In Spring, Spank Industries sent us their latest trail/enduro stem, dubbed the Split. The Split retails for $89 USD, and comes in 33, 38, 43, and 48mm lengths. The zero degree rise stem is available in all black, with blue, green, or red face plates. We opted to test the 38mm length option.
The split front clamp design shaves grams, and makes for a clean aesthetic.
The included top cap, features a sneaky o-ring to keep water and grime out of your steerer tube.
The anodized finish on the 6-Series Alloy, 3D forged CNC-optimized body looks clean, and matches the top cap perfectly.
The integrated “Human Factor cockpit setup index” (aka the lines on the left clamp) was quite helpful in finding our desired 0° backsweep.
On the trail
We found that the 38mm length was the perfect happy medium between 40mm and 35mm standard stem lengths. As many new stems come with mixed 5mm and 4mm bolts, the 5mm allen bolts all around were a welcome feature, due to only needing one allen wrench. The short stack height of 34mm, provided fine tuned adjustments for the desired stem height. Due to the widely spaced clamp diameter, the Split 38 provided a stiff, and stable feeling cockpit.
Overall
For a reliable, $89 stem, available in multiple length configurations, and colors, we would not hesitate to recommend the Split stem to any rider looking to upgrade their bike.
More info at: Spank
