Straitline SSC Stem (discontinued)

Definitely one of the more pricey components I have purchased primarily for looks, but the function surprised me as well. I have always tried to purchase from smaller companies that produced products in-house instead of sending overseas, and Straitline does just that. Working for a bike manufacturer has shown me just how loose tolerances can be on products made overseas and how cheaply they are produced. There is of course is exceptions to this, but generally products made in house in places like the Uk, US, or Canada (like Straitline) use better raw materials, more machining and give you a higher quality product. This does of course normally come at a premium price, but there are numerous times when I have purchased and broken a cheaper and lower quality part and replaced it with the more expensive part I should have gotten in the first place.

To start, I think the SSc stem has it nailed in terms of looks, nice anodizing in lots of cool colors, aggressive machining, burly looks, and finishing that is second to none. I went with the goldish copper colored stem as it matched my bike at the time that had that color accents. It has since been moved to another bike, but I still dig the color, it gives a premium feel to any bike. I would definitely say the stem fits best on a more aggressive bike, although it is fairly light because of the machining, it does have a chunky appearance that might look odd on an XC bike. The stem has never shown any signs of flexing, remains creak free, and the finish has remained scratch and knick free. I do think the price will probably be a bit of a deterrent for most, but if you want a stem that has excellent attention to detail, unique and distinct styling and comes in cool colors this might be a good choice. Awesome stem from a great company.

Purchased the Straitline SSC stem a few years ago and looking back, it has been my favorite stem. I had it installed on a Trek Slash and was perfect for my purposes. It was very stiff, yet very light in weight. In a world were these two are insanely important, this stem really shined. The craftsmanship of this piece was beyond impressive as well. It was beautiful. All of Straitline products are beautiful. Mountain biking seems to be an industry with infinite standards, my only complaint is that Straitline currently doesn't have this stem available in a 35mm diameter. All of straitline components are on the pricy side but when you buck down and actually get one of their products in-hand, you quickly understand why.

When sending myself off cliffs where my success rests on the quality and function of my bike and all it's components, I don't hesitate one bit with the straitline SSC stem.

I've been running 2 of these on separate bikes for the last two years. This is a hands down gorgeous stem. Straitline was way ahead of the curve when they came out with this stem. There are many color options and it's a great accessory to the cockpit if you're looking for bike jewelry. It's perfect for handling DJ, All-mountain/enduro/ DH duties. While it's not the lightest stem in its class, it's also not the heaviest either.

While it's one of the few stems I would put on my bike, Straitline has a lot more competition these days (thomson, easton havoc, spank, to name a few) that are at a lower price point and look just as good. These days it's hard to find the SSC stem retailing for under $100.

This is one of the best stems I've used. I basically installed it and never had to even think about it again. I like short stems, so the 35mm option is why I got this one (I had a Thomson 50mm that was great also, just too long for my liking). The only issue is the rust on the inside of the two steerer clamp hex bolts, but it doesn't concern me (just figured I'd note it here). I'd highly recommend this stem, mine has lasted years and is still going strong. Actually, I'd recommend all Straitline products, I have the De Facto pedals too and they're as solid as this stem!

The edgy angles are the first thing you admire about this work of art but it won't be the last. The simple, no fuss design is easy to install and the strength is something you'll never question as you rip the sketchy line you've been eyeing. The one thing I would like to see is more sizes please: 42 mm would fit nicely between the 35 and 50 mm options.