Submitted by
Ryan N.
a Weekend Warrior
from Tulsa, OK, USA Date Reviewed: October 6, 2005
Favorite Trail:
Turkey Mountain
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$20.00
Purchased At:
Ebay
Strengths:
BlackOps Resesarch for the masses, be the first to prove your LBS mechanic wrong when he insists "Avid has never made a stem". Stealthy matte black finish. Stiffer than your dead uncle Ray.
Weaknesses:
Good luck finding one. CBO has them off and on. Try Ebay. Think before you slap this thing on. There's a certain order - follow the directions.
Similar Products Used:
Ritchey WCS
Bike Setup:
Planet X Jack Flash, RockShox Reba 100mm, Avid Mechanicals, SpeedDial Ti levers, X.O trigger shifters & derailleurs, Mavic Crossmax Enduro, Stan's NoTubes, ODI lock-on grips with DangerBoys endplugs, Easton Riser bar, King NoThreadSet, full Nokon cable system
Bottom Line:
Only gets 4 chilis because it's a little heavy, but a few extra grams is worth it for being indestructible as well as easy on carbon bars & steerer tubes. The collett system can be confusing, just grease the bolts and think it through. Don't forget to put the thin nylon washer between the stem and the Chris King headset; you do and you'll be starting all over.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Erik
a Weekend Warrior
from San Diego, CA Date Reviewed: March 20, 2004
Favorite Trail:
Upper Cobbles
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$70.00
Purchased At:
Cambria Outfitters
Strengths:
Collet mounting, stiff as they say, light, duro
Weaknesses:
as below
Bottom Line:
An update from my earlier review, after now having a full year on the stem. I've also converted the bike to a singlespeed, which means much more hard effort on the bars.
This is a great stem. Very solid, very secure.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Erik
a Cross Country Rider
from San Diego Date Reviewed: July 10, 2003
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$70.00
Purchased At:
Cambria Bicycle Outfitters --phone order
Strengths:
Stiff As All Get Out, very low "stack height", yet very secure collet attachment system. Matte "black ops" finish looks good. Relatively light. Relatively rare.
Weaknesses:
No negative rise or greater than 120mm extension available. Minimal marketing-based cool factor. Not possible to use spacers above the stem, since there is no cap or opening (it's a one piece top).
Similar Products Used:
Ringle Zooka, Syncros Cattlehead, Roox Danny's
Bike Setup:
Manitou HT with Manitou Black fork, King headset and DeEvolution kit, XTR drivetrain, etc... Cross country bike.
Bottom Line:
This is a good, stiff, light stem with a low stack height. It steers very well, is very easy to set up and yet delivers a secure grip on an aluminum steerer (I don't know about steel).
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Mark Wein
a Racer
from Novato, CA , USA Date Reviewed: December 31, 2002
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Purchased At:
CBO
Strengths:
Awesome design
Weaknesses:
None
Similar Products Used:
Thomson, Ringle, Salsa
Bike Setup:
Grip shift 8sp, Magura Marta SL disc brakes, King disc hubs, Fox fork, King headset.
Bottom Line:
The SAAGO stem is the best clamping system of any stem out there. It is stiff, has a awesome bar clamping area, clean collet fork steer clamping system. The bar clamping design is easy on carbon bars. The only down side is the limited size selection(100mm and 120mm).
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
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