DEDA Zero Stem

Price Paid:  $100.00 at local bike shop

Favorite Ride:
criterium

Bike Setup:
Specialized Tarmac, Ksyrium ES. Goes fast downhill.

Summary:
I very nearly lost life and/or limb due to this product. The face plate of the stem snapped in two spots simultaneously just beneath the two top titanium bolts. I was sprinting up a steep hill on the hoods. If I had been going ANY faster, I would not have been able to control the bike when the handlebars suddenly pivoted straight down. The stem was installed by the local bike shop by a mechanic that has been there for years whom I trust. They always do good work. I don't normally write reviews, but what happened with this stem scared the heck out of me. Don't let it happen to you!

Strengths:
low weight

Weaknesses:
The face plate is too thin. May snap in two without warning!

Similar Products Used:
Ritchie, Specialized

Price Paid:  $1.00 at eBay

Favorite Ride:
A rainy century in northern Kentucky

Bike Setup:
90's Bianchi SL (handmade Columbus steel, baby!) with a new 105 group and all the high-zoot carbon and so on. I built it from the frame-- originally a project, but fell in love.

Summary:
No, that price was not a typo. I paid $.87 for this on eBay, so you know I'm going to be honest. It's a totally decent stem. It's surprisingly light for an alloy stem (and mine was 120mm!). But I honestly think you pay for it on the stiffness. The bar clamp is uninspiringly designed and rather flexy. The threads on mine did not exactly fit with standard metric allen capscrews. The steerer clamp is well thought-out, with a bullet shape and strong design. It has a very nice anodized silver frosting and typical Deda sexiness.

Strengths:
-LIGHT!!!
-Great steerer clamp design
-Nice looks and feel
-A little out of vogue, so easy to buy used or NOS

Weaknesses:
-Weak, flexy bar clamp
-Finicky threads, but nothing a good coat of white lithium grease will not help.

Similar Products Used:
Cinelli Groove
Bontrager Race Lite

Price Paid:  $21.00 at Ebay

Favorite Ride:
Smooth, with the wind

Bike Setup:
90's steel giordana, c-record, mavic cosmos. TT handlebars.

Summary:
140mm, satin black, 2 bolt silver front panel, curvey like 3TTT Mutant. This stem is fairly light. I don't know the exact weight. It is much stiffer than my old cinelli quill. This could be attributed to many factors including fork, headset, and handlebars. However, I believe in this stem and the great deal I got.

Strengths:
Light, Stiff, cheap, good-looking.

Weaknesses:
I have heard horror stories of Deda threads stripping. I have not used the item long enough to experience problems.

Similar Products Used:
Various taiwanese and Italian threaded and threadless offerings

Price Paid:  $110.00 at Mail order

Favorite Ride:
Airport Ride Brisbane

Bike Setup:
Cannondale CAAD 3, Dura-Ace, Mavic CXP-30s, Fizik Pave

Summary:
Bought this when I changed over to A-Head set up from quill. Had a scary experience with a CODA welded stem which cracked and nearly broke. Zero looks clean and simple. No problems with installation. Much stiffer than my pervious set up.

Strengths:
Clean, simple, strong (130mm)

Weaknesses:
Not as trendy as some oversize units etc.

Similar Products Used:
CODA welded quill x 2