Thursday, September 23, 2010

New Syncros Stem

"The Syncros FRIC stem is certainly a departure from the norm and can brag about being both impressively light and sporting some unique features. Firstly, this curvy unit is actually forged (although not in the fires of hell), not CNC'd as you might have first guessed. While the fine gentlemen at Syncros were not about to share how the shape comes to life via the forging, it is unusual to see a piece as shapely as the FRIC use this process for manufacturing. I'm not about to go on a big spiel as to why forging can create stronger parts, that is for you to look up, but it is a common method of producing a light and strong final product. The stem's FRIC name is an acronym for FreeRide Intelligent Clamp and refers to the faceplate bar clamp that runs a full 260 degrees around the handlebar. While the forging process contributes to the stem's light 124 gram weight, the extra bar clamp grip area also plays a part in allowing for a lighter weight due to not as much material being needed. Although mega light, the FRIC is designed for full on heavy duty use as the name suggests. After being shown the stem I immediately assumed that your handlebar controls would have to be removed from one side during the installation, but this isn't the case. The 260 degree clamp leaves enough room for you to fit the tapered part of your bar through, not the 31.8 clamping area"

Link:

No comments: