The ST1 is another product in Title’s range that’s designed and tested to cope with serious riding. With that in mind, it does sacrifice weight savings to hit those goals, but in return, you get a very attractive and super stiff stem. It is pricy, however, and up against some very strong competition.
- Best mountain bike stems 2024
- PNW Components Range Stem Gen 3 stem review
- Pacenti P-Dent Carbon bar and stem review
Title ST1 35 Stem - Technical details
Tested by EFBE and passing its TRI TEST GR, the ST1 stem is certified for freeride and downhill mountain bikes, despite not being a direct mount, DH-style stem. It’s CNC machined from a solid block of 6061 T6 aluminium and finished with this chrome colour. There are five other colours to pick from.
On test, we’ve got the 35mm clamp diameter model, but there is a 31.8mm diameter stem available, and there are 35 and 40mm length options. Elsewhere, it’s standard across the two clamp diameters with a 38mm stack height, 58mm width and zero rise.
A very neat touch is that all of the M6 20mm stainless steel bolts are pre-greased.
Title claims a weight of 197g in the 40mm length, whereas I weighed it at 199g.
Title ST1 35 stem - Performance
First things first, and the ST1 is a very good-looking stem. As far as stems go, they’re all pretty standard, but the quality and attention to detail it receives are almost in its own class. Once the stem’s on the bike, you’ll never see it, but the Title logo cut into the inside face gives it a really special finish. The only other logo present is the small Title logo by the top left clamp.
Designed for all types of riding but cross-country, it comes as no surprise that there’s some bulk present, but apart from its weight, its size does nothing to impede the ST1’s performance. In fact, it boosts it as the faceplate is rather wide, which brings notable stiffness and provides direct steering.
Installation of the ST1 is very similar to the Renthal Apex in that it has two face plates that slide along the bar before being clamped in place. While it’s something you’ll rarely do, this makes bolting the bars to the stem fairly easy, as a single face plate almost holds itself still as it’s being torqued to spec. Then, the pre-greased bolts take a step out of the whole installation process.
If I were to niggle, I was disappointed that the inside of the bolts’ Allen interface has rusted a little bit, which is strange for stainless steel. And with the chrome finish, it does mar the aesthetic of an otherwise fantastic-looking bit of aluminium.
The only real downside present is the weight, and the price (but we’ll get onto that in a bit). Nearly 200g for a stem is right at the top of the heavy scale, with many CNC’d stems weighing a good chunk less. However, the ST1 does carry the peace of mind of its heavy testing.
Title ST1 35 stem - Verdict
So at £110, the ST1 is fairly pricy, but it’s not the most expensive around. The Renthal Apex35 is a real favourite, and one I regularly reinstall. It’s more expensive still at £117, but with that, it poses a significant weight saving, coming in at 125g. It’s also much slimmer, but there are no colour choices, which may limit appeal.
Another top stem is DMR’s Defy35, and it’s one that I marked down for being heavy at 176g. In its standard colourway, the Defy35 comes in at £70, which is a good saving, and I reckon that it offers a little more as its stack is super low without sacrificing stiffness or performance.
The Title ST1 35 stem is for those who want something a little different. Where top-notch build quality and style are key, over weight and perhaps even price. That’s because it is rather weighty, and it’s certainly not cheap.
Add comment