Started in Shanghai five years ago, Factory Five has grown into a proper cycling boutique and has even developed their own fixed gear frames and a line up of assorted components. Their latest addition is the new F5 Titan Stem which takes a modern look at the traditional quill stem, bringing it up to date with modern compatibility. With almost every new handlebar developed in the last 5 or 10 years making the switch to a 31.8mm clamping area, it’s become harder and harder to cleanly replace the bar on so many bikes floating around the world with 1″ threaded headsets, from classic road bikes to fixie conversions to contemporary city bikes. Factory Five has the solution with the F5 Titan. Take a closer look and get the full details after the jump…
The F5 Titan does away with the need for a quill adapter and a separate threadless stem, the current solution for installing new bars on an old bike. The new stem offers the same height adjustment benefits of a standard quill stem, combined with a removable faceplate and 31.8mm bar compatibility. The stem only gets a low-key laser-etched F5 logo on its faceplate, so it will look great on any classic bike that is asking for either a new road or flat bar.
The forged and machined 7005 aluminum stem gets a high polish finish for a classic look, and weighs just 270g. Its removable faceplate is keyed for a secure grip on the bars and is attached with two recessed stainless steel bolts to preserve its smooth lines. The 72° stem extension is 90mm in this first version (F5 promise to develop more sizes in the future if there is demand). Its 150mm x 22.2mm (1″ threaded headset standard internal) quill needs 50mm minimum insertion for about 100mm up-and-down adjustability.
The new $100 stem just began shipping this week, and will hopefully arrive in Factory Five’s international stockists soon. They do deliver direct to customers as well, but shipping doesn’t always seem to be straight forward, and customs clearance is then the individual buyers responsibility. There are a number of shops in North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia that stock F5 products. So if you are interested, it may be best to reach out to one of those first.
Happy upgrading.
