Steel frame threadless stem aesthetics

[mhespenheide]

The Darimo on that new Baum looks great, if budget isn't something you're worried about.

[AngryScientist]

For an inexpensive option, I think the much revered Kalloy Uno is svelte enough and ungarishly branded to be considered.

[J.kovak]

1” ht here.

Sim works Wendy stem with Nitto m151 or m106nas is def my go to stem/bar combo.

[tuscanyswe]

Originally Posted by reuben

Every time you post this magnificently beautiful bike I feel things that I can't comprehend, much less explain.

Is that a 1.125" stem on a 1" steerer tube? I did something similar with a bike I have using a VO shim.

Cheers yup the stem is shimmed from 1" to 11/8"

I accidently dropped my lock on this one 6 month ago so its now got a small dent on the toptube, i still curse myself for it to this day I should be nicer to myself, stuff happen but its rough for me when i really care about a bike .)

[unterhausen]

Originally Posted by Peter P.

If you can't find anything off the rack that meets your aesthetics, find a builder like Paul Sadoff at Rock Lobster and ask them to build one for you. Any weight penalty is over-ruled by looks, and you can have it finished almost any way you want. The key is to have the extension the same diameter as the top tube.

I had Paul build a 1 1/8" steel threadless stem for me and it is spiffy.

I think the paragon stem parts look pretty good, but the front half is a bit heavy looking for a 1" stem so I could never make myself buy it. I have the paragon steerer clamp sitting in my parts box waiting for the right bike to build a stem for. Good point about the extension diameter.

[choke]

The Cinelli Grammo is the best looking threadless stem ever IMO. It's 26.0 and though they made 0° versions they are extremely hard to find and command $$$$.

A Syntace F99 or F109 would meet your most of your requirements and they are tolerable in appearance.

The Grammo....

[basilic]

If you're going to splurge, get a stem with hidden bolts, lie this one by English
https://www.englishcycles.com/custom...lis-road-bike/

Darimo make an aluminum stem with a similar mechanism.

[basilic]

Originally Posted by AngryScientist

For an inexpensive option, I think the much revered Kalloy Uno is svelte enough and ungarishly branded to be considered.

The kalloy stem has an asymmetric faceplate/bands, the rounded hinge should be at the top. I'm not certain from this picture, but it may be mounted upside down. For safety, check it out.

[exapkib]

Late to the party, but wanted to share. I've wrestled with the same questions on my Yamaguchi. At first, I ran a Thomson X4 with a shim. Great stem, but it always bothered me how much wider it was than the tubing of the frame. Here are the other stems I've used, in chronological order:



Found a second-hand custom stem from Yamaguchi. Loved it. Fit the bike perfectly. Did not fit my body perfectly (135mm length, -17 degree rise). I ran this for more than a year before I admitted that it was too long for my fit and passed it on.





Next, I used a 3T Mutant. I love the way it looks from the top, but the side-view aesthetics are still a reach for me. In some ways, I know it fits the 90's vibe of the bike perfectly. In my mind's eye, though, I'm really looking for something that's not pulling so much attention from the frame.



Which leads to this: a bike co-op find. A cheap Bontrager stem from the parts box at the local co-op. Not flashy. Just works.





I keep telling myself that someday I'll spring for a custom stem that fits (Rob English would be at the top of my list since Koichi Yamaguchi isn't making custom stems separate from frames anymore). Today is not that day.

[NHAero]

Originally Posted by basilic

The kalloy stem has an asymmetric faceplate/bands, the rounded hinge should be at the top. I'm not certain from this picture, but it may be mounted upside down. For safety, check it out.

I think you can mount the stem either way up, as long as the "hinge" and faceplate bands match at their joints. Is this wrong?

[Fat Cat]

[Fat Cat]

A

[basilic]

Originally Posted by NHAero

I think you can mount the stem either way up, as long as the "hinge" and faceplate bands match at their joints. Is this wrong?

The stem has a concave interface on both sides (since you can use it pointing up or down), but the bands have one convex and one flat end. The convex end goes up.

[tellyho]

I have a Nitto MT-31 I recently picked up that is not going to work for me if you're interested. Downside: 25.4 clamp (and no faceplate).

[hampco]

+1 on the Deda Superleggera.

And I would avoid the (now discontinued) Thomson X2 - some like to... fragment.