Genetic STV Stem 90mm

The Genetic STV stem is a good-looking bit of kit thanks to its stealthy finish and profiled shape. It does the job it's designed to do with ease – and without breaking the bank or the scales.

Let's be honest, a stem isn't the most exciting component on your bike and as long as the tolerances are close it's going to grip onto a handlebar and fork steerer without issue. But I think it also needs to look good – and the STV does exactly that.

It gets a cool-looking stealth black finish on the logos, while the matt black paint has a high-quality look, giving a smooth finish around any sharp edges.

As with most of today's stems, the STV is designed to fit a 26.8mm/1 1/8in fork steerer and a handlebar with a 31.8mm clamping diameter, or 31.7mm in the case of a Deda bar (in reality they have same diameter).

It comes in a wide range of lengths too, from 60-130mm, which should mean that most of us can easily find the right one.

> How to choose the best stem length

The stem comes with black anodised bolts that have had threadlock applied to them to stop them rattling loose, and these take care of clamping duties effectively. I like the use of a single face plate, rather than a two-part affair, as I feel that this makes it easier to equally torque each bolt.

The inside of the face plate is serrated to stop the handlebar slipping, and the serrations do a good job. I used the stem primarily on my gravel bike and even with the rutted trails after a tough winter there was no slippage of the bar at all.

In terms of angles, it comes with a +/- 6° rise, and the multiple logos allow you to run it either way without it looking odd.

Value

The £49.99 RRP is the same as when I reviewed the 110mm version with white logos back in 2019. And considering inflation over the last few years that's good to see.

The Easton EA70 stem also cost £49.99 when Matt reviewed it back in 2020, but it's now £59.99. It's also a nice-looking aluminium alloy stem, though at 140g it's a bit weightier than the 115g STV. Okay, the Easton is 10mm longer, but that won't equate to an extra 25g.

The aluminium FSA Energy SCR stem also comes in slightly heavier than the Genetic STV, it's slightly more expensive and it doesn't come any shorter than 80mm, but Jamie liked it when he tested it, and it works well with Di2 and Campag's EPS.

Conclusion

Stem weight isn't the most important factor, especially at this price point, and while you can find plenty of stems that are cheaper or more expensive and which do much the same job, I feel that the STV offers a great balance of weight, looks and cost.

Verdict

A good weight, a decent price and it is well finished – what's not to like?