Split Second Direct Mount Stem - Point One Racing

Oct 16, 2008
by Jordan Holmes  
Point-One Racing is owned, and operated by racing enthusiasts, so it seems logical for them to strive for weight savings, and strength. Recently we got a Split Second Direct Mount stem from Point-One, their entry for the RockShox standard direct mounting stem market.

Point-One Racing has hit the nail on the head with the production of the Split Second Direct Mount Stem. Here's a quick look at it.The Split Second Direct Mount stem was designed to be as light, and strong as it could possibly be. Manufactured along side Hewlett Packard, Lockheed Martin, and the United States Military, Point-One racing manufactures all their items in California. Point-One racing's business plan has summed up perfectly by their tag line, “The difference between winning and loosing is often Point One. We truly believe in this sentiment. In racing winning or getting 2nd can be a fraction of a second so we design parts that are lighter and better. Giving you just enough to give you a Point One advantage.”

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The Split Second Direct Mounting stem is currently in competition for the stiffest stem on the market, but it's also one of the lightest. Weighing in at 128 grams with all the necessary hardware for the 31.8 clamping diameter, it's extremely light, but still has the highest strength to weight ratio in its class, 8.394:1 (in-lb/g).

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The Split Second Direct Mounting stem has a nice stance at 50mm of reach, 55mm clamping stance, and zero degrees of rise. Direct mounting stems are designed to bolt directly onto your top crown, meaning that your handlebars are straight in relation to your fork and wheel at all times. The Split Second direct mount stem is a 4 piece stem that makes up two separate sides. They feature bolts from Tekbolt, with Titanium bolt options for the future.

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The Split Second Direct Mount stem is a good addition for anyone running a dual crown fork that runs the RockShox standard direct mounting pattern and is looking to get their bike lighter without having to worry about strength losses. It's not exactly cheap at $119 for the stem, but when you note that all the machining, inspecting, testing, etching, and preparation work is done in the USA, and compare it to other products that are made over sea's, the price difference is worth your extra dollar.


Along with the Split Second Direct Mounting stem, we received the Time Capsule spacers. The Time Capsule is Point-One's answer to a weight friendly way to cover the unused steerer tube you may be exposing. Available in 35mm and 15mm options the Time Capsule is designed to provide you with a option for how big you want your bulge to be, but be warned, girls will more impressed if its 35mm's. The Time Capsule features an integrated top cap design, and weighs 11 grams for the 15mm and 19 grams for the 35mm version.

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So far I am very pleased with the Split Second Direct Mounting stem. It's a comfortable reach and is a very simple, and smart design. I have yet to feel it flex, shift, or move at all for that matter, so it's doing what it is supposed to. Since Point One is a relatively unknown company, I have found that a lot of people are asking about it.

The price of the Point One Racing Split Second stem may seem a little bit high, but when you take into consideration all the time, work, and testing that has gone into it, suddenly 119$ doesn't seem like that much money. If you're in the market for a strong, light, race ready stem for your downhill rig I would highly suggest looking at Point One racing.

Posted In:
Reviews and Tech Reviews Stems


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86 Comments
  • 13 3
 looks like the e-13 direct mount stem
  • 16 8
 This world is completely retarded. wowzers a stem that costs 1$ for every gram it weighs.

I'll pass, thanks.
  • 7 6
 They are worth every penny.
  • 10 3
 no we think they are worth it but really why in the fuck should any stem be expensive. ppl make it for pennies and we pay an arm and a leg for it, i understand ppl want to make money but when u really think about it its pretty ridiculous
  • 4 3
 ^^ word up. Thats exactly what I'm thinking. At collage I make mech hangers for my Kona stab. From a shop or online they cost minimum of £25 - at collage it costs me nothing at all. And even if I did have to pay, it would cost me just over £5 for materials, lathe time and milling machine time and use.
  • 4 1
 yeah man its ridiculous, if only the whole world thought like us!!
  • 3 1
 It's pretty rubbish how everything is seemingly so expensive thesedays. But, the beauty of it is, that if you have the facilities at hand like I do, you can pretty much make all your own stuff as a project or for fun. If i wanted to I could make a replica of this stem out of titanium and sell it for $93243313.00 Some sucker would buy it if I said it was for 'racers' but hey! Thats just how it is thesedays.
  • 3 0
 Yeah, its getting bad. raw materials are REALLY going up in price these days, i mean look in the new BIKE mag, they have an atricle on how everything has gone up by 15-20% because of materials. its sad, but thats how it goes i guess.
  • 6 2
 "no we think they are worth it but really why in the f*ck should any stem be expensive. ppl make it for pennies and we pay an arm and a leg for it, i understand ppl want to make money but when u really think about it its pretty ridiculous"
First off, the raw material is more than just pennies. Granted it is not extremely expensive but it is also not free. While the actual cost of machining the stems, and any other high quality machined bike part, may not be an expensive process, it is time consuming and the equipment used is very expensive. You are not considering the time invested into component design, testing, refinement and production. So, when taking into account design costs, machine costs, and overhead, stems in fact cost no where near "pennies" to create. They are not some side street whore.
  • 3 1
 ^^^^ excactly! The price of a product even includes the guys salary to sweep the floor.
  • 1 0
 well since u were being to smart to realize i was using pennies as a figure of speach, im simply stating the mark up on products is out of hand, even if material is going up, products are still marked up sooo much in stores.
  • 0 7
flag chochocho (Oct 16, 2008 at 18:46) (Below Threshold)
 another thing that would suck is if you ordered it and only 1 of the mounts came in! i doubt that would really happen..but it could..and it would suck..lol
  • 1 7
flag poiuytrew190 (Oct 16, 2008 at 20:57) (Below Threshold)
 sheet id pay a dollar for every gram it weighs...they only weigh 19 grams...your an idiot not to pay that
  • 1 6
flag poiuytrew190 (Oct 16, 2008 at 20:58) (Below Threshold)
 my bad the stem weighs 128 grams either way id still pay that
  • 0 0
 yo man. the sram red build package is over a dollar a gram i'm pretty sure. but you see elite riders all over the place with that. i don't even know what dura ace is. but that is road.
  • 0 1
 ive seen some downhill bikes with the dura ace derailler with 10 speeds..i saw it on a foes DHS mono i think..i think they use em for the precise shifting or lightweight.. i dunno
  • 0 0
 the commencal team uses dura ace deraileurs. 10 speed would be sick. But I'm gonna wait til they come out with a dedicated 10 for mountain. Using road parts scares me. I always think their gonna break. Except for cassettes. Road cassettes are the shnizzz.
  • 0 0
 yea same here..but they probably did it cuz its either they can afford it or theyre sponsored..
  • 0 0
 well commencal is gee atherton and rachel atherton. the 2 world champs. so i think they can afford to go through derailleurs like they go through water bottles.
  • 0 0
 yea seriously..thats awesome for commencal..think about how much sales there would be from that..heck if i had the money i would buy the VIP commencal bikes...but currently my dream bike right now is a v10..
  • 0 0
 well. The v10 is more of a plow bike. Point it where you want it to go and it'll go. The commencal is a race bike. You gottamale it workfor you. But once you make it work, it'll be one of the best race bikes out there.
  • 0 1
 yea..im just saying its just a dream bike..but it would be cool also to have a french bike brand around my local trails..unoe?
  • 9 3
 Wow this is so innovative , who would have ever thought to put something they have been doing on motorcycles for the last 50 years on a mountain bike!!!.....
  • 4 3
 yeah 'cutting edge technology' !
  • 3 4
 That time capsule thing? One word - pointless. Theres this thing, it's called a hacksaw. If you going to get a chubby over this super-dooper-uber racers lightweight stem and the 'time capsule' then surely you'd be so weight paranoid that you would have cut the steerer tube down to within an inch of it's life.
  • 7 0
 Ya except if you actually ever want to sell your fork.
  • 4 2
 well don't cut it down too much then. Its quite simple, really. Whats wrong with having a few spacers and a top cap?
  • 7 0
 there is nothing wrong with that, unless you want both, to save weight and to keep your steer tube long. they r only 14 bucks, and its a niche product. u dont have to buy it but there is def a reason for it.
  • 3 0
 I have there regular stem on my Da Vinchi Wilson. It love it! There attention the detail is amazing. They even put little edge breaks on the handlebar area in case you run carbon bars. The only other stem company that does this that I know of is Thompson. It seems like Point One took the quality of Thompson and the bling of Sunline and made something even cooler. As far as the broken stem, after having one and looking at the desin of the new direct mount I doubt one broke but hey if it did just post a picture to shut everybody up. I will admit the price is more than I would like to pay but so is a Ferrari. Bottom line is you get what you pay for.
  • 7 0
 stop bitching and ride your bikes
  • 3 0
 Go buy your own f**king CNC machine and software of you think parts are too expensive, or just stop riding, sounds like you need new latest an greatest components as much as we need winers on the mountain anyway
  • 3 0
 those stems are so sick! my boy jimmy amaral made those, I am for sure getting one! you should get one too, it will make your bike handle so much better
  • 4 0
 Point 1 is a legit company with the best customer service out of any company I have ever dealt with.
  • 4 0
 i think i should get one myself
  • 2 2
 Maybe your missing the point. It just depends on what kinda riding your doing. If your just looking for a hunk of metal to hold on your bars shure get a funn stem. But if your looking for an elite weight saving racing stem get a Point One. You don't don't put rims on a shitty car do you? Maybe this stem is just a little too much for your bike. That's ok.
  • 0 0
 maybe for you mountain biking should be more of a hobby....
  • 3 1
 mexicans put rims on their shitty cars..
  • 0 0
 man..expensive stem...i like it..but hell...I could custom make my own stem at work on the HAAS machine we have in like..10 minutes...and it'd cost me like $5..MAYBE..and be just as strong as any other stem...because we have all sorts of 6061 Aluminum at work..we use it to manufacture the CNC machines we build...
  • 1 0
 blah blah blag well go make ur f**king stem
  • 2 0
 AGREE. This thread is for information not animosity or insecurity (display that on your ride). Shut up, sorry; be quiet please & ride.
  • 0 0
 he doesnt tell u all the facts of direct mount. if u stack hard with directs mount it just twist ur lowers if ur running boxxers !!!! as iv found out mainy of times. also looks same as the sun direct mount stem and the e-thirteen
  • 0 0
 Also, while riding a split stem like this one you are relying on 4 small bolts to hold it to your top crown. When you are cornering or bobbling through a rock garden you aren't stressing your stem up and down evenly so you are relying on 2 bolts at some points. This stem lacks surface area in the handlebar clamp - This will lead to added stress on the handlebars and may cause failure at the bar if not at your top crown. Also, the tolerances on the split stems are never perfect causing your bars to rarely be straight.
  • 0 0
 does this fit the old or newer Boxxer crowns? Gotta 04 WC & last I heard (from E13) was that it/they would only fit the "new" Boxxers... most new bolt stems are for current models. Someone correct me if possible...
  • 0 0
 oops fergot to add... I have a ROMIC crown. This has a different bolt pattern than the R.S. - why I have no idea, guess they want you to use their stem which I sold for the geometry was all forked up (no rise).
  • 0 0
 My romic crown has the same bolt pattern.....
  • 0 0
 It might have the same pattern as the older Boxxer crowns. The E-13 is off by several mm & fits only the newer Boxxers like this one probably. That is what I'm trying to find out.
  • 1 1
 I think the stem is strong if you stressing it straight up and down but I think it really lacks latitudinal strength. I run a Sic stem on my boxxer and I think its worth the extra grams for the piece of mind.
  • 6 7
 "but when you note that all the machining, inspecting, testing, etching, and preparation work is done in the USA"

well that may explain why it's more expensive, but not why it's worth that extra cost.
  • 5 0
 Dave, Some customers are not so worried with cost, as keeping things local, and investing money in your own market. This stem may be MORE appealing to a US customer due to the fact that its all made in the states.
  • 5 1
 practiclly anything that's made in the USA,canada,germany,UK,russia,japan,or any other europen country is high quailty..trust me made in china Almost always indicates GARBAGE.I dont want to be bashing china,but their known for low quility products,I dont want to trust something thats made in china hitting 80k/h on my bike,or hitting a 30ft drop...DO YOU?
  • 4 0
 it's sort of the cost of quility or a quailty garentee.....
  • 2 0
 I agree, if you want quality. you have to pay for it. If you want to save a few bucks, then go ahead and buy a china piece of crap and put it on your bike. You wont find it on mine.
  • 1 0
 So you guys are saying Sunline and E.13 are garbage?? They cost $30-40 less and do exactly the same thing. Who even mentioned China?
  • 3 1
 There some companies that are good and some are crap. Companies like thompson, chris king, intense, po1nt, are better yes, you can tell the difference in the products over their chinese made counter parts. sunline actually is pretty decent, but i guess if you want to shave the extra weight, you got to pay because anyone can make kinda-light stuff.
  • 3 0
 E13 is acullay made in the states, im not saying all companys that make there stuff in china are crap..BUT this is usally the case, take marzohhci for example they made some of the best forks in the world until they moved there prossesing facility from italy to china in 2008 ,they made amazing bomb proof products but as of 2007 every thing they make is incredaby weak, i have 3 freind's who have snapped 08 DJ 1 and 2's sanchoins and bottoms..just saying i have had a DJ1 from 2006 and it's working buetuifly
  • 4 0
 I don't even have a problem with the price. Either pay it or don't it's your choice. I just laugh though when I read it's worth the extra cost just because it's made in the USA. It's a cnc'd piece of aluminum made to spec. Where that cnc machine is located geographically means nothing to the quality.
  • 0 0
 jimmy amaral is such a cool guy. he's the guy that owns the company, and this stem is sick! i've got one, and it's really as light as they say it is. they're so stiff. and put a set of sunline bars with it and it's such a sick combo. and now they've got the nickel plated stem with ti hardware. it looks killer. soon they're coming out with an XC stem too.
  • 0 0
 nice looking always nice to have a cool cockpit. emmm could get one cnc'd myself 4 cheaper how much this company pay to get it on here?
  • 1 0
 I have one as well. VERY nice stuff, and worth the extra cash over the sunline.
  • 0 0
 why would you spend all that money to "lighten" up your bike then put deity bars on the bike, it kind of defeats the purpose. deity stuff belongs on bmx bikes
  • 1 1
 correction: street bikes or freeride bikes.
  • 1 1
 additional correction: urban bikes, freeride & DOWNHILL - what's that dude's problem anyway?? the idea w/ a bolt-on stem is rigidity & no flex; not weight savings. If you had a Boxxer why would you be worried about a few grams of weight or a few 100 for that matter??
  • 3 4
 It's lite, but here:

www.shamanracing.com/index.php?module=showProduct&identification=149

Is something... less i guess Smile
  • 2 1
 That stems weight is without the crown mounting hardware . Po1nt includes that in there weight. That stem looks sketchy IMO!
  • 3 1
 Quite like them!
  • 1 0
 looks good, too bad my rent went up!
  • 1 0
 damn if they made this in a 62mm for us taller riders I'd pick one up..
  • 0 0
 Dhtarbo i doubt it, they havnt been released yet, E-thretieen make one just like it, which i run., its been awesome so far
  • 1 0
 They have been released, I've had one for months now.
  • 1 0
 i know all of these guys. actually was in a photo shoot with them.
  • 5 4
 i want one
  • 0 0
 Made in the USA, id like to hear that more, id buy one
  • 0 0
 any chance that make one for a 888?
  • 0 1
 Get this
www.shamanracing.com/index.php?module=showProduct&identification=149
and cut it in half!
  • 2 3
 i sugjest not buyin this expencive. pieace of crap.....go with a funn one
  • 0 1
 dude thats redonculus man i wouldnt pay by the gram
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