Syntace has added a few components aimed at 29er riders looking to get their position on the bike as low as possible.
The FlatForce stem has a 12mm drop in handlebar center compared to a standard stem and is angled to sit close to parallel (will depend on your head angle). Lengths run from 44mm up to 111mm in 11mm increments (jumps from 99 to 111, though).
It uses a 200° clamp opening, similar to Ritchey’s C260 stems, and has Syntace’s wide rectangular shaped stem that puts the clamps wide on the handlebars for better torsional stiffness.
The Low 5 / Low 10 “riser” bars have a 5mm or 10mm negative rise. Like the stem, they’re designed to put the rider lower. The Low 10 above has a and comes in 740mm (180) and 780mm (208) widths. Weights are 188g and 208g The low Five is 740 mm but can be cut down to 700mm. Weight is 205g.
Their handlebars get a new naming scheme with the rise and sweep listed on the bar and as part of the model name. Two versions of a negative rise handlebar are offered, a Low 5 and Low 10.
The revised Screw-On Moto Grips get a new pattern and are offered it both 30 and 33mm diameters to fit smaller and bigger hands. They felt pretty good.
One of the rider complaints about the Syntace X-12 rear axle is that there’s no quick release. It’s not a flip lever, but they do offer a new hex tool and end cap that clips onto the axle. The kit comes with a replacement end piece that extends a bit and the tool snaps into it with the long end sitting inside the axle. The short end is sized to unscrew the axle. The long end can be had with a few different sizes to work with common Shimano or SRAM drivetrain parts.
