PRO have been quietly making quality cockpit kit for several years now, but recently they’ve raised their profile with the launch of Atherton and Vanderham signature lines.
Their PLT range has been around for a while now and is mainly aimed at road racers, but the stem works equally well for cross-country mountain bike use.
We’ve had the ’09 alloy model (a carbon version is also available) on test for six months now and it’s been used for everything from towpath cruises to impromptu hurtles down the odd black downhill run (although we should point out, it hasn’t been designed for that kind of abuse).
For 2010 the graphics are changing and the stem now passes Shimano’s strict quality control procedures as well as the usual CEN tests, but that’s about it – and that’s a good thing, because it’s a great little stem.
It weighs in at a very reasonable 125g for the 80mm version tested, with a four-bolt faceplate and two-bolt steerer clamp to keep everything stiff and secure. It’s well finished and is a worthy alternative to the usual options from the likes of Ritchey and Easton.
This OS (31.8mm bar clamp) stem is available with a six or 10 degree rise – we flipped ours to give a nice low front end.
