January 2009

Neither product is lightweight but they’re extremely well machined, with a sort of ribbed pattern on the aluminium’s surface and deep anodising. This ribbing apparently increases fatigue life but from a practical point of view keeps the parts looking new for longer — we found the post can take more wear and tear than most. At 410mm it’s also a really good length and the shaft has an ovalised cross-section (there’s more material front and rear) to resist bending. Some riders find the in-line design a bit restrictive but Thomson offers a crank model with more layback; you just won’t be able to get it down as far.

Thomson uses a special plating process on the stem bolts to resist corrosion. There’s a tendency to over-tighten the bolts so they bottom out, but if you keep to the torque settings they are more than secure. All the clamp edges are smooth so, despite what you hear, this unit works with carbon bars. Not being forged means it isn’t as stiff as some, but there are not many stems we’d fit to our bikes before this one — it’s a good weight, sleek, durable and is easily worth the £75. Complete this duo with an Easton bar and you’ll have one of the best looking finishing kits out there.

Contact: www.i-ride.co.uk

Overall weight: 348g

Mbr rating: 10