• EC90 TaperWall Carbon with Titanium hardware.

The Easton EC90 SL Stem is sculpted, honed, and toned like a Tour de France rider. It just happens to be built to last for tens of thousands more miles, bounce right up from the occasional c, and to never once whine about the hard work. And, from an evolutionary perspective, the Easton EC90 SL Stem is also as advanced as any piece of equipment on your bike. It uses Easton's TaperWall carbon construction. This is not just more material in some areas for strength and less in other zones for weight reduction, which all carbon layups promise. It promises a void-free, perfectly clean carbon laminate throughout, which is the only way to avoid minute fracturing caused by stress risers that form where carbon isn't 100% properly constructed.Along with TaperWall, Easton adds Top Lock, which immobilizes the face plate against the surface of the stem once the top two titanium faceplate bolts are threaded in and torque properly. It's designed this way so that the stem cannot be aligned on the handlebar with uneven pressure. To finish the procedure, you simply torque the bottom two bolts to spec. The faceplate cannot flex around or vibrate when you ride over rough roads. A face plate that doesn't vibrate cannot wear against the handlebar, which will greatly reduce the chance of weakening the bar. Speaking of which, here's some unsolicited advice: Your bar should also be made by Easton. Not out of brand loyalty -- we always recommend that you buy your bar and stem from the same brand, as tolerances could vary a bit between manufacturers. Yes, 31.8mm should be consistent, as should 27.2mm, etc. But the reality is that manufacturers pay far more attention to their own standards than to those of competing brands.The Easton EC90 SL Stem is made of Easton Carbon and uses titanium hardware for the faceplate and steerer clamp. It's available in graduated lengths of 10mm increments, from 80-130mm. It's sized for 1-1/8" steerer tubes and has an oversized 31.