Prime Doyenne Alloy Stem

This Prime Doyenne Alloy stem offers aero touches and good stiffness at a sensible price. It's a touch on the heavy side, though, and you won't be able to slam it.

• Pros: Cool-looking aero touches, a budget upgrade
• Cons: Slightly on the heavy side, not good for getting low

The humble stem is possibly the simplest component on a bicycle. It's also one of the best parts to change to alter the fit of a bike. You can go from comfy sit-up-and-beg to flat-back racer with just one change.

The alloy versions are all pretty similar, but there are a few touches here that set it slightly apart from a basic stem. These do seem to be pretty much cosmetic, though, so despite the 'sleek aerodynamic design', don't be expecting tangible speed gains.

The aero design can be found around the steerer clamp. The top cap sits flush with the top of the stem which looks really good, especially considering the low price.

With a standard four-bolt face plate, the stem is easy to install and comes with its own spacer that sits nicely with the stem. My issue is that I slam the stem on a flat top bearing cover. The Doyenne won't sit properly thanks to the top cap integration lip that is built into both sides.

All that means is you'll need a 5mm spacer under the stem. Or a conical top cap should do. As an issue it's not huge, as I'm probably in a minority of riders who run stems that low. It's worth considering, though.

Out on the road the stem is stiff enough for my thin cyclist arms and there isn't a noticeable increase in road buzz reaching my hands compared with the PRO Vibe 7S stem that it has replaced.

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It has seen some pretty inclement weather and plenty of washing, and there are no signs of wear either on the stem or the bolts. As long as you're careful with the bolt heads, you won't get any rounding. I've been playing around with my bar position quite a bit so there have been a lot of adjustments.

We've got the 120mm version here, and the range covers 80-130mm in 10mm increments. The steerer clamp is 1 1/8in and the bar clamp is 31.8mm. There's no other angle than the +/- 5° found here so if you need to go low, this probably isn't the stem to pick.

At 196g for the 120mm with top cap, this is a slightly heavy stem compared to what you can pick up for similar money. PRO's LT Stem is a bit lighter at 153g for the 100mm length, but a fiver more at £34.99. At £29.99, it's a good budget upgrade (and currently £17.99) that looks a lot more expensive than it is and pretty cool with it.

Verdict

Plenty stiff enough and looks great, but not one for getting low