Cinelli XA

Price Paid:  $20.00

Bike Setup:
serotta atlanta w/ DA 9sp

Summary:
not stiff enough in the 14cm legnth? what the freak are you using a stem that long for in the first place?

also, can we all please stop equating "stiff" with "good"? a stiff stem (i.e. tig-welded cro-mo) transmits more road shock/vibration to the rider, leaving you hands tired and fatigued. a forged alu. stem softens things up. as far as forged alu stems go, the XA is probably one of the more stiff (3t sythesis, less stiff), but not too stiff.

anyways, this stem is a classic. it's got a great polished finish, streamlined shape, and is nice to look at (compared to a cro-mo stem). it's a little heavy, but not any heavier than a couple swigs out of your water bottle. a lot of places are blowing these out right now; got mine for 20 bucks from supergo. i likes it.

Strengths:
nice looking, polished finish

Weaknesses:
quill could be longer, but no biggie.

Similar Products Used:
3t synthesis, itm eclypse, itm 400

Bike Setup:
Davidson Steel, mixed comp.

Summary:
I see these all over the pro's bikes, and I cannot figure it out. It's a good product, but why don't they use cro mo stems which are at least as light and usually much stronger? I haven't weighed the Cinelli versus the Salsa I've got but I know that in a 14 cm length the Salsa feels way way stiffer and is about the same weight.

For me, stiffness is a much more important part of a stem than weight. If you ride a 12 cm or shorter, this product will probably work for you. But if you're on a longer stem, get a cro mo Salsa or Ritchey. Much stiffer.

Strengths:
nice, clean design

Weaknesses:
not stiff enough in longer lengths

Similar Products Used:
Specialized, TTT, Ritchey, Salsa