Modern mountain bike stems are increasingly becoming pieces of art, featuring intricate CNC’d cutouts in signature patterns. The new Starling Clutch stem takes a retro approach to dressing up your cockpit, though it’s every bit a piece of cockpit jewelry like the others.
Known for their bespoke steel full-suspension and hardtail mountain bikes, UK brand Starling is making the Clutch stem out of steel, rather than aluminum, which is a far more common choice. Each stem is made from three tube sections which are brazed together in a jig.
“The mitering of the short joining section is super tricky,” Starling founder Joe McEwan told me over email.
The stems are made in Taiwan, though the finishing happens in Bristol, where Starling is based. Powder-coat finishes are available in colors to match any Starling frame. Only 50 stems will be produced in the first batch, and they’re priced at £175 each.
With a 0° rise, the stem is 35mm long with a 31.8mm clamp diameter. I asked McEwan why he chose to go with a 31.8mm clamp diameter rather than 35mm, which is becoming increasingly more common for mountain bikes.
“I think 31.8mm is a good size for handlebars,” he said. “I’d go further to say 35mm is just not needed, a bit like continually adding more blades to a razor, or gears to bikes. I was happy on 25.4mm bars! Also, our top tubes are 31.8mm, a 35mm stem looks a bit silly.”
To get more info or to order a stem, visit the Starling Cycles website.
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