Hope AM/Freeride Stem Review

Hope Technology has been around for almost 40 years now. They began making their first disc brakes in the late 1980's. Over the years they have expanded their production to include hubs, stems, pedals, headsets, cranks, BB's, chainrings and a cassette is now in the works. They pride themselves with making all their parts in their home country of England.

Over the years we have owned many Hope products personally. Including Bulb and Big Un hubs, Mono 4, Moto V4 and and the newer Tech V4 brakes. All of their products worked well and their brakes in the past where nothing short of amazing. We decided to get a Hope AM Stem to test out on the "enduro" bike and see how this machined work of art performed going "full enduro".

"Hope Technology began life in the late 1980’s as a subcontract machining business making tools and fixtures for the many local aerospace companies. In 1989 they began making disc brakes for the newly developed mountain bikes. Initially for the personal use of the owners Ian Weatherill and Simon Sharp but they quickly realised these brakes could be sold as a product in their own right.

Since disc brakes were such a novel idea on a bicycle they decided to begin manufacturing other more common bicycle products, the first of these being a front hub. These began selling through retailers in the UK and interest was also shown in many countries around the world.
Over the subsequent years many more products were added to the range and in 2000 the decision was made to stop all subcontract work and concentrate purely on bicycle products.

Hope now manufactures almost every part for a bicycle including hubs, brakes, headset, stems, bottom brackets and lights. The only major part left to develop is the actual frame, which may be happening in the not too distant future. All parts are proudly manufactured in Hope’s Barnoldswick factory which is a true state of the art facility. They have almost 100 staff operating the factory 24-7, running the 55 CNC machines, anodising the individual components and hand assembling the finished parts. Manufacturing all products on site gives Hope total control on quality and delivery schedules.

Hope exports around 50% of its production to over 40 countries. They deal directly with retailers in the UK, France, Germany, Austria, Belgium and The Netherlands (employing French and German speaking staff), then have distributors in many other countries. Their components have an excellent international reputation for both quality and reliability. They are generally fitted by enthusiasts looking to upgrade their bikes to the highest levels and are supplied through specialist retailers."

Hope History

Features

• CNC machined from 2014 T6 aluminium
• Designed for oversized 31.8mm bars
• Lengths- 35, 50 & 70mm
• Available in two rises - 0 or 20 degree ( 20 degree rise option only available with 50 & 70mm stems)

Specifications

• All stems are CNC machined from a solid billet of 2014 T6 aluminium
• The AM stem range has been redesigned with more material taken out to save weight and also features a new front plate design
• Opposing steerer clamp bolts remain to give exceptionally rigid steering characteristics
• Optimum machining to give lightest weight without compromising stiffness
• Available in: black, silver, red, blue, purple and orange
• Weight from: 134g

Opening the box we found a milled work of art from Hope. In their usual fashion the machine work was exemplary and the stem had a beautiful black anodizing. We got the 35mm stem and noticed right away that the front face plate was very wide. We mounted it up onto our Evil Insurgent and slid the Enve DH bars into the stem.

Everything went together easily. The hardware Hope uses is top notch and the threads on the bolts are very long. We used Park Tool Supergrip to make sure the carbon bars did not slip while we where riding. Having a high quality stem like this makes assembly easy and will add some extra bit of bling to your bike.

Riding the Hope Stem it never draws your attention. The last thing you want to be worried about is a bar or stem issue. Not once did the bar move or the stem make any sort of noise. During our five months of riding The Hope AM Stem we never once had any sort of issue.

Conclusion

Overall we where very impressed by the level of craftsmanship of The Hope Am Stem. This comes as no suprise since every Hope product we have ever seen has been top notch. Selecting a stem comes down to length, color, bar diameter and rise. Hope offers the stem in numerous colors, lengths, and two rises. Currently they do not have a 35mm clamp option. It would make sense for them down the road to offer the larger diameter option.

We would for sure recommend The Hope Stem to a friend. It is a quality piece of kit that is made in England. They offer numerous options for riders to choose from. Sometimes the little guys just do it better. We would like to see a 35mm clamp diameter offered in the future.

Gamut Cillos Stem Review

Gamut has been around a long time now. The brand has recently acquired Point One and are now in the process of updating the pedal design. They have also just released a bar and stem combo that we will be testing out as well.

"In 1999 Juan Graziosi, aka “Juano”, teamed up with his maker, Ed, on a father-son project making chain-guides for personal use. Friends and riders took notice and he began selling them at local races to cover his own race fees. As interest grew, so did the idea to create a rider-owned company. In 2003, older brother Mateo and longtime friend Mike were added to the mix to help get things organized. One year later, Gamut USA was born. The four share a passion for making intuitive, high quality products that take the hassle out of installation while delivering on performance, simplicity, and aesthetics. After all, we wanted to ride our bikes, not work on them.

As in the beginning, our goal is to add to the simple joy of mountain biking. Whether it be through product design, technical support, sponsorship, shop visits, or OEM services, we aim to improve the ride itself. Mountain biking is a huge part of our lives and we consider ourselves some of its biggest fans. We exist to serve the sport's enthusiasts and professionals alike. Every product we make goes through our own hands before it gets delivered to yours to ensure we remain connected to you, our customer.

We are proud of the products we’ve built, races we’ve won, failures we’ve endured, friends we’ve made (and continue to make), and we remain focused on the future, which for us is to improve upon the simple joy we receive from riding our bikes.

Sincerely,

Juan, Mateo, Mike, and Ed"

A

"Introducing the CILLOS Stem line. Named in part for the street upon which we grew up, the CILLOS line delivers a fresh take on stems with the quality Gamut is known for. CILLOS stems are spec’d with customM6 taper head bolts (5mm hex key), have a matte anodized finish, and clean laser etchings. Stems are available in 40, 50, 60mm lengths with 31.8 clamp diameter, with zero rise and a stack height of 43mm. Weight dependent on size is 130-160 grams. Form, function, Gamut. 

Warrantied for life."

Gamut sent us their stem in a 50mm variety. It weighed in at 145 grams just a hair lighter than claimed. These are very light stems. At this point Gamut only makes them in 31.8mm bar diameter. They said a 35mm clamp diameter may be in the works.

Cillos Stem Specifications

• Sizes:40mm, 50mm, 60mm
• Rise:Zero Rise
• Stack Height:43mm
• Weight:40mm-126g, 50mm-148g, 60mm- 172g
• Bar Clamp:31.8
• Bar Clamp Width:57mm
• Bolts:Custom m6 taper head (5mm hex key)
• Color:Slate Grey, Stealth Black, and Silver

Upon receing the stem we noticed its clean finish. It is very minimalist having much of the extra aluminum taken out to help keep weight down. We mounted it up and took to the hills. We where running a 35mm length stem before so we slid our seat forward a bit to make up for the longer stem. Going a bit longer did help to keep the front end down on climbs. Also worth noting was the added weight our bodies placed on the front wheel while descending.

Overall the stem felt great during our riding. It holds the bars well and seems to be stiff while using 800mm bars and hammering over rocks. This stem is on the lighter side abd comes in a variety of lengths.

Conclusion

Our experience with Gamut products over the years has been a good one. They make nice products that are functional, dependable and lightweight. We would for sure suggest the Gamut Cillos Stem to a friend for either their AM bike or park bike. 

We would like to see a 35mm reach verion and also one with a 35mm bar diameter as well. The way geometry has been changing and the push of larger diameter bars it will only be a matter of time.

Gamut Questions

1. How did Gamut come to be?

Gamut was born out of a passion for MTB racing, and a love of making products that work to the highest standards in the toughest conditions. Gamut is a rider-owned partnership between brothers Juan and Mateo, their father Ed, and their pal Mike. All the guys want to make a life in MTB and make product to improve the ride for all.

2. What made you decide to make your own Chain Guides?

Out of necessity really--there weren't any simple, easy to install and light-weight guides on the market when Gamut was born. We wanted something for our own race use, and lucky for us they ended up being good enough that other riders wanted in.

3. Any plans for carbon products down the road?

Carbon is always in the conversation, but if and when we do it, we want it to be the right product. We're not buying off the shelf and we're not rushing anything to market. We're believers in durability and value first--which is why alloy remains our top choice for most applications.

4. Tell us a bit about your evolution of the Gamut since the beginning?

Gamut has been around a lot longer than some people realize--we started in 2004 doing just chainguides and while that market has evolved and changed over the years we've added different things to the mix following the same values that made our first products accepted by riders: thoughtful design, good value, and great function.

5. How soon until your pedals come out?

January! We're stoked. Let us know if you want some. We know a guy. Get you a good deal.

6. What is your most popular guide currently?

For the last couple of years the Trail SXC has been killing it, though the new SXR with the integrated bash is coming on strong.

7. What type of trail would you prefer to ride flowing and jump filled or loose and rocky?

Depends on who you talk to around here, but generally we're happy riding anything. Not illegal stuff though. Never.

8. What are some of the greatest inventions for Mountain Bikes?

Suspension forks, dropper posts, knobby tires, baggy shorts, and those tasty sammiches your mom makes us after we get back from riding.

9. Who is the greatest Mountain Biker of all time?

Don't ask us to name just one. We're still arguing about it, but if we just have to name names, we're picking Greg Minnaar because he has a legit claim and we'd be terrible sponsors if we didn't.

10. Should they do two Tour De France races and have one that is drug free while the other is anything goes?

Isn't drug use already mandatory in Le Tour?

11. Any new products you guys are working on?

New stuff in guides, rings, pedals, stems, bars, and other sensual lifestyle products for the discerning dirt freak.

12. Anything else you would like to add?

Cru, just pretend you're in the lumber yard, go balls out.