Educate me about stems - Why are some so expensive? What's the diff?

roguedog · #1 07-09-2020, 05:45 PM

Was looking at stems for a fit adjustment and noticed a wide range of pricing. Even just pulling up the competitve cyclist page, seems all over the board

Why are some stems so expensive and others not even within the same material type? Alu or carbon.

In the past, I've just sorta looked at aesthetics, length and rise and that' it.. am I missing something?

Educate me while I sit in line at the post office to return a stem since I grabbed a cheap one from a PLer!

Ken Robb · #2 07-09-2020, 05:55 PM

Light, strong, cheap---pick two?

pjbaz · #3 07-09-2020, 05:55 PM

Idk, I just use Thomson every time and have never thought much more about it

cuda · #4 07-09-2020, 06:00 PM

in some instances the bling factor on the other hand weight weenie appeal. I could be a bit guilty of falling into both categories from time to time. Case in point I've been circling the classifieds for a nice 110mm stem. I have been looking for something reasonably light but also wanted one with out all the branding. Nothing panned out here so i hit the LBS
Ended up with an SWorks Sl. Very lightweight and black on black branding. The rub is it cost $40 more than a heavier non-SL with words painted all over the farking thing. Paying more for less - its a thing.

Coffee Rider · #5 07-09-2020, 06:03 PM

At the manufacturer level, I’m relatively confident it’s a lot about higher margins on the more expensive ones. I think it is kind of like a bling tax. For example, the only point of Enve stems generally is the bling factor.

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mdeth1313 · #6 07-09-2020, 06:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ken Robb

Light, strong, cheap---pick two?

Nah - get a kalloy uno and get all 3, or at least the sweet spot for all 3. You can get them from fairwheel bikes for $30 or on ebay for about $25 each.

Coda1 · #7 07-10-2020, 12:49 PM

Sometimes your paying extra for the brand name. Mostly though the high volume stuff made overseas is going to be cheaper.

apple · #8 07-10-2020, 12:53 PM

Agree on Kalloy. I replaced two $200 sworks carbon stems with alu Kalloy for $30 each, a little more with the titanium bolts. They have no branding which is why I replaced the sworks stem that said sworks everywhere.

jtbadge · #9 07-10-2020, 01:11 PM

Really no reason to buy a more expensive stem than the Kalloy unless you need an angle between 7º and 17º.

https://fairwheelbikes.com/fair-whee...-stealth-stem/

Look585 · #10 07-10-2020, 01:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jtbadge

Really no reason to buy a more expensive stem than the Kalloy unless you need an angle between 7º and 17º.

https://fairwheelbikes.com/fair-whee...-stealth-stem/

Are the Fairwheel Kalloy's better quality than the eBay generics?

I have a couple from eBay (cheaper than FW) that have quite poorly aligned faceplate drilling. I'd definitely call them 2nds (or even 3rds) and would pay up for the Fairwheel version if the Quality Control is better...

R3awak3n · #11 07-10-2020, 01:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mdeth1313

Nah - get a kalloy uno and get all 3, or at least the sweet spot for all 3. You can get them from fairwheel bikes for $30 or on ebay for about $25 each.

exactly

Quote:

Originally Posted by Look585

Are the Fairwheel Kalloy's better quality than the eBay generics?

I have a couple from eBay (cheaper than FW) that have quite poorly aligned faceplate drilling. I'd definitely call them 2nds (or even 3rds) and would pay up for the Fairwheel version if the Quality Control is better...

I have 1 of each and they look and feel identical.

jtbadge · #12 07-10-2020, 01:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Look585

Are the Fairwheel Kalloy's better quality than the eBay generics?

I have a couple from eBay (cheaper than FW) that have quite poorly aligned faceplate drilling. I'd definitely call them 2nds (or even 3rds) and would pay up for the Fairwheel version if the Quality Control is better...

They're the same, but they've done the acetone logo removal for you. Makes it easier to convince those suspicious folks who don't think "cheap" equipment can be any good.

benb · #13 07-10-2020, 01:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pjbaz

Idk, I just use Thomson every time and have never thought much more about it

You would if you were here when a whole bunch of us on this forum had Thomson face plates crack!

Tons of bling in it for sure but you'd hope some of the more expensive brands were doing more safety testing.

I wouldn't get an Enve stem at this point after their wheel/tire debacle... but that's just me.