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Easton EA50 Stem
By James Sharp
There are some parts of your bike that wouldn’t kill you if they broke. For instance, you can finish your ride with a broken shifter or even a broken derailleur. But, if you break a stem, chances are you are crashing and crashing hard. That being said, what is it that we all look for in a stem? Light weight, with at least a modicum of style, taking for granted that it is strong enough.
Easton has been in the component business for a very, very long time. Their bars are some of the best on the market, and their stems are no different. We’ve had the chance to spend some time with the EA-50 and can give it an enthusiastic two thumbs up.
I know what you are saying, "it’s a stem, why are you so enthusiastic about it?" True it is just a stem, but it also weighs only 175 grams (110mm) and is priced at a respectable $49.99. It also looks fantastic, and lets be honest we all want our bikes to look good.
The EA-50 is only available in black. It features a shot-peened finish, for increased fatigue strength, and a two-bolt removable faceplate. The stem comes in 0- or 10-degree rise in 90, 110, 120 and 130mm lengths. There is one to fit about every rider.
We do have one minor gripe. Ever since the advent of the threadless headset, almost every stem made can be run upside-down. Why can’t manufacturers place the decals so that they can be read whether the stem is run plus 10 degrees or minus 10 degrees? It seems like a minor quibble, I know, but when you take the time to get the fit right, only to find that the decal looks silly upside-down it detracts. With today’s longer travel forks and taller front ends I, personally, run most my stems upside-down to get my riding position right.
Summary: The Easton EA-50 is smack in the middle between cheap knock-off stems and the really expensive chi-chi stems. It is attractive and wouldn’t look out of place on a $4000 full suspension rig, or a custom Ti hard tail. No matter what you ride, if you are in the market for a stem, definitely give the EA-50 a long hard look.
James Sharp is a contributing editor for GearReview.com specializing in mountain biking.
For more information, contact:
Veltec Sports Inc.
1793 Catalina Street
Sand City, CA 93955-3746
Phone: 800-991-0070
www.veltecsports.com
veltec@veltecsports.com
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