Strengths: WOW! are you kidding me. This stem ROCKS!
STIFF but its the best looking out there. I bought tow because it was so cheap on Ebay. I pound it with no problems. Great job KORE
Weaknesses: nada
Bottom Line:
I wish I found these Kore stems earlier. I paid so much more for other CR**!! these are far the best, check it out on ebay and you will see.
Submitted by
Prince74
a Cross Country Rider
from Ottawa
Date Reviewed: June 5, 2009
Strengths: Well when I first saw this stem I was amazed at its looks!
What a work of art. The welds are beautiful, KORE’S clamping system is smart and sharp and the laser etched logo’s sweet.
Bike Setup: Eclipse Bike, Atomic Comp Momentum Rims, DT Aerolite Bladed Spokes, Vittoria Diamante Pro Kevlar Carbon Tires, Carbon Fork, Winwood Carbon Spacer Headset Kit, Bontragger ACC Carbon Seat Post, Specialized Avatar Gel Saddle, FSA Moto EXO Crank, Shimano LX front / XT Rear, Avid Arch Rival Mag 50’s, Kool Stop Dual Compounds, Avid Arch Rival SD2.0L levers.
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Submitted by
Benny
a Weekend Warrior
from CA
Date Reviewed: March 19, 2008
Strengths: No other stem compares. I have had most all of them either already on the bike I bought or purchased seperatly. The Kore stem is superb in every way. I have had my Elite stem for over three years and why change it to something inferior when it does everything its suppose to! Stiff, easy loading and still looks great with that lazer engraving logo. I love it, check it out, you wont be disappointed. Thanks Kore
Similar Products Used: you name it, i used it, been MTB riding for over 25 years
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Submitted by
Q
a Cross Country Rider
from Northern Virginia
Date Reviewed: October 13, 2007
Strengths: Excellent design, finish, and performance
Weaknesses: Current model has changed slightly from earlier design
Bottom Line:
Great stem! More companies should copy/steal the single piece Kneesaver rear clamp design -- it works! The single bolt, sliding face of the handlebar clamp is smart too. Overall clean looks along with the laser cut/machined graphics and bead blasted finish make it an attractive, hard wearing stem. I bought this to replace my Kore Lite, since it wouldn't take a riser bar, and my friend had been using an Elite and was very happy. I always thought the Ti bolts were a little soft (using a torque wrench and following specifications) and I eventually replaced them with SS ones, but everyone else seems to love them, so who knows. This stem is staying on my current bike, and future bikes for as long as possible!
Submitted by
Paul C
a Weekend Warrior
from Boca Raton, FL, USA
Date Reviewed: December 23, 2005
Strengths: Lite, strong, minimlaistic.
Weaknesses: Can be tough to mount with a riser stem.
Bottom Line:
Light stem, love how it only has one bolt to adjust the handlebar. Only problem i found is that you have to slide the stem face in and then bolt it to the main stem. Good things are the titanium bolts, rock solid, cool colors (I got the anodized red), light. All around a good stem.
Submitted by
Chris
a Cross Country Rider
from San Antonio, Texas
Date Reviewed: September 30, 2005
Strengths: Extremely well built product with outstanding longevity.
Weaknesses: Absolutely none after more than 3 years.
Bottom Line:
This is an update to my first review of this stem from roughly four years ago.
Since then, I have exposed this stem to rigorous riding in all sorts of conditions on many trails. The stem still looks as good as new although it has gone through a whole bunch of wipe outs. Construction: The stem has a clamping mechanism on the face-plate which holds the handlebar. This eliminates the need for multiple bolts and saves weight. The stem has a bead-blasted finish with laser etched logos. This finish is very durable and scratch resistant. The titanium bolts are the icing on the cake. No corrosion, and simply an amazing material to combine with such a high-quality stem. I can only recommend it after years of serious use !
Bike Setup: sram 9.0 all the way baby,trek 4300,mavic-xtr-dt rev
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Submitted by
Brian
a Downhiller
from Mpls Minn
Date Reviewed: October 28, 2004
Strengths: Everything you need, Stiff, Sweet looking, Light
Weaknesses: Nothing
Bottom Line:
I would not buy anything else. Had other stems on other bikes, this setm out last them all and still performs like day one. Keep up the great components Kore and dont change this stem its SWEEEET!
Submitted by
Angus Beef
a Cross Country Rider
from Ridgefield,Ct,06877
Date Reviewed: September 27, 2004
Strengths: price,front removeable clamp
Weaknesses: welded design,bulky,cheap stickers
Bottom Line:
After 1 year of riding this stem I was washing my bike and doing an inspection when I found a hairline crack about 1" long at the weld of the stem. Hasn't been making noise but I will replace asap. There is a reason this stem is $12- at pricepoint now. It served its purpose though for the price. I way 220 and would not reccommend to anyone my size. I'll be buying a raceface deus now
Bike Setup: Old school '95 Cannondale Tried and true XT, Mavic 517 XTR, carbon, Chris King, Race Face
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Submitted by
Pierre
a Cross Country Rider
from Black Mountain, NC
Date Reviewed: March 5, 2004
Strengths: 25 degree rise, good looking and stiff.
Weaknesses: None
Bottom Line:
The original stem on my bike was way to long and low. The Kore stem with the 25 degree rise and short length of 105mm is perfect. It has really helped with the tough climbs when you need to pull down and back on the handlebars. It looks great (I got a red one.), performs wonderfully and at $24 on ebay, it was a super buy.
Bike Setup: Hardtail, Iron Horse, 24 speed, clippless pedals, Elite Kore Stem, Linear pull brakes, Grip shifters.
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Submitted by
Vic
a Racer
from Westchester,Ca USA
Date Reviewed: October 4, 2003
Strengths: Stiff, Single bolt front clamp, The best looking
Weaknesses: nada
Bottom Line:
Kore rocks!! after all they originated the headset stem and thats why I have two Kore elite stems. They are definetly the best out there, The tompson stem slipped. The Kore stem is lighter and better looking too. check it out and compare.
Submitted by
weather expert
a Weekend Warrior
from iowa
Date Reviewed: May 30, 2003
Strengths: STIFF with capital S. bead peened for strength and scratch resistence. subtle graphics look good.
Weaknesses: you kiddin me?
Bottom Line:
best stem i've used, period.
i've used kore elite on my friends bikes before and i was impressed. now i have one on my xc rig and the differencec shows.
kore elite, even at 135mm, is WAY stiff and lasts a lifetime. bar clamp is wide and the faceplate is interlocked, so the stress is not on the bolt but the stem itself (so they can use ti bolt to save weight and resist rust). good engineering. also, the interlock also makes stem stiffer than most every 4-bolt. single bolt saves hassle of torquing each bolt in turn and kicks out the possibility of uneven torque. i'm more of a SS type so i stand up a lot. when hammering or steering our of ruts, the stiff stem really brings back some feel of my rigid SS bike. better yet, the subtle graphics matches stealthy look of my bike perfecctly.
retail price is pretty high though, and dealers are rare and far in between. if you find a deal, go for it.
Similar Products Used: nashbar (pretty good), control tech (if it's not mis-aligned POS it's just a mediocre stem, unless it says team issue), salsa moto ace (non-SUL=mediocre), syncros (pain in the @ss), etc
Bike Setup: what's relevant: steel xc hardtail with a z2 in front, 5d 580mm flat bar. 135mm kore elite stem. fsa xl2 headset.
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Submitted by
Craig
a Cross Country Rider
from Irvine, Ca
I have had this stem for over 2 years and have had no problems with it nor have I needed to make any adjustment (tightening due to riding) to it. I am very happy with the look, strength, and ease of adjustment. I bought the silver as I was afraid that the colored stems would scratch silver. I remember that the stem was pricy, but it is worth every penny.
Submitted by
Sean
a Cross Country Rider
from Leicester GB
Date Reviewed: May 1, 2003
Strengths: Stiff, Doesnt make noise like other high end stems, holds tight
Bottom Line:
I think its safe to say that since I have been riding this stem for over a year now here in Europe I can say the stem works flawlessly. I have tried many high end stems that claim they are the best but dont even work as nice as my stock stem that came with my bike. Kore elite stem is definetly the best upgrade I made