All Arround MTB

Joystick say this stem combines strength and stiffness with race-friendly weight. It certainly ticks the latter box, weighing just 120g (35mm length, 35mm bar clamp). Made from a proprietary ‘8-bit’ alloy, Joystick also claim that the Binary provides “unmatched performance and feel”. We can’t say we noticed any particular difference in ride characteristics, but the wider-thanaverage faceplate keeps a firm grip on the bar without the need to over-torque and there was no movement on the fork steerer. It looks sleek, with its minimal shape and subtle laser-etched graphics. While not excessively expensive, it’s definitely at the upper end of the price spectrum for an alloy stem. Lightweight and performs flawlessly, but a little pricey Price $135

The Binary is impressively light for the price but we found the comfort to be so-so. Thanks to the broad central channel, we suffered no pain or numbness in the personal plumbing department. The shape is nice and neutral, so you can move around easily on technical climbs and it stays out of the way when riding wild descents. With padding that’s on the harder side, the saddle feels a little stiff when putting out a lot of miles on rougher terrain or riding sans chamois. We found that the shape puts a lot of pressure on a fairly narrow section of the glutes and sit bones, which became uncomfortable after a while. The fairly narrow and hard nose is more uncomfortable than most on steep scrambles too. We found this perch works best with a good quality, well-padded chamois. Weight 206g Price $75

CNC MACHINED AND available in both clamp diameters, the Builder employs a novel bar interface. The faceplate clips onto the bar before being bolted onto the stem itself via the twin bolts up top.

Joystick started life in Canada but their range has recently been getting a lot of love in the UK and we’re not surprised. The 8-BIT bar is a seriously wide (800mm) piece of smoothly tapering pipe that adds masses of steering leverage.