Many of you asked us for 17-degree version of our super popular VO Stem. They just arrived! A 17-degree stem allows a traditional drop, that is the stem is parallel to the ground. Inverted it provides extra rise for folks who want their bars up high. You can better see the rise/drop on the stems mounted on VO Stem Adapters in the photo. We have them in 80-110mm and will probably add 70mm and 120mm in the next production run.
We also got another shipment of the original 6-degree VO Stem. So all sizes are in stock again.
The Grand Cru long-setback seat posts are also back in stock.
17 February, 2009
VO 17-degree Stems
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11 comments:
Chris, These are beautiful stems but I for one have embraced 31.8 so I can use the molded bars that help eliminate numb hands. They are not traditional but the difference for me is huge. So how about a 31.8 version?
Thanks
I would second the 31.8 request, and add a 130mm request. There are no handsome polished stems that I am aware of (not CNC'd things) that are currently available. The very nice Nitto UI5GX, which is almost identical to the VO stem, also only goes to 120, and they're pricey and hard to come by.
If these are as nice as the VO seatpost, you'll sell about a billion of the things.
We could get these in 31.8mm pretty easily. But I don't think we'd sell enough to our traditionalist customers in the VO store/site. We'll chat with shops that stock our current stems and see if they are interested. If enough stores want them I'll have them made.
I don't know about 130mm stems. If you need a 130mm stem I would suggest looking for a frame that was a better fit.
Also need to look into chrome plated carbon fiber 31.8mm randonneur bars.
Even if the VO customer base won't support a 31.8 and it wouldn't be worth it for VOI, could you at least put a bug in the component manufacturers' ears to get a silver polished 31.8 on the market in the US under some label? It's kind of ridiculous that there is only the Nitto on the market in silver.
You know it's only a matter of time before a VO stem shows up pointing towards the sky on some terrible bike highlighted by BikeSnobNYC
31.8 folks:
Kalloy, Thomson, Origin8 and Kore all make polished silver 31.8 stems. The Thomson is CNC'd, the rest are forged.
RaceFace makes a non-polished silver forged stem in 31.8
Most of the aforementioned stems are actually really good looking and all except the Thomson are inexpensive.
The request for 130 is not so unreasonable especially for the 17 degree. If you ride with a 110-120 now and want a higher bar the 17 degree stem will raise the bar but at the same time also move it back. I was hoping for the 120 this time out and would consider a 130. How long before the next production run?
In the meantime I'll probably buy a shorter one for my wife's bike.
Nice stem!
-Dan, NY
Another order of stems is in the works. Figure 3 months. 31.8 stems- really? Are VO customers ready for that sort of thing?
The quill stem thing hass been kicking around here for months:
http://voimports.blogspot.com/2008/11/great-stem-dilemma.html
Nitto makes a nice stem. If we stumble across something at the show we will pick it up, but it's gotta be a pretty big improvement
"Kalloy, Thomson, Origin8 and Kore all make polished silver 31.8 stems. The Thomson is CNC'd, the rest are forged. RaceFace makes a non-polished silver forged stem in 31.8"
Kalloy is tig, Thomson is anodized not polished, Origin8 doesn't make black any more if they ever did, Kore made silver for a while but it was tig and not open face, and Race Face appears to have stopped making the unpolished silver ones, though there are plenty around.
Anon-
Kalloy does indeed make forged 31.8 stems and more than one model at that - check their website. Thomson may be anodized but it's a fairly shiny stem and absolutely top quality. Origin8 (you said they don't make black anymore, I assume you mean silver) - well their website sucks and doesn't reflect half the stuff they actually make - but last time I spoke with them they did still offer silver - have you LBS call them.
Kore still has forged silver stems available through J&B importers which any LBS can order and QBP currently has a few of the silver Raceface stems in stock.
Furthermore, I bet if I spent 10 minutes on Google I could find more options. And, of course, there is eBay.
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