Review: Raceface Turbine-R colored stem

The Raceface Turbine-R stem has been around a while, but RF have just released colored versions of it a’la the naughties, when everything had to be anodized matchy matchy! Other than that the design is unchanged, so this is still Raceface's top-of-the-line stem, fully CNC-machined and optimized for durability and weight.

The new colors, which are now available from all authorized Raceface dealers, like my LBS Sporthammer, apart from the traditional black, are:
Red
Orange
Blue
Purple
Green
Silver
Kashmoney Gold (This is supposed to match the Fox Kashima coating)
Turquoise

All models are matched to a 1 1/8" (COME ON! Just get rid of the imperial legacy dimensions already!) steerer tube and have a stack height of 42mm. The Raceface Aeffect is 40mm, for example, so pay attention to this if you don't have much room for adjustment. The Turbine-R is made for 35mm bars and comes in lengths of 32, 40, 50, 60 and 70mm with a claimed weight of 138g for a 50mm stem. This is some 22 grams lighter than the Aeffect-R, which sits below the Turbine in the RF line up.

The quality is obviously very high and all of the machined details and laser etched markings are next to perfect! I can't really find any detail that could be improved apart from maybe using titanium fasteners instead of steel, but then again, this would push the price up. The current MSRP of around 100€ is very competitive for a fully CNC-machined stem with comparable items like the i9 A35 coming in at about +25-40% more expensive.

The top lock design of the faceplate is nice, which means you won't have a gap between the body and faceplate of the stem for a perfect, clean fit. My only gripe with the stem is the turquoise color. It doesn't match the Yeti frame, but it does match the Yeti turquoise aluminum parts, so should you want matchy matchy details, just get the Yeti turquoise seat clamp and it will be spot-on!


The turquoise doesn't quite match the Yeti frame

The turquoise color compared to the Fox 36 blue air cap

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