Another limited edition product to come out of the Starling Cycles works in Bristol is their brazed steel stem, the Clutch.
With nothing on the market that quite fit the Starling vibe, Joe McEwan took matters into his own hands and got the Clutch stem knocked together.
Key features:
- 35mm length
- 0° rise
- 31.8mm handlebar clamp
- 1-1/8” steerer clamp
- 40mm stack height
- Heat-treated, brazed steel construction
- Supplied with M8x20mm bolts (top cap and spacers sold separately)
- £175.00 RRP
- StarlingCycles.com
Only fifty of these Taiwan-made, heat-treated, brazed steel Starling Clutch stems will be made. They’ll be available in 35mm, zero rise and 31.8mm clamp only. A 40mm stack height and some chunky M8 bolts, this thing should be tougher than woodpecker lips.
For anyone going for a Starling frame refurb, they can get 10% off this stem to go matchy matchy with their bike, and it’s also available in colours Starling offered both past and present. This includes legacy colours and that much-coveted IPA finish. They may be Taiwanese, but they’re finished by hand in the UK.
Much like the Starling frames themselves, this stem is no frills. Built once and built properly, don’t expect any stiffness stats or anything like that. It’ll hold the bars and the steerer without snapping. At £175.00, you’d certainly hope so, anyway.
