ITM Ergal (Alutech A) 7075 Alloy Stem

The ITM Ergal (Alutech A) 7075 Alloy Stem does a good job of holding your handlebar to the front of your bike, and it won't break the bank – but this means you get less-than-premium screws...

There are only so many variations on the easiest, lightest way to bolt two perpendicular tubes together, and at 117g for the tested 100mm version (60-120mm available) the Ergal is pretty good. The £53 3T Arx II Pro Stem Dave tested last year is 159g, albeit a 130mm length, and although you can get down to near 80g for this size stem,  you'll have to pay a lot more money (the Extralite Hyperstem 0-6 will set you back about £150). As the name suggests, it's designed to work with ITM's Alutech-A Alloy bar, reviewed here.

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Stems are such a relatively small and light component that achieving major weight savings for your spend is difficult; maybe triathlete weight weenies will sweat the grams, but for most people it's just not an issue let alone one worth spending a fortune on.

And stiffness – absolute or by weight – is no arbiter either. The über-geeks at Fairwheel Bikes did a lot of testing (see here) and found a £30 stem could be lighter and stiffer than one costing four times as much.

Looks-wise, the Ergal isn't bad, the 3D forging removing the need for lumpy welds, and the tidy graphics work in either orientation. It's a 6-degree angle, which you can flip for negative or positive rise.

Both clamps are 37mm wide, so not likely to cause trouble with your available steerer length or handlebar real estate. All six cap screws are 4mm Allen head, the two for the stem clearly marked as needing tightening to 7Nm and the four on the faceplate 5Nm. This could be a bit annoying if you are travelling as multiple torque wrenches may be needed if you are sticking to the factory settings (which you should be).

The handlebar clamp measures the ubiquitous 31.8mm diameter, and the steerer clamp 1 1/8in. Disappointingly, ITM has used chromoly-steel cap screws and after only a month's use slight traces of rust could be detected on the inner faces where the 4mm hex bits had applied torque. If you like things pristine, fork out a fiver at your reputable ironmongery for some stainless screws.

> Check out more stem reviews on road.cc here

So at 117g and £28, the Ergal is a perfectly sensible performer, weight-wise. Sprinting hard-out or wrenching the bars on the worst climbs I could find, there was no noticeable movement.

I claim no relation to Messrs Greipel, Cavendish or Kristoff, but if you are operating at that level then money's no object and your stem is probably made of unicorn horn and costs as much as my entire bike. For the rest of us, for under £30, the ITM Ergal 7075 is a sensible option should you need to change length, rise or clamp diameter from your current stem.

Verdict

A sensible, low-cost option that looks good and doesn't weigh over the odds