Carbon stems : Bad idea?

[Mark_Robson]

I used to have loads when iused White handlebar tape, use only black now, and I haven't crashed.

OMG I have white tape on my Sunday best bike.......runs out to colour it black.

 

[RecordAceFromNew]

You might want to see this. I have on the other hand never heard anybody suggesting that one needs to be aware of a properly designed alloy stem snapping under use. There were however badly designed alloy stems that did fail without warning, as seen here.

 

[raindog]

Carbon stems on the otherhand I don't feel that they would need replacing in a crash, because I don't feel a crash would damage them, the crash would damage the bars or steerer. The stems tend to be hugely overbuilt and stiff anyway.

I believe the pro-teams scrap carbon stems automatically after a crash, whether there are signs of damage or not.

 

[GrasB]

You might want to see this. I have on the other hand never heard anybody suggesting that one needs to be aware of a properly designed alloy stem snapping under use. There were however badly designed alloy stems that did fail without warning, as seen here.

Yeah because I've never seen ally suddenly give up in normal use... just talk to Origamist about handle bars.

 

[e-rider]

Carbon stems seem disproportionately expensive given that many of them aren't even all that light. If it's weight savings you're after, what about a Thomson?

Matthew

Although I love thomson products and have thomson elite seatposts on both bikes and a thomson X2 stem on my road bike - they are not that light! Definitely beautiful and elegant but not lightweight (relatively speaking; they are not heavy)

 

[mickle]

What point a carbon stem when the very nicely machined FSA120 costs so little and weighs the same or less?

 

[redddraggon]

Why do people assume that people buy a carbon stem for lightness?

Everyone I knows who goes for carbon stems, buys them because they are super stiff, in the full knowledge that they weigh more.

Who wants a light flexy aluminium stem anyway?

 

[GrasB]

Who said weight has anything to do with it? Maybe it's got more to do with the inherent properties of the material. With this in mind carbon stems make sense as they tend to dampen smaller vibrations without sacrificing large force stiffness.

 

[Mark_Robson]

Or maybe people regard carbon stems as a status symbol or a nice piece if bling?

 

[mickle]

Why do people assume that people buy a carbon stem for lightness?

Everyone I knows who goes for carbon stems, buys them because they are super stiff, in the full knowledge that they weigh more.

Who wants a light flexy aluminium stem anyway?

FFs. Super stiff my arse. The difference in flex between your carbon stem and a lightweight aluminum one is simply too little to measure. But keep believing you can feel a difference if it helps you justify spending money on bling.

 

[redddraggon]

FFs. Super stiff my arse. The difference in flex between your carbon stem and a lightweight aluminum one is simply too little to measure. But keep believing you can feel a difference if it helps you justify spending money on bling.

Right yeh, keep spouting your ignorance, and lack of materials knowledge.

 

[mickle]

You made a statement about the relative stiffness of carbon and aluminium stems, do you fancy backing it up with some evidence?

 

[GrasB]

I'm with mickle on this one. In terms of low frequency force stiffness there'll be very little between ally & carbon stems. IME less smaller vibrations are transmitted to the handlebars, so in fact the carbon stem is actually more flexible to higher frequency forces.

 

[montage]

The proof is in the facts. Why is it there were veeeeeery few riders in the 2009 tour de france with carbon stems?....carbon bars only had about 2 riders using them.
Carbon stems and bars are, in my considered opinion, a marketting con. They won't be any stiffer, but they are rarely any lighter without compromising security

 

[montage]

Arguments for alloy stems:
Just as stiff
Lighter
More durable - especially in an off

Arguments for carbon stem:
bling
too much cash burning in wallet