A customer brings a bike in for a pre-Ironman tune-up. “It just needs to be looked at…” They say.
This is what we find:
what? You never seen “speed fissures” before? They are the latest rage in C
anada.
It was only a matter of time…
is that the ritchey stem . I 'd like to know because i’ve got one on both of my bikes.
It kind of looks like a Deda Newton…
anyone?
I purposely did not show the manufacturer in the photo becasue I felt it wouldn’t be fair. We don;t know if the stem was installed correctly or abused (we didn’t install it).
I can tell you that this is NOT a Ritchey brand stem in all certainty.
I guess those bolts were tightened a bit too much 
So what is the diagnosis and prognosis on this one Tom ?
all the more reason us home mechanics should buy a torque wrench no?
Yeah, we’ve seen a number of “those” face plates crack too.
Yup. I wager this may have been over-torqued.
I made this mistake on my Fondriest a couple of years ago. Think I spent bit too much time in the gym pumping iron for hockey training as a kid !
Tom,
It also looked like it was a carbon bar that it was over-torqued on. What would that portend for the carbon bar? Wouldn’t that also be an issue?
Or is it just a carbon faux paint job on an aluminum bar?
You’re right on both counts Ben.
Tom, you have a nice camera.
Canon EOS 10D.
Canon EOS 10D.
Yeah, like I said.
I have seen this many times in my days. This can be the fault of a wrench, or just riding the bike. People seem to want lighter and lighter…with weight goes strength sometimes. I for one like my stems to not have “face plates” but rather be the “old style” that I must fish and twist my bars into…and though I know they can fail, I have yet to see one fail first hand (heard stories though)
I assume you’ve forwarded this picture to the company that marketed the stem?
It is likely not the responsibility of the stem’s manufacturer. I think this was a “user error” situtation. Either way, it is tough to tell.
Regardless of where fault may lay, don’t you think it might behoove them to know?