Out of Ceetec’s Swiss workshop is a new Phenum The Stem C10 set to complete the MTB race cockpit of XCM World Champion Ramona Forchini’s cross-country bike. Claiming to set new benchmarks for stiffness and lightweight, the angular Phenum Stem C10 is made-in-Europe with a unique mix of alloy manufacturing techniques that Ceetec says boost off-road security and handling precision while remaining super light.
Ceetec lightweight alloy Phenum The Stem C10 mountain bike stem
While its name is a mouthful, the Phenum The Stem C10 cross-country mountain bike stem made by Ceetec seems to have it covered in a mix of angular good looks, lightweight & made-in-Europe performance. Ceetec says they spent the last 2 years refining the design and their in-house production because they felt like it was the missing link preventing the direct power transfer and precise handling of their carbon bars from making it to the bike without unnecessary energy loss.
Being picked & presented by a current World Champ in rainbow stripes never hurts either.
And it’s probably a genuine performance choice for Ramona Forchini, since stem sponsorship doesn’t really seem like it would make a great XCO/XCM advertising return on investment. Pretty much every recent race photo from Forchini we’ve seen has her stem covered by a race number, so here’s a shot of her racing the Mediterranean Epic which she won back in March. (To be fair, she’s only just received her new Phenum The Stem C10, so we’d have to wait for race photos anyway.)
Ceetec again has again sent the new stem to independent Bike Test Aachen to see how strong it is, like they did with their superlight XC & DH bars. And again BTA says they had to create a new tougher test, setting a new benchmark for MTB stem stiffness and durability after a marathon 24hr, 1.72million cycle fatigue test with 630N applied to the Phenum stem.
OK, stories aside, let’s talk details…
Phenum C10 – Tech details
The design of the stem was focused entirely on providing stiffness & power transfer, down to its boxy profile, 1-piece split face design, and smooth wide bar clamp.
The Phenum C10 stem is made from what Ceetec calls “Full C10 Metal Matrix Technology”, which is a proprietary process of CNC-machining 7000 series aluminum, and then post-processing it via quenching & tempering to get the most strength out of the aluminum. It then gets a 3-step anodizing & surface treatment process that leaves a smooth ‘carbon-like’ matte look that fits well with Ceetec’s superlight Phenum C10 carbon bars.
The Phenum C10 stem comes only in a -18° profile designed for 29er mountain bikers looking to slam that stem, and in four stem lengths – 70/80/90/100mm. The alloy stem has claimed weights of 100g / 107g / 114g / 121g, respectively.
It features titanium hardware (black or gold), a 1 1/8″ steerer tube stack of 41mm, and 31.8mm bar clamp width of 50.5mm.
Ceetec alloy mountain bike stem – Pricing, options & availability
Lightweight, high performance, and in-house manufacturing by a Swiss company focused on elite racing doesn’t come cheap. The lightweight alloy Phenum C10 stem sells for 349 CHF (~$390 / 318€) and is available now direct from Ceetec, Phenum, or their partner bike shops. With that you also get a special stainless steel stem tool kit that allows you to slightly open up the faceplate gap for easier bar installation without scratching it.
