The stem. It’s that
thing right out in front of you. Some
are short, some are long, some point upward, and some point downward. They are as varied as riders, yet, somehow,
we find one we can live with – Eventually.
My Trek 2.3 “Frankenbike” came with a Bontrager 100mm alloy stem and
Race Blade Alloy bar. When I switched to
Ritchey WCS Logic II bars, I also tried one of their WCS 4-Axis, 100mm
stems. Whilst it was indeed nice, I
eventually tried a 110mm, and finally after screwing around with my fit some
more, settled on a 120mm job, which not only looked cool, but just seemed to
feel right.
WCS C260 Carbon
This was an exciting stem to try out, however, be warned it
is a semi-bitch to install. Yes, she
wraps herself 260 degrees around the bar for stiffness, however, that also
means you can no longer simply mount it up to a bar as usual. In my case, I had to unwrap the bar tape a
few inches, slip the face-plateless unit on the small diameter portion of the
bar, move the stem over, then thread four (4) 3mm, hex-head bolts from the back
of the stem. This can be a hassle due to
the head tube being in your way on the lower bolts. T-handled tools need not
apply.
While not being a “True” carbon stem, it is none-the-less a
beautiful Uni-Directional (UD) weave over an alloy 7050 core. There are also three (3) 3mm hex-head steer
tube bolts, with a curved clamp slot to reduce weight and steer tube stress. Weight is approximately 113 grams.
My first ride with the C260 was quite a revelation. Tom Ritchey was right – It is stiffer. A whole lot stiffer. About 30% stiffer than the 4-Axis. And, keep in mind, I had the WCS 4-Axis as a direct
comparison, so I can back up Ritchey’s claims about the new stems’ attributes.
WCS 4-Axis Alloy
As I previously stated, the 120mm version was settled upon
for its comfort, better aerodynamics and killer looks in the “Wet Red”
color. Combined with the WCS Logic II
bars, the feel of the front end was remarkably superior to the stock Bontrager bar
and stem setup. The WCS bar gives just enough
compliance to keep the Trek aluminum frame from shaking my teeth loose, while
the WCS stem kept the front end firm enough for bombing descents and out of the
seat climbs and sprints.
Made from 2014 alloy, the face plate is a simple four (4)
bolt affair (4mm hex-heads), with two (2) 4mm hex head steer tube bolts (with
an angled steer tube slot to reduce stress), and the “Wet” color cannot be
beat. I mounted up a 110mm initially,
however, I discovered 120mm was the ticket.
Weight is approximately 130 grams.
In conclusion, you cannot go wrong with either the C260 or
the 4-Axis. Yes, they are that good.
what stem did you end up using with the Logic II? I just purchased the those bars and the C260 stem
ReplyDeleteThanks for asking. I am currently using the 120mm C260 stem in the photos, however, I still have the 120mm 4-Axis, too.
ReplyDeleteYou cannot go wrong with the setup you chose.
Does this C260 carbon wrap version have any vibration dampening qualities to it, or is it just 100% stiff no-nonsense business?
ReplyDeleteThe Ritchey WCS Logic II bars, combined with the 4-Axis stem, gave a fair amount of dampening. The C260 carbon wrapped stem, with the WCS bars, gave a bit less dampening. The Shimano Vibe 7 stem, with the WCS bars, is absolute riding bliss for me.
ReplyDeleteThe latter combo gave me the right amount of front end stiffness, with just the right amount of compliance, due to the flex of the Ritchey bars.
So, to answer your question, the C260 stem gave some compliance, however, its attributes are more measured by what bars you use then by the stem, itself.