“This one’s about grabbing your bars, not keeping the marketing bods stoked.” – so far, so Starling Cycles.
The Bristol-based lovers of steel and MTB have introduced the Clutch stem, which is pretty much exactly what you’d expect from Starling.
What is the Clutch Stem? Founder Joe McEwan is pretty clear here: “It’s a tough, timeless and beautiful way to clutch your bars tight and set you apart from the clones.”
Handmade in Taiwan, the Clutch is “a brazed steel stem that’s built in the Starling fashion – made to last.” The Clutch is finished in Bristol with powder coat colour options to match any Starling frame, including legacy colours and that lesser-spotted Raw IPA finish.
One thing is clear: “This isn’t a stem for weight weenies or marginal gainers. There’s no CNC wannabe-wizardry. No shaved grams. No Robocops or Johnny Fives. It’s made by a bloke in a workshop with his hands”. Would Starling have it any other way?
It’s tough, it’s simple, it looks totally different to anything aluminium, it’ll clamp your bars tight for decades. It even has a pair of beautiful, understated and stainless Starlings on the faceplate as a subtle nod to the brand.
As an opening salvo, the Bristol business is making just 50 in this first batch, available on a first-come, first-served basis.
Details. Details. Details.
Rated for enduro use, the Clutch sports a pair of stainless Starlings on the faceplate, as an ‘if you know you know’ nod to the brand.
How much does it weigh? “Who cares. Compared to a CNC stem, it adds fewer grams than that squashed banana you’ve got strapped to your frame.”
Why build a stem? “Because no one else was making one that quite fits the Starling style,” says McEwan.
“Everything else out there is built to meet marketing specs or chasing pointless weight savings. We wanted something that felt like one of our bikes. Handmade, unique, built to last and the perfect match for your Starling frame”.
Standout features include:
- 35mm length | 0° rise | 31.8mm clamp | 1-1/8” steerer | 40mm stack height
- Full custom colour-matching: Every stem can be ordered to match current or past Starling frame colours and RAW IPA finish.
- Refurb repaint support: If you ever refurb your Starling frame, we’ll repaint the stem for free.
- And save 10% with a Refurb: Order a frame refurb and stem combo, and we’ll knock 10% off the price. This is the best way to guarantee a perfect colour match, and you’ll get a fresh coat of paint on your frame and new bearings with your new stem.
- Steel spacers: Matching 1.5 mm-thick stainless spacers are available separately for the cleanest possible cockpit.
