Only one direct mount stem made it into our 2014 Dirt 100, and it was this beauty from Renthal.

Renthal Integra Stem

The reasons why we love this Renthal direct mount stem pretty much all originate from the brilliant horizontally split design. This approach results in a stem that is within touching distance of the very lightest ones that we’ve seen, yet on the other hand we’ve also found it to be one of the stiffest and strongest. The super wide bar clamp no doubt aids the stiffness, as does the two piece design, and then the fact that it only needs six bolts where others need eight obviously helps to keep the weight low. With the bar clamp being horizontal rather than vertical it also means the stress concentrating gaps aren’t at the points of highest load, which basically means it’s very bar friendly. The adjustable reach (45 or 50mm) is just the icing on an already very fine cake.

Price: £99.99
Ison Distribution 01353 662 622
www.renthalcycling.com

Photos by Andy Lloyd – www.alpictures.co.uk