FSA’s new K-Force Light stem uses a carbon monocoque body with no metal whatsoever.
The new design removes all metal parts like bolt threads and guides from the body of the stem. By removing any need to accommodate bolt thread inserts, they could design it to be incredibly stiff and strong. At 149g, it’s not the lightest stem on the market, but there’s a reason Mark Cavendish runs a massive stem without worrying about the weight; sometimes, performance trumps gram counting. For those of us that can’t destroy field sprints at will, the K-Force Light stem should be a high performing “middle ground”.
It has a carbon faceplate with titanium screws and hardware that thread in from the stem side rather than the front. The other big difference is that the steerer tube is 1-1/4″, an increasingly common standard among European manufacturers, and comes with a shim to fit 1-1/8″ steerer tubes. Handlebar clamp is OS 31.8mm, stack height at the steerer clamp is 40mm and rise is +/- 6º. It’ll come in 100, 110, 120 and 130mm lengths. MSRP: $299.
