Thursday, February 08, 2007

Assorted Snobbery: A Question

Carbon Fiber Stems: Worth the added cost? Discuss...

24 comments:

rockd said...

Look at the numbers, these are bontrager parts

100mm race xxx lite - 130g - $249

100mm race x lite - 145g - $89

save your money for something else like coffee.

monkeygirl said...

so 15 grams was a little lost on me, so here is some perspective.
Ice, Pounds per
Cubic Inch 0.033 Pounds per
Cubic Foot 57 This is pure ice (917 kilograms per cubic metre at 0° C and atmospheric pressure). Most naturally occurring ice is less dense due to pockets of air, ranging from around 53 lbs/cubic foot on up.

PaddyH said...

The answer: No

Chris said...

No way. Syntace F99s are lighter than anything except stupid Euro WW crap and only cost $70. My 120mm F99s weigh like 110 grams with steel bolts.

cvo said...

no way dude,

to many voices in the head when decending...

DANGER WILL ROBINSON.... DANGER!!!!

FixieDave said...

Dental work and facial surgery way too much $$

Cornbread said...

No way. Those are for pro's and posers.

JT said...

I've carbon all over my Mountainbike, Crossbike and Roadbike. Frames,Bars,Stems, Wheels etc. I dont believe that the stem is the place to invest the cash. Save your money and wait for some big pimpn' carbon 29er wheels.

huber said...

I don't run any carbon on my mountain bike.

JT said...

My Mountain Bikes / Frame, Fork Crown, Bars, Stem all carbon lots of bits and pieces. 21lb. Fullsuspension goes up hill pretty quick and down hill pretty good also.

Unknown said...

Absolutely, positively, without a doubt no.

Chris said...

A big negatory

Anonymous said...

Stupid question.

Anonymous said...

Go with the race x lite or syntace, the weight savings w/ carbon is pretty minimal. also, catalog weights aren't always "spot on". but it's not always just weight in carbon v. alum/steel/etc., remember that stiffness and response play into this too.

Guitar Ted said...

My damn ugly Control Tech stem is aluminum and weighs 160 grams and didn't cost me a dime. It was given to me by a customer at the bike shop that didn't like the color anymore.

Hows that for cost per gram?

Who cares how it looks when your at hour 7 and seeing pink elephants, ya know?

Short answer: No!

MG said...

one word: no.

Grizzly Adam said...

YES! And by YES! I mean NO!

I would say the same for handlebars as well.

Hardtail For Life said...

carbon stem is not something to tango with (see comment about dental work).

Anonymous said...

I'm all for carbon fiber but only on my beloved rally cars.
I figure if the hardcores from former t.d.f years could ride around the country on steel single speeds without hammer nutrition products I can at least try.

Dallas "the older I get the simpler I try to make things" Sigurdur

Joe Partridge said...

Carbon Fiber is shrapnel waiting to happen. Steer clear, extect on fancy TT bikes.

Mark Savery said...

Stem no, bars yes, seatpost no.

mr. f. g. superman said...

On a road bike, maybe. Never seen none so pretty as Thomson though.

MG said...

sorry mod. after breaking two easton carbon bars (neither due to overtightening), you couldn't pay me enough to take that risk.

i like metal for bikes. keep in mind i raced carpet fiber bikes from 1991 to 1998. went back to metal after that and never looked back.

Anonymous said...

Maybe not the stem...or maybe, but for sure a tooth brush made of carbon fiber.

Thats stylin'.