Zipp Service Course Stem 2020

For 2020 Zipp has released some of its components in a silver colour, including this Service Course Stem. The finish looks classy and the stem itself certainly doesn't suffer in the stiffness stakes.

Silver components have been few and far between for years, so Zipp has gone for this 'Nano Blast Silver Anodize finish' to "Stand out amid the sea of stealthy black colour schemes".

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As Simon pointed out in his review of the Service Course seatpost, the matt silver finish won't match with traditional polished silver components, but I think it looks really good in the flesh, showing off much more of the profiles and shapes of the stem than you'd normally see in black. It's a very resistant finish too, so you shouldn't need to worry about scratches.

The Service Course is a chunky looking stem compared to some on the market that have a round central section, but that certainly helps stiffness. Zipp claims a weight versus stiffness ratio of 1.75g/Nm.

Sprinting and climbing hard gives you a good sense of how stiff it is as there is no flex whatsoever, but it doesn't give a harsh ride – something I was expecting to find when looking at the stem's profile.

As you'd expect for a modern stem, it's designed to fit a 1 1/8in steerer tube and 31.8mm handlebar, and it provides a snug fit at both ends.

Zipp has said that the new faceplate design makes installation easier; I've never tried the previous version, but with this one it was simple to line up the bolts and tighten while holding the handlebar in my other hand.

Zipp uses T25 Torx bolts throughout as it reckons they bring more precision when used with a torque wrench.

The Service Course comes in a range of lengths and two angles, +/-6° as tested, or +/-25°. The former is available in eight lengths, from 60 to 130mm, in 10mm increments, while the latter comes in just 75, 90, 105 or 120mm options.

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Priced at £50, the Zipp is similar to other alloy stems from the likes of Easton, with its EA70, which is also a little lighter at 148g, and Genetic with its STV, which is even lighter at just 120g for the same money. Neither of these are silver, though.

Ritchey makes a Classic version of its C220 stem which is a high polished silver, although it's a little pricier at £57.

Overall, the Zipp Service Course delivers the stiffness required for larger and powerful riders without carrying any extra weight. It looks classy too.

Verdict

Loads of stiffness for the powerful rider and comes in at a competitive price – and in silver