Question: i am looking to upgrade basically half my bike before race season and a new stem is part of that package. i was liking the Bontrager Race XXX Lite Carbon OS stem to replace my bontrager select. is it worth it to go carbon? the mechanic at my shop says he would rather have a strong stem than a light one. how likely are these things to break? im only using for XC racing, trail riding, and road. if not carbon, then whats a good alternative? i dont want to spend more than $50 and will need something to fit an Easton Monkeylite carbon riser. dont know exactly what model im getting, but they are the thick bars.
Answer: Carbon stems, for the most part, have gone through the learning curve and are just as reliable and strong as the others. Earlier models were the "lab rats" and a few horror stories circulated about people riding with handlebars not connected to the bike after the stem catastrophically failed. MTB-specific stems will take all the abuse you can give and not fail. The question is if it is worth it. You won't see a drastic reduction in total bike weight. The biggest contribution would be a stiffening (less flex) in a good carbon stem. Most aluminum stems that are stiff are usually overbuilt and therefore heavy. Your mechanic is right, strong is better than light. But in the case of carbon fiber, you'll get both. Go for it.
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