Chris King makes stems!!

[nmrt]

At $300 a pop! Would you buy? They sure look purdy...

http://cielo.chrisking.com/cielo-classic-and-racer-stems/

[soulspinner]

At $300 a pop! Would you buy? They sure look purdy...

http://cielo.chrisking.com/cielo-classic-and-racer-stems/

Ahhhh no.

[donevwil]

Classic ? Not the stem I visualize on my '72 Mondia or '88 Merckx.

1697884503

[Germany_chris]

yes, yes I would

[miguel]

Classic ? Not the stem I visualize on my '72 Mondia or '88 Merckx.

1697884503

Pretty sure yr '72 and '88 don't have 1.125" steer tubes

[cekte]

Agreed they are not for actual classic bikes, in either fit or aesthetics.

However I feel they named that stem the Classic because it is made to pair with the Cielo Sportif Classic and Cross Classic framesets. Just as the Racer stem is made to pair with the Road Racer, Sportif Racer, and Cross Racer frames.

I think they would look fantastic on the right bikes and builds.

[donevwil]

Agreed they are not for actual classic bikes, in either fit or aesthetics.

However I feel they named that stem the Classic because it is made to pair with the Cielo Sportif Classic and Cross Classic framesets. Just as the Racer stem is made to pair with the Road Racer, Sportif Racer, and Cross Racer frames.

I think they would look fantastic on the right bikes and builds.

Good point, matched to Cielo frames. I think these bulky Paragon-parts stems look OK on large tubed Ti frames, but a more custom, Winter-style stem looks more appropriate on a steel frame, but that's just my opinion. They are certainly well made, some customizability would be nice.

[mtechnica]

Sorry $300 for a stem with no listed weight :confused: You can buy a new 3t arx pro for $50 and it doesn't even look like an easter egg.

[donevwil]

Sorry $300 for a stem with no listed weight :confused: You can buy a new 3t arx pro for $50 and it doesn't even look like an easter egg.

The steel Paragon head and aluminum cover add up to 93 grams alone, no tube, steerer clamp or screws.

[Titanium]

I am not sure why certain parts mfgs. feel that they are entitled to so much more money for a simple part than seems reasonable for such items. Its like the world is condoning paying that much more to have a machinist just do their job correctly. A few years back,any machinist in the states would never let anything that wasn't spec out of their shop.After all, that is the job.
Considering I just spent $175 for beautiful 78' Colnago Super frame frame ,fork,Campy headset and BB, .....$300 for a stem,I think not.

[echelon_john]

I like light bike parts.

But I sure want my stem to weigh more than it has to.

[fuzzalow]

They name one of their stems a "Racer Stem" and it is not offered in a -17 degree version? Meh. The longest length they offer is 130mm? Hate to bust their bubble but there isn't anything Racer about anything to do with that stem.

[oldpotatoe]

Classic ? Not the stem I visualize on my '72 Mondia or '88 Merckx.

1697884503

Me neither....t-less with a big built in spacer..

[dieonthishill]

I would rather go custom for that kind of money

[Cameron]

I've been torn on these since they started promoting/selling them a few weeks back. My gut reaction is that they're too expensive. Especially when priced next to their complete framesets. At $1895/frameset a $300 stem seems out of scale, but maybe that's just me.

I have a Cielo Cross Classic in black with orange/mango graphics and matching mango CK stuff on it and one of the black "classic" stems with a mango front cap would be so excellent on it. On the other hand I opted to order a Fairweather/Nitto stem from Blue Lug in Japan. Similar specs/aesthetic as the new Cielo stems. Nitto made, fillet brazed, etc. With JPY to USD conversion *and* shipping from Japan to Oregon I paid something like $135 landed at my doorstep.

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-OiHPtM02vjo/U6McklqT75I/AAAAAAAAGE0/gOu6FfQ-LhI/s640-no/1173145_601929616511438_220397839_n.jpg


I'll admit that if the stems would have been available when I placed my Cielo frame order I probably would have gotten the matching stem. So maybe it's a good thing they weren't and ended up with the Japanese one :cool:

[Peter P.]

I'll admit, the price seems high, but I don't understand much about what it costs to construct one of these stems or produce them in batches, never mind the powdercoating and anodizing costs, so I can't criticize the pricing.

Does that sound like I criticized the pricing anyway? :confused:

I think the Racer stems are a great idea; they come in a +/- 6 degree version with no decals on the extension so you can flip the stem without it looking odd. The range of lengths is reasonable, the anodized caps are a bonus the range of colors suits just about any bike, and you can rest assured they'll be strong as a russian grandmother.

[witcombusa]

At $300 a pop! Would you buy? They sure look purdy...

http://cielo.chrisking.com/cielo-classic-and-racer-stems/


Not a chance

[pavel]

$300 for tig welded and painted 4130? WHERE DO I SIGN UP????

[choke]

Nope. I wouldn't even use it if someone gave it to me.

[ergott]

Classic ? Not the stem I visualize on my '72 Mondia or '88 Merckx.
http://cielo.chrisking.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Cielo_classic_stem_black_greeen1.jpg

My only worry is that clamp will be below most expansion plugs in carbon forks. I wonder if they thought of that. Most forks are all carbon these days unless that only for steel forks.

[thirdgenbird]

$300 for tig welded and painted 4130? WHERE DO I SIGN UP????

http://shop.goldsprint.de/images/product_images/original_images/img_2411.jpg

[brockd15]

I'm not a fan. If I was getting a $300 stem it'd have to look a lot fancier than that. There are just way too many (as in, almost all) stems out there for a lot less and that look better.

[pavel]

@thirdgenbird,


Right?

[thirdgenbird]

@thirdgenbird,


Right?

I get its a premium product, I really do. I've got two record equipped bikes, chorus and record on my single speed, and Chris king headsets on them all.

The price does seem slightly out of line though. The price is right in the ballpark with a completely custom winter stem that I think would look better on most anything but a cielo. If I were buying a cielo, I would be tempted, but would probably settle (seems like an odd word here) for a Thomson.

As another price comparison, you can do a completely custom black Soulcraft for $300 or a colored one for $400. More money, but you can get any rise from -20 to +20 and any length from 50mm to 150mm in 1mm increments.

[FlashUNC]

For the money, you're better off calling Eric and going the custom Winter route.

[jimoots]

The stems look nice paired on the Cielo bikes. The welds look really nice... And I 'get it', I really do... But even 'getting it'... $300 is pretty steep for 4130.

[Nags&Ducs]

Yuck. These look fugly. And I'm a huge fan of their hubs and headsets.

[soulspinner]

For the money, you're better off calling Eric and going the custom Winter route.

BAM there it is..........:hello:

[victoryfactory]

I actually like the clean design.
Lots of colors is a plus.
Availability of 0 degree is a big plus (not enough 0deg choices out there)
Price is about $75. too high IMO
But I could see myself going for that stem in a moment of weakness as I've been planning a cockpit
upgrade on my main ride which hasn't seen a new part in a while.

I wonder how bonky the shim for 26mm bars is? Might have to (finally) go to 31mm

VF

VictoryFactory's World (with apologies to Andrew Wyeth):

[thirdgenbird]

$225 would be right in line

[alessandro]

VictoryFactory's World (with apologies to Andrew Wyeth):

Nice! Keep the tributes coming... maybe an Edward Hopper next?

[Tony Edwards]

I like the looks of the Racer stems, but the Classic ones seem to me like a visually inelegant way of avoiding using spacers. I find that an ugly design and presumably it's a fairly heavy one, given the amount of steel that it puts on the steerer. I would certainly not pay $300 for either, since it would be much cheaper and lighter to simply paint a proven aluminum stem like a Ritchey/Deda/3T, etc. to match my bike.

[victoryfactory]

Nice! Keep the tributes coming... maybe an Edward Hopper next?

French six day bicycle racer - Edward Hopper

Caption: "Maybe I need a new stem"

[AJosiahK]

On the right bike sure why not. I would hesitate given the cost however :/