RaceFace Turbine R 35 stem review

Heavily-machined from aluminium to keep weight low and strength high, the RaceFace Turbine R is a quality all-mountain stem that looks great and is easy to fit. It's not cheap, but otherwise it's hard to fault.

The Turbine R 35 stem has, as the name suggests, a 35mm clamp for big-bore bars such as RaceFace's own Next R 35. Our test stem is the shortest available at a tiny 32mm, but the Turbine also comes in 40, 50, 60 and 70mm lengths. It gets a 0° rise and a stack height of 42mm.

The stem is CNC-machined from 7075 aluminium and features RaceFace's 'Overbite' faceplate and 'Top-Lock' clamp, designed to evenly distribute pressure around the bar. It also makes setting up a doddle – simply tighten the two top bolts, then the lower two. There's no need for careful, incremental and repeated cinching of each bolt.

There are no markings for setting your bar roll against, so if you're trying to replicate a position you'll have to use the faceplate gap for reference.

At 120g the 32mm version is relatively light for a tough stem, but it's not the lightest available. Aimed as it is at trail and enduro riding, however, I suspect the few grams won't be an issue as riders opt for strength first and foremost.

And maybe looks come second... the Turbine is available in nine different colours, although it's worth noting the 60 and 70mm versions only come in black. Disappointingly, the 31.8mm clamp versions are also limited, though this time more fundamentally to the bigger sizes (60-100mm).

I've used this stem for over a year on my Cotic Rocket and also a Specialized Stumpjumper, and the only issues I've had are with the fasteners. The black finish wears off the faceplate bolts quickly, and I had to fit new steerer bolts as they were rounding off, but to be fair I store my bikes with the bars turned flat so I'm at those bolts daily – most of you won't be!

The Turbine R is a strong, stiff and great looking piece. The price is high at £90, but it's a sleek, long-lasting design that should repay you with years of dependable performance.

For the typical hard-charging trail or enduro rider, the RaceFace Turbine R is a fit-and-forget option. It's stiff, pretty light and really nicely carved from high-quality aluminium, and comes in sizes to suit everything from trail bikes to cutting-edge enduro race bikes.