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ENVE Alloy Mountain Stems bring refined metal option for their carbon handlebars

ENVE alloy mountain bike stem shown on MTB
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Their carbon stems are a thing of beauty, but the new ENVE Alloy Mountain Stems get the composite look and attention to detail, just as a much lower price. Retailing for less than half what their carbon M6 stems sell for, they’ve been in development longer than expected. Here’s the story…

ENVE mountain bike stems closeup detail photo

Delayed, but not dropped

Originally planned to launch at the beginning of 2020, ENVE says their first batch didn’t live up to their standards for finish quality. In particular, here’s what they changed from the first batch (per ENVE):

  • Inconsistent and distracting machining lines have been eliminated and custom form cutters were produced for the stem body and face plate to ensure perfectly smooth, blemish free, high-end aesthetics.
  • “No Gap” indicator is found on only the non-drive side of the stem and is laser etched post-anodization (aka black on black) to minimize any disruption to the stem’s aesthetics.
  • Tech copy fonts have been reduced to absolute minimum.
  • M6 and M7 designators have been removed, replaced with simple 31.8 & 35.0 designators etched in the clamping surface.

ENVE mountain bike stems closeup detail photo

ENVE Alloy MTB Stem Tech & Specs

At $125 each, they’re still not cheap, so what makes them special? For starters, they’re cold-forged, then machined to remove extra material from the sides and give them an open-air appearance. Unlike some blocky stems that have big holes cut out, these maintain a sleek appearance, accentuated by a deep gloss black finish and near absence of visible marks or logos.

That sleek appearance extends to the rear, which rounds off the design and tucks the steerer clamp bolts into the shape. This should prevent cuts and scrapes from raking your knee across it.

ENVE mountain bike stems closeup detail photo

Up front, the faceplate is machined to mate precisely to the body, giving you a no-gap appearance. And, the edges are beveled to prevent scoring or scratching of your carbon handlebars. Stainless hardware should keep it looking just as polished for years to come.

ENVE Alloy Stem Sizes & Weights

The stems will come in 35, 50 and 65mm lengths, for 31.8mm and 35mm handlebars. Weights are:

  • 31.8mm – 115g (35mm) / 139g (50mm) / 160g 65mm)
  • 35mm – 118g (35mm) / 139g (50mm) / 168g (65mm)

ENVE mountain bike stems closeup detail photo

ENVE says they’re rated for everything from XC to trail to all-mountain to enduro to gravity and DH use. All sizes should be shipping by November 30, 2020.

Learn more at ENVE.com

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BMX
BMX
4 years ago

Rental put thier no gap at the bottom of the stem as a sort of cradle for the carbon, this is upside down, or is that just my nonsense logic

blahnblahblah
blahnblahblah
4 years ago
Reply to  BMX

looks better with no gap at the top

pm732
4 years ago

pretty nice aesthetic, but $125 and no titanium hardware? no angles offered so i guess they just make them in a lathe. i wonder who machines them for enve..probably noone on-shore, or they’d mention it. hmm. intend, extralite, syntace, hope, the list goes on…

Adam
Adam
4 years ago
Reply to  pm732

You can’t make that on a lathe… a mill perhaps. Lathes are good for circular/cylindrical pieces, this was probably some kind of awesome CNC machine that was $100k. Badass!

Zach Calton
Zach Calton
4 years ago
Reply to  pm732

They machine it themselves, in house. they already have the cnc machines becuase they make their carbon molds in house as well. I’ve literally seen it happen, in utah

ETHAN VB
ETHAN VB
3 years ago

I own two of these and they both originate in Taiwan. There is even an interview with someone from Enve explaining why they’re producing these stems in Taiwan. Also their G series gravel bar is produced in China. Enve’s website only states that their wheels are made in the US.

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