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Submitted by
Vladimir
a
from Moskow, Russia
Date Reviewed: February 25, 2008 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$40.00 | | Purchased At: | velomir.ru | | Strengths: | Looks good and strong. | | Weaknesses: | A bit heavy.
Front plait cracks after 500 or less km of light XC | | Similar Products Used: | Richy, Loock, RF, NoBrandName | | Bike Setup: | Full custom titanium 29er | | Bottom Line: | dont buy | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Rupert Wyllie
a Weekend Warrior
from Midland, UK
Date Reviewed: August 25, 2006 | | Favoriate Trail: | cli-machx, Wales | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$100.00 | | Purchased At: | Web | | Strengths: | Looks good, nice detailing and quality machining. Light for a freeride stem | | Weaknesses: | Handlebar clamp plate cracked, sharp edges | | Similar Products Used: | Lots | | Bike Setup: | '04 S-Works Enduro + Vanilla; Sherman firefly Plus; Hope bulbs, Mono6 & Mini; Sram/XT drivetrain; Singletracks. | | Bottom Line: | Not too good I'm afraid as it broke, but this is my only FSA product so I shall reserve judgement till I hear from their warranty dept.
I'm only 12 stone so I don't really expect to break stuff!)
I have got hold of a bloke at FSA in the states so far who has been very prompt in replying, but warranties have to start at your local bike shop apparently!
I'll post back once I have an answer..
Good value and I was happy with it till it broke! | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Pascal C.
a
from Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Date Reviewed: August 25, 2005 | | Favoriate Trail: | Brads gey trail | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Strengths: | Light, good looks | | Weaknesses: | I cracked the front plate that holds the handle bar on. | | Similar Products Used: | Roox danny, axiom junk, thompson quality | | Bike Setup: | Ellsworth joker with a 1.5 inch steerer tube and an oversised 31.8 bar. | | Bottom Line: | This stem wrecked my holliday when the front plate cracked. I hope that FSA stands behind their product. I will review this stem again after I have seen what FSA does. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
4 Jaw Chuck
a Cross Country Rider
from Winnipeg
Date Reviewed: June 23, 2005 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$75.00 | | Purchased At: | B@B | | Strengths: | Beefy forged 7075 AL and one of the few out there that come in 0 degree and 105mm length, the front clamp is wide and grips the entire length of my bar knurl too. No slipping problems here. | | Weaknesses: | I don't need the graphics thanks. How come the XC 120 stem comes with TI bolts and the freeride FR200 comes with Stainless bolts? I would have preferred the TI bolts FSA. Since there is very little strength difference the TI bolts would have been a nice touch...and where the F**K is my FSA fork cap to make the 111$ CDN investment worthwhile, cheap bastages. | | Similar Products Used: | Stock NRS Air stem, stock Giant stem, Thompson cam locks etc. etc. | | Bike Setup: | 19" 2004 Giant Boulder converted to 9 speed with Shimano LX components, Mavic XM 117 rims with Deore hubs, Avid Ballbearing 5 front disc, Avid Single Digit 7 rear Vees, Titec flat bar, Truvativ 22/32/44 cranks, Fire XC tires, Surly rigid fork, XTR chain, Bontranger forged "3D" zero offset seatpost, Specialized gel seat, VP 133 TI axle shin ripper cleated SPD pedals. Bike weighs 26 pds. | | Bottom Line: | Try and find a forged 7075 stem in 0 degree and 105mm length, there aren't any other choices. After testing my Stock NRS stem for rigidity I swapped this component on and was blown away by how much my stock NRS stem flexed, this thing is stiff (what a piece of junk that piece of carbon tube is for looks only, it's glued in?). It's basically the same stem as the FSA XC 120 but the hole through the center is smaller making for a beefier part (60 grams heavier too). I'm a big rider (6' 1" and 230pds at last weigh in) and after learning the hard way I don't buy light weight weenie stuff anymore. The machining is excellent but the bolts were shipped greased which I removed for a drop of blue loctite. All holes were deburred and the finish was excellent.
As for the "riders" that can't figure out how to install a stem all I can say is buy a decent torque wrench or take it in to your LBS for the install. Sharp edge give ya a boo boo then maybe you should take up knitting. :P Like a dull edge would have hurt less...sheesh.
As you can tell I am a type A personality rider that rides rigid 365 days a year here in Canada and I value solid components that can take the punishment I dish out and not let me down, if you know anything about metallurgy then you will know that forged 7075 AL is the strongest you can get outside a forged steel alloy or forged titanium...thats why I bought it. Beware the 6061 AL machined parts sold for almost the same price, they are nowhere near as strong.
I would have given 5 chilis for overall rating but because they cheesed out with the stainless bolts and no cap you get three FSA.
I would wager it's the strongest stem on the market but because some "riders" cry about the sharp edge and stripping the smaller bolts out it won't be on the market for long, get em while you can. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Peter
a Weekend Warrior
from Bo'ness, Scotland
Date Reviewed: July 31, 2004 | | Favoriate Trail: | Innerleithen | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Purchased At: | CRC | | Strengths: | looks very good, seems to have cured my sore back problem, gives me more confidence on the steep stuff, very stiff and is pretty light | | Weaknesses: | none yet, came without fitting instructions! | | Similar Products Used: | Bontrager Race Stem | | Bike Setup: | Fisher Big Sur, hardly anything is standard anymore but i cannae be arsed thinking about everything that's on it! | | Bottom Line: | I know this stem wouldn't normally be found on a Gary Fisher Big Sur, but i'm looking at my next bike here which will defo be a fair bit more burly... It was also bought with the aim of bringing my bars closer to me and sorting out a bit of lower back pain i've been getting on longer rides. Seems to have done the job so far.
When i received the stem from CRC it never had fitting instructions so i didn't know the torque settings. Tightened it up to what i felt was tight enough but not to tight and it has not had any problems as pointed out in these other reviews.
This is a good stem and at £40 from CRC, is very good value.
;o) | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Ken
a Cross Country Rider
from Castro Valley, CA
Date Reviewed: July 19, 2004 | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Strengths: | It looks nice. | | Weaknesses: | Broke without warning, causing me to crash on a technical, rocky downhill. | | Similar Products Used: | RaceFace | | Bike Setup: | 2003 Yeti AS-X | | Bottom Line: | I'm still screwed-up from my crash in 1/04 from this stem breaking. FSA tried to blame me for installing it incorrectly. Same failure of this stem happened to a riding friend of mine that has the same Yeti.
FSA should recall this product. Anyone else having this same problem should post on this forum.
Ken | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
kent
a Cross Country Rider
from hong kong
Date Reviewed: April 5, 2004 | | Favoriate Trail: | agressive xc | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$28.00 | | Purchased At: | Yuen Long, LBS | | Strengths: | looks good
CNC aluminum
quite lightweight (90mm 5degree, 175g.) | | Weaknesses: | 1. ***sharp edges near screw for streeing tube)***
2. screw seems to be never lock tight on streeing tube | | Similar Products Used: | kore | | Bike Setup: | 01NRS1, 02 SID-SL, xt disc 6", xt drivetrain, mavicF519 with DT onyx hub | | Bottom Line: | I weight 149lbs and ride mostly agressive trial and light downhill.
Bad:
1. The sharp edge near steering tube cut my arm while i crash and fell over my bike.
2. The steerling tube screw seems to be never tighten up. Maybe due to soft material aluminum. I worry i will damage the stem if i tighten it too hard. I don't have a troque wrench. However is the screw problem, it still hold tight and won't slip with the steering tube even crashed on the trial.
It hold both the steer tube and handle bar very well and never slip. I use this stem together with EA70 riser bar(285mm uncut / 1.5" rise / 8degree)
The sharp edge is one of the reason i dislike this product.
You will need a troque wrench to tighten up the steering tube screw. If you don't have this wrench, look for other stem. Or you troque it by experience.
I will give it a 2 chilis due to is sharp edge for value rating.
3 chilis for is overall rating on its design due to lack of choice for length & rise of degree. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Kd Kane
a
from Boston, MA
Date Reviewed: December 11, 2003 | | Favoriate Trail: | Lynn | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$30.00 | | Purchased At: | Jenson | | Strengths: | Seems strong and stiff to me. Have beat the hell out of it with no consequences. | | Weaknesses: | None yet. | | Similar Products Used: | a few specialized stock stems, Azonic shorty | | Bike Setup: | '01 Rockhopper, Avid 7" disks. Deemax wheels, DJ fork | | Bottom Line: | I'm kind of thrown off by the previous review bashing this stem as I've had nothing but good luck with it. I ride roughly 100 off road miles a week in season and have had no signs of failure what so ever. I mostly do technical freeride stuff with some smaller drops (no bigger than 3ft). The stem has been stiff and had held up to many wrecks without any sign of weakness. Personally I would highly recomend this product for the price. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Curt
a Cross Country Rider
from Honolulu, Hawaii
Date Reviewed: June 28, 2003 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Strengths: | If someone has life insurance on you they may be able to collect it sooner than they thought. | | Weaknesses: | weak bolts and poor clamping power to steer tube | | Similar Products Used: | Thompson, bontrager, easton, syncros | | Bike Setup: | Giant AC, FSA headset, LX/XT/XTR mix of components, black fork | | Bottom Line: | First time I had to write a negative review for a product for 2 key points.
First, I noticed the stem had poor clamping power as evident by the stem turned after I the bike fell on it's side (not hard) and also that my headset came loose while riding (never had this happen with any other stem I have owned in the 10+ years I have been riding).
Second, after deciding to overhaul my fork since the headset was loose I figured I'll use my trusty Craftsman Torque wrench to get everything to FSA's torque specifications. While tightening the handle bar clamp bolts (as directed in FSA directions and common sense of slowing tightening bolts in a cris-cross pattern) only 1 bolt would reach torque spec, the other three kept spinning (stretching?) until 1 broke and I threw the stem away (i'm not about to risk getting hurt big time to try save a few bucks and get more lame (FSA calls them extra strong and advises that you use only their bolts for replacement, ROFL) bolts that I'll have to keep worrying about).
If you have this stem, I would suggest you bust out a torque wrench like I did to confirm that your bolts can/will be able to get to the the recommended torque spec. Just feels kind of lame that this is a free ride stem that is not very solidly built. I'm still using my FSA headset, lucky for me is doesn't have any bolts :), but it does not appear to have any sort of protection for the lower sealed bearing :(
To anser the MTBR checklist:
Who should buy it?: a person you have life insurance on, FSA bolt/stem research department or your enemies
Have I actually owned it?: shamefully I must say yes
Submit 1 product review?: yeah
No insults or attacks on other reviews?: I guess someone who loves FSA or parts that may break/hurt you (i'm not saying FSA as a whole is bad, just this stem!) may feel offended, otherwise no.
My spelling?: hooced-on-fonics works phor me
| | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
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