Review Options:
Sorted by Latest Review | Sort by Best Rating |
|
Reviews 1 - 2 (2 Reviews Total)
| |
User Reviews
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
ebenisek
a Recreational RiderDate Reviewed: June 3, 2010
Strengths: looks good, light weight and easily adjustable.Weaknesses: broke while riding.Bottom Line: Have a Thomson stem on both my road bike and mountain bike. The stem looks good, is light weight and is easily adjustable. The bad news is I suffered catastrophic failure of my road stem while climbing out of the saddle. The stem (Elite X4) was two years old and snapped completely off from where it attaches to the fork tube (not the face plate). There are four arms that wrap around the fork tube and are bolted around the back. The failure occurred at the thinnest section of each arm (basically the mid point) causing the stem and handle bars to come free from the bike (I can send pictures for those that are interested). I'm 6'2" 165lbs so I don't consider myself hefty. In any event, I've only heard great things about Thomson's products so I'm giving them the benefit of the doubt that this was fluke event. One last thing - just prior to the failure was loud stem creaking which will alert me in the future of a possible problem.
Favorite Ride: Diablo
Price Paid:
$90.00
Purchased At: Local bike shop
Similar Products Used: Cinelli
Bike Setup: Moots with Dura Ace
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Vitix2
a Recreational RiderDate Reviewed: April 16, 2010
Bottom Line: The Thomson X4 is designed for mountain bike use, but I have seen a few roadies with them and I have used them on two road bikes myself. Great quality, incredible stiffness, and IMHO, it outshines all of the other high dollar stems that I've tried. In fact, since moving away from quill stems, I have never had issues with any stem in terms of stiffness and quality. Yet, when I mounted the Thomson X$ on my road bike I could instantly tell I was dealing with a different animal. It made my Deda Newton and various FSA's feel inferior. Again, I had no problem with them when they were mounted, but the X4 is better quality, stiffer.
That said, the X@ is Thomson's road fork but it only comes with a +/-17 degree rise. That is too extreme for me. Being either 17 degrees higher or lower is not anything that I'm interested in. It seems that if you are riding a bike that fits, 17 degrees is too drastic. Anyway, the X$ is 10 degrees and more within what I consider to be a workable rise. The only challenge that I have is that I'm not crazy about its' look. The finish is great, but the shape (beefy look) is over the top. So, I love the performance and quality of it, but could do with something a little more evelte looking. It is not heavy, but it just looks like it belongs more on a mountain bike. It is relatively fat at the base and thins toward the bar clamp. Again works exceptionally well, but looks like it belongs on a cross bike or a city bike, not a sexy road bike.
The look thing may be personal, but it is something that the more image conscious riders out there should consider. Still, I have not swapped back. It's just too sweet to kick to the curb due to its' muscular look.
Favorite Ride: I like em all
Price Paid:
$90.00
Purchased At: ???????
|
Reviews 1 - 2 (2 Reviews Total)
| |
Review Options:
Sorted by Latest Review | Sort by Best Rating |
