Skip to main content

Easton Havoc stem


THE HAVOC IS designed to steer you through the most chaotic of trails and, at 186g for our 50mm sample, it’s reassuringly heavy. Easton have used 5mm bolts throughout, which means you’re unlikely to have to swap Allen keys after tightening your headset top cap.

A generous 8Nm torque spec is plenty to stop it twisting on the steerer, and the feel on the trail is solid and sturdy. The top two bolts have to be done up first, until the faceplate is flush with the stem. This clamps the bar just tightly enough to hold it still as you fine tune your bar roll. The other two then have to be tightened evenly. The narrowwaisted faceplate can make getting the bar central in the clamp tricky though, because most don’t have markings that far inboard.

WEIGHT: 186g (50x31.8mm)
LENGTH(S): 35-65mm
CLAMPS(S): 31.8, 35mm

Price 120$

Popular posts from this blog

ENVE M50 29" Wheels

Utah based company ENVE have been making drool-worthy carbon components for some years now. Despite the fact that carbon rims are becoming more and more common on mountain bikes these days, you can guarantee that ENVE wheels will be a talking point when someone is eyeing off a steed. Instantly, the big bold logos on each rim scream "fast", "light" and to some extent, "expensive" The kids call this 'bling'.

DRC X-Monitor SP1 lap timer

While smartphone apps such as Strava can be a useful way to keep tabs on your mountain bike rides, sometimes you just can’t beat the simplicity and instant feedback that a good old-fashioned stopwatch style lap timer provides.

Scott Scale 950

The Scale 950 uses the now traditional-for-cross-country 29er wheels to excellent effect, with a fast but fun character that's happy racing or railing.

CANYON NERVE AL 8.0

  S ince their entry into the UK market a few years ago, Canyon have made a name for themselves as purveyors of well-made bikes that exhibit often extraordinary value. The secret (or catch, depending on your point of view) is that the brand don’t have dealers – they ship bikes directly to your door.

Formula CR3 brakes

The CR3 features a cartridge-type master, which improves power and modulation, plus it is super simple to service: The self-enclosed unit threads directly into the lever body. I took apart our test set and had it back together and bled in 10 minutes with no special tools. Like Formula’s RO brakes, the caliper pistons are actually oval, making more surface area–and thus, more power–than round pistons, but simpler than a four-piston system. The CR3 is best suited for aggressive trail riding.