lucky enough to be so light as to not need to worry about such issues are furtunate.

I find 3T 4gxl bars, but, the stems appear to be as rare as hens teeth. And, while cheap is good, I can spend a little more than that.

Ritchey c260 was already on my list and appears to be a good contender.

I have a Thomson post on the bike already. I would probably go with an X4, for the 4 bolt face and increased stack height. But, they're only available in 10deg or 0. I would prefer a 6deg.

So far, it appears that Ritchey C260 is leading the way with only two votes (mine and Hapsmo).

Does anyone have any experience with 3T ARX's? That was the other on my personal list of possibilities.

Honestly, I'd imagine that the bars are a better place to focus - way more flex possible due to the moment around the stem/steerer.

I use Deda Zero Nero on my Colnago and my Bianchi with Deda Presa handlebars. Both are stiff and work well together.

http://www.dedaelementi.com/index.ph...mid=89&lang=en

Bars are next. But, not as interested in public input on them. Hand position/fit are far more important. I tried anatomical bars many years ago and didn't like them. But, didn't try more than a couple shapes before going back to classic drops. It's time to try anatomical again. The flex is what pushed me over the edge.

Those with sharp angles to the drops definately don't work for me. But, a progressive curve may. I've got a pair of 3T Ergonova's in the garage ready to be mounted up in the new stem once that's decided on. There are also a few other pairs hanging in various mate's garages for me to trial, if I so desire. With regard to bars, I'm imaging it will be a process of finding the favorite shape, then deciding which model from that manufacturer is stiffest.

EA70 stuff is pretty cheap and plenty stiff.

A few months ago Velo News published a comparison test of stems and handlebars for stiffness and actual (as opposed to advertised) weight. As I remember, the carbon sets were generally not as stiff as aluminum and the Ritchey WCS sets were stiffer than most and weighed in at the lighter end of the range. The C260 wasn't in the test. 3T was a bit lower down, as was another popular stem, the FSA OS-99. I vote for the Ritchey C260, too.

I have the OS-99 CSI. It's light, looks nice, but not very stiff in 120mm. On the upside, the FSA stuff is relatively inexpensive.

I have Thomsons on most my race bikes. Best stem for the money, IMO; fairly light and very stiff. They come in a large variety of lengths and angles as well, which is important to me.

Before you buy a stem, decide your bar. If you go with a "compact" bar, like the ergonova's, you'll need a longer stem to get the same hand position in the drops as you get with a more classic bend bar. Bar type goes a long way toward determining stem length and angle.

+1,000,000

I use Rotunda pros and when on the drops I am waaaaaaay down there but that is for a sprint only (the whole bike was built around crit racing/sprint). The stem was chosen based on the criteria of the rest of the bike. Like Brian said start with where your hands want to be then build it backwards.

Ritchey c260 seems like the best modern Alu stem I've tried, but it's pretty ugly. But if you're going to use carbon bars, it's much easier on the clamp area. Big improvement on the older WCS stems in terms of stiffness.

I run a 135mm Syntace F119 and I find it to be the best mix of weight and strength. Only the bar hooks bend with it when I'm sprinting. I find all mid-weight Syntace stuff to be really excellent. And it's a 6° stem.

To expand on this... to get around the chicken/egg problem, buy cheap stems for fit; once you know how you want the cockpit of the bike set up, splurge on a more expensive stem that is light/stiff as you require. You should be able to find stems in the $20-30 dollar range in most sizes and shapes if you poke around the internet a bit.

completely agree here. your average stem is so short and so thick even an el cheapo stem that is 130-140ish long isn't gonna flex much before breaking/bending either the bars or the steer tube. pretty much any $80-$120 alloy stem is gonna be great