IN BRIEF
British manufacturer Hope Technology has released a mountain bike stem that goes against the grain: instead of extending, it raises. The 20mm Gravity Stem offers only 20 mm of reach, but 35 mm of stack — height where conventional stems give length. Hope says it designed the stem after feedback from downhill and enduro World Cup racers, in order to bring the rider’s grip « more in line with the steering axis of the fork ». It is machined from a block of 2014 T6 aluminium, comes with 31.8 and 35 mm clamps and in seven colours, and costs 144.50 euros excluding tax.
| Price | €144.50 excluding tax (£115 / $159.40) |
| Reach | 20 mm |
| Stack | 35 mm |
| Weight | 200 g (31.8 mm clamp) · 206.5 g (35 mm clamp), as measured by The Radavist |
| Clamp diameters | 31.8 mm and 35 mm |
| Material | 2014 T6 aluminium, CNC-machined from solid |
| Colours | black, silver, smoke, blue, red, purple, orange |
For the past ten years, mountain biking has been shortening its stems: BikeRadar notes that they « have gradually become shorter, following the trend towards long, slack geometries », for a common range of 50 to 80 mm. Hope stops at 20 mm. The inventory kept by The Radavist already listed eight shorter stems back in March, including three at 0 mm and two with negative reach: the brand therefore remains short of the segment’s extreme. BikeRadar sees this less as one-upmanship than as a democratisation. The brand’s own argument rests on a different measurement — height.
The Hope Gravity Stem trades length for height
Wideopen Magazine sums the part up in one sentence: « The stem trades length for stack, 20 mm of the former and 35 mm of the latter. » The 35 mm of height are not a side effect, they are the product. A short stem brings the hands closer to the steering axis, but it leaves them low; by adding stack, Hope raises the handlebar without resorting to a pile of spacers under the stem, or to a handlebar with more rise. That elegance comes with a trade-off pointed out by The Radavist: because the headset cap is integrated, « there’s no way to have the steerer protrude above the clamp » — so the fork steerer will most likely have to be cut to fit the stem, an irreversible operation.
Hope describes its intention on its product page: « Following feedback from some of the fastest downhill and enduro World Cup racers, Hope set out to design a stem that brings the rider’s grip position more in line with the steering axis of the fork. » It adds: « This gives riders a more upright riding position, distributing weight towards the centre of the bike. » Such set-ups have already raced: BikeRadar recalls seeing riders such as Reece Wilson and Hattie Harnden running negative reach for the past year, with Wilson finishing second at the Pal Arinsal World Cup round. The stem arrives up against the more extreme Be More Bikes Ride Reverse — with up to 150 mm of stack — next to which, BikeRadar writes, Hope « has democratised the technology ».
Hope also claims flexibility of use, reported by BikeRadar: the stem can be fitted upside down, which allows riding with 20 mm of negative reach — the handlebar then sits behind the steering axis. The official product page also states that the clamp has been widened by 5 mm for added strength and stiffness, and that the headset cap is integrated into the stem, bolt included.
Machined from solid, seven colours, 144.50 euros
Manufacturing is the signature of the Barnoldswick company, in Lancashire: the part is « CNC-machined from a solid block of 2014 T6 aluminium ». It takes oversized handlebars in both 31.8 and 35 mm, and comes in black, silver, smoke, blue, red, purple and orange.
The price listed by Hope is 115 pounds, 144.50 euros and 159.40 dollars, excluding tax. Wideopen Magazine reports that the stem is available from Hope dealers.
