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Even full carbon stems aren’t lighter than alloy. They have to withstand quite a bit of force so need to be built thicker/heavier
I had a carbon Pro Vibe stem and the alloy version of the same dimensions and it was about 25g lighter than the carbon one.
PhilDAS-
Even full carbon stems aren’t lighter than alloy
Most of them, but that's because it's expensive to do it right.
They have to withstand quite a bit of force so need to be built thicker/heavier
Thicker, maybe, but not heavier if you make correct use of the lower density yet stronger and stiffer material. Making a carbon fibre stem is not really any harder than making a carbon fibre frame. Unfortunately, it's not really any easier either. I imagine that almost nobody bothers because it's a tough sell; 30% off a frame is a pound saved, 30% off a stem is only an ounce. Only the most dedicated weight weenie is at the point where spending €20 for each gram saved is low hanging fruit.
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good to know! Thanks...
(also @mdcc_tester for the TIL)
gbj_tester
vilms5000
Last week, I got [from eBay] a cheap carbon-wrapped alu stem to replace a Cinelli Ant. I was thinking it was going to shave valuable grams off for the same dimensions... IT IS HEAVIER. The seatpost and bullhorns I also got are appreciably lighter, so two out of three ain't bad. Assuming this isn't a big dental bill in waiting.