PNW Components has released a new CNC’d aluminum stem, dubbing it the Loam stem. It’s light (listed weight: 130 grams) comes in two sizes, is well-priced compared to its competition, and includes a lifetime warranty.
TLDR: The new Loam stem looks cool and is lightweight but feels reassuringly stiff. It pairs well with the PNW Loam handlebars with easy-to-align graphics. Want to hear more? Keep scrolling.
Features
- Available clamp diameters: 31.8mm, 35mm
- Lengths: 32mm, 40mm
- Rise: 0 degree
- Stack height: 38mm
- Faceplate width: 58mm
- Lifetime warranty
- Listed weight: 130g (32mm)
- List price: $99
- Available in 4 color options: blood orange, fruit snack, (purple) lightening, (gunmetal grey), and black
While PNW has been known for its lineup of reliable components that pack in value, the Loam series elevates the brand offerings with a premium-level look and feel.
We’ve been running a PNW Components Range stem for a while and like much of the PNW lineup, it’s been a reliable workhorse. The integrated GoPro mount is a cool feature, but admittedly, the aesthetic is solid but not exciting. On the other hand, the new Loam Stem adds a bit of flair to the collection.
Though they’ve been offering stems for a while, we were curious – how do you go from being known as the brand that packs in value to offering a high-end boutique component at a price point lower than much of the competition, and still offering a lifetime warranty?
PNW’s Lifetime warranties for bicycle components
Let’s talk warranties. When a brand offers a lifetime warranty — many limit warranties from 1 to 3-years — it states a level of confidence in their product engineering and manufacturing. Having had bindings fail on Fischer XC skis only to hear crickets back from the brand inquiring about repair options, we’re lucky cycling brands like PNW stand behind their products — it’s kind of a big deal.
So how do they ensure the new stem will hold up in the long run? I posed this question to PNW, and here’s their response:
Our manufacturing partner performs a litany of testing on both our handlebars and stems in order to ensure both strength and fatigue are up to our standards. All of our components are tested to what’s called ISO 4210 standard, which is the international standard for all bicycle parts. Not everyone performs this testing for a stem, but we deem it necessary. Specifically in the case of our stems, including the Loam, we also spec the highest quality bolts for both strength and corrosion resistance, and we have spent countless hours ride-testing the stem as well to be sure we’re happy with the design and function.
– Aaron Kerson, CEO & Co-Founder, PNW Components
Still curious, looking for insights into their product development process: I followed up with another question: “How do you strike that balance of overbuilding a component to last for years versus avoiding creating a heavy block of aluminum? (I’m looking at all the material removed to minimize heft here)”
For this stem, rather than forging (relatively cheap process, not super accurate) or machining from a block of billet (super expensive, creates a ton of waste), we opted to extrude the general shape of the stem first, then CNC machine it to the exact shaping. Basically this means the general shape of the stem is produced by pushing the 6061 material through a tool like you would Play Doh, and then CNC’d to get the details and final design, then anodized and laser etched. The machining passes are carefully calculated so that we can take out as much material as possible while still maintaining our strength and fatigue testing goals. With CNC you’re able to control the machining tolerances so tight that, as you mentioned, you can really optimize for weight savings by removing even the tiniest big of excess. The biggest savings were from hollowing out the center behind where the bar would attach.
– Aaron Kerson, PNW Components
So there you have it; if you’re curious about what goes into creating a high-quality stem with a lifetime warranty, here’s an article that explains the process of aluminum extrusion, and what happens in the manufacturing process.
On the trail
My curiosity satisfied as to how and why I could trust this lightweight piece of alloy to keep me safe on the trails, I proceeded to unbox the Loam stem and snap photos of it, (sorry, forgot to throw it on the scale) I bolted it up to my titanium Binary Maniak hardtail. Centering and setting the angle of the bars is a cinch, as the bars are imprinted with lines that match up with the stem from both the top and the front views.
With the wet season upon us, my go-to rides have been my hardtails or eMTB. The Loam stem will likely end up on my enduro bike, but the lightweight Loam stem in the gunmetal grey is well-matched to the look of my titanium frame. The Loam stem is also available in black, orange, and purple; I’d be interested in trying a splash of color after so many black bikes, but orange and purple are not my flavors.
Our sample Loam stem came packaged with the Loam Carbon Handlebar, which, like the PNW Range Bar, has become a favorite thanks to the 10º back sweep. It’s just a small increase in sweepback, but adds comfort to the wrists on rides. Though I’d be interested in trying a bar with 12º of sweep, the slight increase in sweep doesn’t affect the technical handling of the bike.
Since we’re already geeking out over components, here’s what PNW had to say about their carbon bars:
We were able to engineer both the 31.8 and 35mm Loam Bar to have the same deflection values, which means riders don’t need to choose a particular bar diameter for ride feel, it’s now just about the preference of either aesthetics or whatever stem they currently have.
– Aaron Kerson, CEO, PNW Components
I’m running the 35mm Loam Bar on my Santa Cruz Tallboy trail bike, and they did a good job giving both bars a similar ride feel. That said, with the smaller tubes of a titanium hardtail, the 31.8mm stem/bar combo pairs and looks far better IMO.
As for the on-trail performance of the stem/bar cockpit, there is a noticeable bit of compliance from the carbon bars. In terms of stem performance, it holds the bars securely, in line with the other stems I’m currently running on bikes, which include the Thomson X4, Spank Split Stem, and Enve alloy, Unless a stem fails and rotates, I’m not sure it’s possible to differentiate the feeling between stems, as bar flex and tire pressure play a factor.
The PNW Components Loam cockpit adds a splash of zing while providing a reliable handling and steering feel. The only niggle we might have is the bolts and rear of the stem are a bit square-edged; if you don’t wear knee pads, beware.
On the bike, the stem is possibly the component I look at the most while on the trail, and its 58mm wide faceplate is a reassuring view.
Learn more at PNWComponents.com.