Skip to main content

Renthal Apex stem


LOOK CLOSELY AT this beauty and you’ll see it’s been extensively machined in a bid to shave weight without compromising strength. At 117g it’s the lightest on test, but what about strength?

The bar clamp is among the narrowest here at 44mm but our stiffness jig found it to not be much flexier than even the burliest stems on test. Combined with the 40mm stack height, this makes for a stout bike connection. The 240-degree wraparound clamps need to be slid on from either side, but this wasn’t a problem even with non-Renthal bars. The six-degree rise adds bar height options and the zero-gap lower clamp makes bar roll adjustment easier. Renthal specify that it needs tightening to 5Nm but we found we needed at least 8Nm to stop it twisting.

WEIGHT: 117g (40x31.8mm)
LENGTH(S): 31-90mm
CLAMPS(S): 31.8mm

Price 135$


Labels

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'.

READ MORE >>

KONA SHRED

With a reputation for no-nonsense ruggedness and a background in the always progressive and punishing riding of Canada, Kona have been building hardcore hardtails for longer than almost anyone else. The Shred is the most expensive bike on test but it’s a proper trail tank.

READ MORE >>

GT Zaskar Evolution

While some bike models last just a couple of years, others change with the times to stay at the top of riders’ wishlists. In the second part of this series looking at the evolution of bikes that enjoy enduring popularity with UK riders, we turn to the GT Zaskar – a bike that was at the forefront of our sport for a long time and still has plenty of appeal today.

READ MORE >>

COMMENCAL EL CAMINO 3

Commencal are going from strength to strength at the moment and they’ve taken their tough trail hardtail bang up to date with 650b wheels. With its skinny rims, crankset and fork, the El Camino certainly isn’t perfect and it’s the least hardcore bike here. The handling, smoothness, speed and all-round agility of the basic bike still make it a real blast for technical trail riding though, and it’s a great base for upgrading over time.

READ MORE >>

CANYON SPECTRAL AL 9.0 EX

CANYON’S COLOUR-COORDINATED Spectral AL 9.0 looks like a bike that means business. With a wishlist of components, it’s hard not to question the fantastic price of this stunning new bike from Germany.

READ MORE >>