[CR]Death Stems

(Example: History:Ted Ernst)

From: "P.C. Kohler" <kohl57@starpower.net>
To: <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
References: <20040506154027.80560.qmail@web11904.mail.yahoo.com>
Date: Fri, 7 May 2004 00:12:16 -0400
Subject: [CR]Death Stems

OK guys.... fact or fiction. We've all heard about death forks (the Viscount) and the death stem (AVA) but seriously, my PX-10e has a Pivo stem we all agree was a replacement and I just gotta.. gotta have the original on it. There's a swell NOS one on eBay. Gorgeous. So am I really risking life and limb riding with this? I ride "on the drops" and pretty hard so this is not for show but to ride. Hard and often. How many have actually heard of or had failures from AVA stems? Or are these tales swapped as you're cleaning freewheels or nailing on cleats? I just can't imagine cycle paths in the littered with fractured stems and fractured riders. Or did guys put those Pivo stems on before the took off the little plastic "Record du Monde" Peugeot pennants on the brake cable?

Peter Kohler
Washington DC USA