Keeping with the trend of wide bars and short stems for gravity-oriented bikes, Truvativ has two good offerings that are starting to show up on many builds. Wanting to complete my Santa Cruz V10 Carbon with a clean all-SRAM group, I installed the Holzfeller stem and BooBar on my BoXXer WC fork to give the bike a unified, finished look.
Holzfeller Specs
This year the Holzfeller stem has been refined a bit and the weight’s been shaved down to 151 grams from the previous 159-gram weight a few years back. The body is made from tough 7050 aluminum that’s forged then machined and the cap is made from AL-66.
Although this direct-mount stem is not adjustable, it is available in two lengths: 50mm (which I use) or 60mm (for those of you who are a bit taller than me).
Holding everything together are CrMo bolts. Just between you and I, seeing that I am a weight weenie, I swapped those bolts out for Ti units and saved another 7 grams.
From the center of the bar to the mounting base you have approximately 21mm in bar rise. The stem is available in colors designed to match the Rockshox BoXXer for that perfect finish.
BooBar Specs
The BooBar is perfect for those of you looking for an alloy bar that is 31″ (787mm) wide, stiff, World Cup strong, and relatively light at just 338 grams. Made from AL-7050, this is one durable alloy, much like the stuff you find on aircraft landing gear.
As for shape, there is a 20mm rise with a pleasing 7 back sweep and 5 up sweep, which keeps your wrists pretty straight to the arms when in riding position. It is available in tungsten gray or bead-blasted black.
Installation
Installation is pretty easy–just ensure that you torque the 8 bolts down to the correct values provided by Truvativ. Stem to upper crown you need to apply 8Nm in an even cross fashion, and a maximum of 6.8Nm to the front cap holding the bar. It is best to have the fork installed and torqued before you attempt to install the direct mount stem to prevent any possible stress from the compression of the upper crown to the steerer tube.
Out on the Trail
Having run wide bars for a while now, I have been accustomed to the feel of something this wide. The width really opens you up and gives you the freedom to breathe, not to mention the great amount of control over the front wheel in turns. It really makes you feel unstoppable! The added torque you get from a 31″ bar provides a comfortable feel over those rock gardens and rooty sections.
After the flight, coming in for a landing is a pleasure as the bar does have a bit of flex to take that sting out of a harsh landing. As far as the Holzfeller stem goes, the 2.1″ wide face plate and 1.95″ wide stem body combine for a stem that has a hint of flex with a sturdy-enough structure.
If I could request only one improvement to the system it would be to have the stem with a bit less rise than the Holzfeller presently has. Perhaps this is something that Truvativ would consider as a future project?
If you’re into the machined look, these don’t fit the bill. But for those who are looking for a clean look with no edges, then these are an excellent start!
MSRP is $70 for the bar and $85 for the stem.
Now it’s your turn. What are you looking for in a stem/bar combo?
I would like to thank Truvativ for sending down the gear for a review.
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