Riders needing a lot of rise or drop from a stem usually end up with a stack of spacers, a flipped 6° stem, and a cockpit that still doesn't quite land where they want it. Ritchey's WCS C220 25D Stem solves that with a ±25° angle that lets you dial in an aggressive drop or an upright, comfortable position from a single component. Flip it one way for a slammed race position, flip it the other for a more relaxed reach — same stem, same hardware, radically different fit.

The C220 name refers to the handlebar clamp, which wraps a full 220° around the bar rather than the roughly 180° of a conventional four-bolt faceplate. That extra coverage means clamping force distributes across more of the bar's circumference, which is easier on lightweight carbon bars and lets Ritchey shave material from both the faceplate and stem body without giving up stiffness. The press-fit clamp interface also makes installation quicker — hardware faces forward for tool access, and you can swap the stem without pulling grips or bar tape all the way off.

The stem body is forged from 2014 aluminum , an alloy that runs harder and stronger than the 6061 you'll find on most alloy stems. CrMo steel bolts are used throughout , which handle repeated torque cycles without stripping. It's built for a 31.8mm handlebar and a 1-1/8" steerer, which covers essentially every modern road, gravel, or cross bike running a threadless headset. Torque is capped at 5Nm, so pair it with a proper torque wrench — a good habit anyway with aluminum stems and carbon bars in the mix.... Read More