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review

Ennello Alpe d' Huez Primo stem

7
£101.51

VERDICT:

7
10
Light aluminium stem with added Alpe d'Huez…they do other faceplace designs too
Weight: 
136g
Contact: 
www.ennello.com

At road.cc every product is thoroughly tested for as long as it takes to get a proper insight into how well it works. Our reviewers are experienced cyclists that we trust to be objective. While we strive to ensure that opinions expressed are backed up by facts, reviews are by their nature an informed opinion, not a definitive verdict. We don't intentionally try to break anything (except locks) but we do try to look for weak points in any design. The overall score is not just an average of the other scores: it reflects both a product's function and value – with value determined by how a product compares with items of similar spec, quality, and price.

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What's there to get excited about a stem? Most look the same – a cylinder of aluminium with clamps at either end – but Ennello have endeavoured to break the mould by offering interchangeable faceplates for their Primo stem, adding flair to any bike.

That squiggle on the front of this particular faceplate would be Alpe d'Huez, the famous Tour de France climb, with the '21' denoting the number of hairpins all named after previous winners on these slopes. The yellow background certainly makes the design stand-out and speaks of the climb's Tour heritage as the theatre where champions are made.

The toned down look of the rest of the stem, with only a small Ennello logo to break up the glossy back finish, is a marked contrast to the usual smorgasbord of logos and acronyms. The look is more classic steel racer, than aero carbon superbike.

However, the Ennello is more than just an arty faceplate – it's also a pretty decent stem. At 131g (actual weight) for the 110mm length tested, it's at the lighter end of the spectrum, helpful for getting up climbs, the Alpe for instance, a little faster.

Stiffness is pretty good for such a light stem, and I for one wasn't able to determine any flex when sprinting aggressively. Just judging by the dimensions of the thing, you might want something a bit bulkier if you're Mark Cavendish for instance, but for the rest of us mere mortals, it will work just fine.

Having used the Ennello on my mountain bike for a number of months, I can also vouch for the stem's strength and ability to shrug off knocks. Amazingly, the finish has held up well and is looking just as good as it first did.

At £101.51 (Euro conversion) the Ennello is at the upper end of the aluminium stem price scale but it compares well, in weight and stiffness terms, with its closest competitors. And if you're going to spend over a hundred pounds on a stem, it may as well be something special, which the Ennello certainly is.

Ultimately, I wasn't really a fan of this particular design, mostly due to the yellow clashing with just about everything. But within Ennello's range of stems there are plenty of more subtle and, in my opinion, classier faceplates.

Despite the wide range of faceplate designs, the Primo stem itself is only available with a 7 degree angle and in 90, 100, 110 or 120mm lengths. It should also be noted that Ennello faceplates are not interchangeable with other brands of stem.

Verdict

Light aluminium stem with added Alpe d'Huez…they do other faceplace designs too

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road.cc test report

Make and model: Ennello Alpe d' Huez Primo stem

Size tested: n/a

Tell us what the product is for, and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?

The Alpe d'Huez Primo stem comes from Ennello's "Mountain" range. "A perfect stem for anyone who love the mountains" according to them.

Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?

Length 90, 100, 110 and 120 mm

Angle +/- 7 degrees

Material 6061 Aluminium

Weight 120 g (90 mm length)

Bar clamp 31,8 mm

Steerer clamp 28,6 mm (1 1/8")

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
9/10

The finish on both the stem and the faceplate is flawless.

Rate the product for performance:
 
8/10

The stem is light and plenty stiff enough for most riders. Only the strongest will need something stiffer.

Rate the product for durability:
 
8/10

The stem has held up well to months of mountain bike use. The finish is still as nice as ever.

Rate the product for weight, if applicable:
 
8/10

For an aluminium stem, the Ennello is very light.

Rate the product for comfort, if applicable:
 
7/10

Not really the number one consideration for a stem.

Rate the product for value:
 
5/10

There's no getting around it, the Ennello is very expensive.

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes.

Would you consider buying the product? No, too expensive for me.

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Maybe.

Overall rating: 7/10

About the tester

Age: 20  Height: 190cm  Weight: 70kg

I usually ride: Giant TCR Advanced 2  My best bike is: Canyon Ultimate CF7

I've been riding for: Under 5 years  I ride: Every day  I would class myself as: Expert

I regularly do the following types of riding: road racing, sportives, mtb,

 

For 5 years, racing was my life and I went all the way from a newbie bonking after 40 miles, to a full-timer plying my trade on the Belgian kermesse scene. Unfortunately, the pro dream wasn't meant to be and these days, you're more likely to find me bimbling about country lanes and sleeping in a bush on the side of the road.

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9 comments

Avatar
Municipal Waste | 11 years ago
0 likes

Apart from they've chosen to decorate the face plate there doesn't seem to be anything particularly groundbreaking about this stem. To echo the sentiment of james-o, I would say it looks a lot like a Bontrager RXL stem but with a better finish.

Personally I would, and have, sacrificed 15 grams or so and bought myself a Thomson X2 because the finish puts any other stem to shame and because they're as stiff as anybody could ever want!

Also because I feel like being annoying...

Years Riding: Less than 5.
I would class myself as: Expert.

 39

Avatar
Tony Farrelly replied to Municipal Waste | 11 years ago
0 likes
Municipal Waste wrote:

Also because I feel like being annoying...

Years Riding: Less than 5.
I would class myself as: Expert.

 39

Put your willy away please Municipal Waste.

Strangely enough if you're very good and ride a lot it is possible to be an expert in under five years (in Liam's case it's probably over five years now cos those details are a bit old - unlike Liam).

Liam is an elite mountain bike racer and a 2nd cat roadie. Here's a link to his points page on the British Cycling website

http://www.britishcycling.org.uk/points?person_id=104093&type=national&y...

… looks pretty expert to me.

Of course it's also possible to ride for a long time, with expensive kit and still be crap - like me, or to become one of those irritating cycling snobs that gives us friendlier types a bad name. Luckily there are none of them around here… well, apart from Vecchiojo.

Avatar
Municipal Waste replied to Tony Farrelly | 11 years ago
0 likes
tony_farrelly wrote:
Municipal Waste wrote:

Also because I feel like being annoying...

Years Riding: Less than 5.
I would class myself as: Expert.

 39

Put your willy away please Municipal Waste.

Strangely enough if you're very good and ride a lot it is possible to be an expert in under five years (in Liam's case it's probably over five years now cos those details are a bit old - unlike Liam).

Liam is an elite mountain bike racer and a 2nd cat roadie. Here's a link to his points page on the British Cycling website

http://www.britishcycling.org.uk/points?person_id=104093&type=national&y...

… looks pretty expert to me.

Of course it's also possible to ride for a long time, with expensive kit and still be crap - like me, or to become one of those irritating cycling snobs that gives us friendlier types a bad name. Luckily there are none of them around here… well, apart from Vecchiojo.

Touche  45

Avatar
james-o | 11 years ago
0 likes

is that not a stock Kalloy stem? If not, apologies. But it looks like an AS-027. Weight spec all the same too. If it was RRP £35 I'd not have mentioned it, but at £100..

Avatar
Nick T | 11 years ago
0 likes

Yeah...

Nah..

Avatar
arrieredupeleton | 11 years ago
0 likes

Why would you though? Some kind of badge of honour? Let's face it, it's not the most aesthetically pleasing of designs (It's 21 hairpin bends don't translate well to some kind of emblem) and you've got to have balls to get away with any amount of yellow on a road bike. Maybe the others are better but this just screams of MAMIL!

Stem caps is where it's at and a good bit cheaper: http://kustomcaps.com/shut-up-legs.html

Avatar
Rob.M replied to arrieredupeleton | 11 years ago
0 likes

Too expensive by far, it's only a stem!!!!!  37

Avatar
Mat Brett replied to arrieredupeleton | 11 years ago
0 likes
arrieredupeleton wrote:

Stem caps is where it's at and a good bit cheaper: http://kustomcaps.com/shut-up-legs.html

Ooooh! Now you're talking. I didn't know about these guys. The possibilities are endless.

Avatar
arrieredupeleton replied to Mat Brett | 11 years ago
0 likes

I may have indulged....

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