Zipp 145 Full Carbon Road Stem Review - BikeRadar

Zipp has been the king of carbon wheels for nearly 20 years, so it should be no surprise that the Indianapolis, Indiana manufacturer felt the pull to engineer its own handlebars and stems. If the Contour bars have a profile that's similar to those of its competitors, the Zipp 145 full carbon stem stands out from the crowd.

Once rolling, Zipp's bar/stem combo felt good and natural. It was a little hard getting used to the bulbous stem between my face and the ground, but I came to appreciate Zipp's efforts to lighten and stiffen my ride.

Borrowing similar carbon manufacturing from its 300 crankset, the 145 relies on precision forges and machined aluminum yokes at the steerer and stem clamp areas. The nearly $200US stem weighs between 135 and 150 grams depending on size/diameter, and comes with solid carbon steerer tube top cape and stepdown spacer for 1" steerer tubes. The labour-intensive process requires that each stem is hand wrapped from more than 50 pieces of precision cut carbon cloth in order for stiffness and a reminder that it is indeed full carbon, not a carbon/alloy bond.

Like several carbon stems on the market, Zipp has chosen a forged aluminum faceplate. The highly polished plate includes a very thin stainless steel insert for extra stiffness and strength without a weight penalty. No carbon stem would look right with anything but titanium fasteners, and Zipp sources theirs from Italy, using the same vendor for their M4 titanium screws as Ducati. The 145 stem angle is +/-12 degrees (or 78 degrees).

Overall the 145 stem did the job silently: no vibration, no squeaking and never a loose stem plate bolt. Installation was easy (remember to heed the torque bolt specs) and the finish cleans nicely, thanks to the durable clear coat.

Price: $199US. Sizes: 110, 120mm (26.0); 100, 110, 120 (tested), 130mm (31.8). Contact Zipp.

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