Ritchey stems

[54ny77]

It's been quite awhile since I've been in market for a Ritchey Stem, but I need to get a slightly longer one. Anyone know the difference between the new 4-Axis and WCS? Is it meaningful other than price? I've had a couple 4-axis stems in the past, never gave any thought to 'em other than they worked just fine.

I don't care about weight difference, for whatever that's worth. Just want something that looks nice and works well. Set it & forget it.

Any tips or experience would be much appreciated.

[Ralph]

Believe 4 axis comes in WCS and a slightly cheaper model. I have a 4 Axis WCS one. You're right, they work good.

[false_Aest]

New WCS uses Torx.

And installing bar isn't just a drop-in thing. Its a start-at-the-drops-and-feed-it-through thing.

[54ny77]

false, do you happen to know how long the screws are? i'd like to swap 'em out for stainless allen head if poss.

[nighthawk]

New WCS uses Torx.

And installing bar isn't just a drop-in thing. Its a start-at-the-drops-and-feed-it-through thing.

That's just the C260 stems, though, right?

[Grant McLean]

And installing bar isn't just a drop-in thing. Its a start-at-the-drops-and-feed-it-through thing.

With the C260 stems, can't you slip the stem over the bar,
just to one side of the center bulge? Surly there is no need to
remove a brake lever and slide it all the way from the drops?

-g

[false_Aest]

With the C260 stems, can't you slip the stem over the bar,
just to one side of the center bulge? Surly there is no need to
remove a brake lever and slide it all the way from the drops?

-g

I agree with what they say:

http://www.artscyclery.com/reviews/RS260/RS260review.html

Once installed, the C260 stem looks great and means business, but you do have to get it on your bike first. Believe me when I say that it requires equal amounts of finesse and patience. Because of the unique 260-degree C-shaped clamping surface it won’t go on quite as easily as a traditional 180-degree stem. You will probably need to undo some of your bar wrap, if not all of it depending on the brand and style of your handlebar. It is impossible to install the stem straight onto the traditional 31.8 diameter mid-section. You need to put it on further down at the narrower portion of the bar and then slide it into place. All in all it is not a particularly difficult process, it just takes more time than your average stem install.

Care needs to be taken with the stem bolts as well. The unique design of the stem allows for the use of smaller, 3mm Allen bolts on both the faceplate and the steerer tube clamp. These bolts are made out of steel but due to their small size, I recommend being very careful when tightening them down. They seem soft and prone to stripping if you’ve had a little too much spinach. A torque wrench is highly recommended. Even torqueing the bolts can be tricky however. The bolts at the bottom of the faceplate are difficult to access and they all face backwards But, the whole process isn’t too bad and is one that most riders will only need to do once

[ryker]

With the C260 stems, can't you slip the stem over the bar,
just to one side of the center bulge? Surly there is no need to
remove a brake lever and slide it all the way from the drops?

-g

You do need to unwrap quite a bit but nowhere near the lever (on my Ritchey WCS bars).

[soulspinner]

I like the regular WCS, although it doesn't seem as stiff as my Thomson.........the 260 looks odd.

[tigoat]

I was not a Ritchey fan until I tried a C260 stem. I was instantly a Ritchey fan for life after owning this new revolutionary stem design. Light, stiff, attractive, and affordable, are just what this C260 stem about. I just wish Ritchey would make a 10-degree and 17-degree versions of it, so we will have more options to choose from. Unlike other alloy stems where they put those ugly holes/cutouts on the steerer clamp to reduce mass, the C260 uses a full wrap steerer clamp and it even has 3 heavy steel bolts and with a curved slot on the clamp to even out the clamping force and to reduce the risk of pinching the steerer. Ritchey did all these things and still manage to beat them all in the weight department. You don’t have to be an engineer to appreciate all these well thought out technical features on a stem design. Don’t even get me started on talking about the new C260 bar clamp design. It is revolutionary to say the least in terms of stiffness and robustness. The C260 also looks incredibly good; it reminds me of a head of a mean snake from a cockpit view. The C260 does indeed require the stem to slide over from the small portion of the bars to install, which can be inconvenient if you install it to an existing bike, but it makes little difference for a new installation. Some bars, especially those with a coated finish are bigger than others so it might not be easy to slide it over. Some dish washing soap to slick things up might help with the installation. I have installed several of these stems on my bikes so I have a lot of experience with it. One method that I have used successfully to install this C260 stem without worrying about scratching my bars is to spread the clamp with screw drivers before sliding it to onto the center section. I have installed a C260 stem onto ENVE bars and it slid onto the clamp section with ease without leaving any marking. I have also installed it onto other aluminum bars and it did require spreading the clamp slightly. Of course, it will slide over to the center section regarding; it is a matter of whether if you care about taking a chance to mark your bars or not. Nonetheless, it might require a little more effort to install than the old stem design but the end result is rewarding with a nice looking and rigid setup. Now let's talk about their SuperLogic seatpost...Did I sound like a Ritchey salesman? I would love to be one!

[CNY rider]

This new stem sounds like too much hassle.
I have existing stems from Nitto and Ritchey. They go right onto my bars and best I can tell have always held my bars where they are supposed to be.
At 150 pounds I'm not going to comment on rigidity/flexibility other than to say I think people make way too much of it.
So why do I need a stem that is a hassle to put my bars in?

[AngryScientist]

........I was instantly a Ritchey fan for life after owning this new revolutionary stem design...................... Light, stiff, attractive, and affordable, are just what this C260 stem about. ...........................You don’t have to be an engineer to appreciate all these well thought out technical features on a stem design. ................ It is revolutionary to say the least in terms of stiffness and robustness.

sweet, sweet marketeering koolaid, mmmmmm

[oldpotatoe]

sweet, sweet marketeering koolaid, mmmmmm

Gotta agree..we sold a lot of WCS and a few C260..but then started just carrying Comp stems..they are 1/2+ the price, and weigh a painful 57 grams more(Note-a Powerbar weighs...60 grams)

Comp hold the handlebar on well.

Like a seatpost and headset...hold fork on, hold saddle on...