Race Face Diabolus Stem
Cam
McRae
It looks fly; that’s the first thing you notice. Before you know whether it’s going to be strong, stiff or functional, you realize the Race Face Diabolus stem will make your bike look several notches more pimped than your buddy’s. Hardly a ride went by without someone saying, “cool stem.”
| It sports an industrial I-beam look and the black Diabolus I tested is etched with silver flames. They seem to emanate from some deep aluminum recess, only to escape from 3 holes behind the faceplate. The flames meet your gaze when you peer down toward your front wheel - an inspiring view when you're getting psyched to launch that drop that bucked you last ride. |
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| When I removed my day-to-day stem and tried to install the Race Face unit I couldn’t slide it on. I had used a pipe cutter to cut my steerer and this always leaves a ridge. After the cutting was complete I had, I thought, filed away the ridge but, the fit of the Diabolus is so precise that I needed to file it once more before I could slide it into place. Apparently there is less stress at the steerer/stem junction because the two clamping bolts oppose each other. The Diabolus never slipped during a ride. |
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| I was pleased to see that the 2 handlebar clamp bolts found on the DH SYStem have been replaced with 4x5mm Allen head fasteners (the name is improved as well). The faceplate is molded to surround the bar and then lock with the main body of the stem. Race Face says this eliminates stress risers that can lead to failure. The bar installed easily. |
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| Fork and wheel flex play a much bigger role than the stem in front end rigidity and I generally only notice when stems lack the prerequisite fortitude for the riding we do here on the Shore. The Diabolus displayed no lack of backbone. |
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| The version I tried was 50mm from the centre of the top cap to the mid point in the bar clamp and it rose 10º. I am partial to short stems and I would have liked to have seen an even shorter model – perhaps 40mm or even 35. There is also a 70mm model for you Goliaths out there. |
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This is a great product. I like the fact that the main body is machined from a solid piece of 6061 aluminum. The lack of welds means that even my overactive imagination has a hard time breaking the Diabolus. Race Face’s literature says that the Diabolus is the “stiffest, strongest stem on the market.” On the same page we also learn that it’s “just as stiff as an oversized stem/bar setup, without incurring a significant weight penalty.” While this info is a little contradictory, you get the picture. In fact Race Face claims their testing machine will break before the Diabolus does. Despite all this burl it weighs in at 250 grams – reasonable for a DH/freeride specific unit.
If you like or need the security of a really tough stem, and you have a weakness
for trick components, you may be able to give the Diabolus a happy home. This
style and substance doesn't come cheap, however, and with a slew of oversized
bar and stem combos coming out this season, there should be no shortage of inexpensive,
tough options.
Suggested retail:
$130 CDN
$80 US
5 year warranty
Also available in Silver
Story and photos
Cam McRae
