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review

Easton EA70 Aluminium Stem

8
£44.99

VERDICT:

8
10
Performs well, with a subtle design that would sit well on most bikes
Weight: 
146g

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The Easton EA70 stem offers a good level of stiffness while maintaining a relatively low weight. It also offers considerable bang for your buck compared with many of its competitors.

In my opinion, changing a stem is something that shouldn't be done lightly. You spend so much time staring down at it in a world of pain that you become familiar with every slight scratch and every tiny shape in the design.

> Find your nearest dealer here

It was easy to fit using the same universal four-bolt system we all know and love. The bolts seem well made and I had no kind of rounding or threading and everything sat well on both the steerer tube and bar, which is a good start. I also took it on a fair few wet rides and it hasn't shown any kind of rust on the bolts.

The faceplate is made with Easton's DST faceplate with Top-Lock, which has a hollowed central area. I liked this for a couple of reasons: firstly, in that it reduces the overall weight of the stem; and secondly, because it's very useful when setting your bar position. It is available in two rises, 6 degrees and 17 degrees, and from 60-130mm in length in 10mm increments.

Easton EA70 Aluminium Stem 2.jpg

The stem is made from 3D forged EA70 aluminium, which means that, although not the lightest in its class, it weighs in at a very respectable 146g for our 110mm version. Comparing it with both the Deda Superleggero (124g) and 3T Arx II Pro (159g), it sits roughly in the middle of the two.

My favourite part of the stem is the design, which is ultimately the thing you are going to be staring at the most. It is simple and understated, with one side kind of a textured black block and the other with a subtle Easton logo. It would sit well with and match almost any bike.

Stiffness is good and I didn't notice any movement when really hauling on the bar while in the drops. Equally, there was no kind of twisting, even when I was deliberately trying to force it, which suggests it's well made and strong.

> Check out more road.cc reviews of stems here

Its RRP of £44.99 is a good price for a stem that marries lightweight construction with stiffness. I find that stems have perhaps the largest price increases for the smallest weight gain, and this sits at what I would say is the optimum price vs weight point, although others might need to find that point themselves.

Overall, I like this stem. It's good quality, stiff, light and a very reasonable price. Having finished the review, I've now transferred it from my review bike to my best bike for a bit of longer term assessing, which is perhaps the biggest compliment I could give it...

Verdict

Performs well, with a subtle design that would sit well on most bikes

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road.cc test report

Make and model: Easton EA70 Aluminium Stem

Size tested: 31.8, 110mm, 6°

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?

It is meant to be a mid-range stem with good strength and low weight. I think it achieves this; it's not quite as stiff as some, but still very good in its own right and the weight is good for the price.

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

Diameter: 31.8mm

Material: Easton EA70 Aluminum, 3D forged

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
8/10

Seems well made, no bolt rust and nice and stiff.

Rate the product for performance:
 
8/10

Performed well, very little movement at all throughout the review.

Rate the product for durability:
 
9/10

Aluminium, so it's not going to break, bolts also seem well made and had no threading or rust occurring.

Rate the product for weight (if applicable)
 
8/10

Very good weight for this price range.

Rate the product for value:
 
7/10

Good value, performs well for a mid-range price.

Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose

Performed well, held everything in place nicely without any issues.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

The design: it's understated yet still looks classy, good for staring at for hours.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

Nothing.

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes

Would you consider buying the product? Yes

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes

Use this box to explain your score

A strong performing, relatively light stem that does everything it needs to.

Overall rating: 8/10

About the tester

Age: 27  Height: 6 ft  Weight:

I usually ride: Cannondale Supersix Evo 6  My best bike is:

I've been riding for: 5-10 years  I ride: Every day  I would class myself as: Experienced

I regularly do the following types of riding: commuting, club rides, sportives, general fitness riding, fixed/singlespeed, mountain biking

George is the host of the road.cc podcast and has been writing for road.cc since 2014. He has reviewed everything from a saddle with a shark fin through to a set of glasses with a HUD and everything in between. 

Although, ironically, spending more time writing and talking about cycling than on the bike nowadays, he still manages to do a couple of decent rides every week on his ever changing number of bikes.

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4 comments

Avatar
cyclisto | 7 years ago
0 likes

@Vejnemojnen how did you remove the graphics from your uno stem without damaging the paintjob? My uno stem rock too concerning weright but the graphics are somehow too fancy!

Avatar
BikeBud | 7 years ago
0 likes

"Comparing it with both the Deda Superleggero (124g) and 3T Arx II Pro (159g), it sits roughly in the middle of the two."

It is the Dede Zero 100 at 124g.  The Superleggero is 99g.  

(Bought a stem recently and thought the Zero gave a reasonable weight/price/quality balance).

Avatar
Vejnemojnen | 7 years ago
0 likes

just get an uno stem from ebay  1 confirmed to weigh 122 grams in 130mm length, the graphics are easily removable and they cost around 12 gbp with shipping. 6-7-17 degree available from 80-130mm

Avatar
DrJDog | 7 years ago
0 likes

I still wonder why more stems don't have in built, or easily attached, Garmin mount faceplates.

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