The AQ is 3D forged from a billet of 7000 series aluminium, which allows the stem to be made in a more complex shape than regular forging, and permits the grain structure to be managed for increased stiffness and durability.
The extended section of the steerer tube clamp replaces 50mm of spacers. There’s just a single bolt at the front, under the stem. The result is greater stem to steerer overlap, but it’s clamped where there might not be any internal support offered by the Aheadset preload nut assembly.
The AQ’s total stack height is 75mm, more or less like running a shorter stem with 40mm of spacers. As this extra height is part of the stem, you can’t go lower. When it comes to going higher, you need at least 50mm of exposed steerer to fit safely but we’d advise closer to 70mm.
The AQ cannot be flipped. It has a 15-degree angle and is available in 90, 100 and 110mm lengths with a 1 1/8in steerer clamp. A shim allows the AQ to be used with 25.4, 26 and 31.8mm diameter handlebars.
The 100mm AQ weighs 175g, which is good when you eliminate the need for extra spacers. The huge contact area between stem clamp and steerer tube adds bags of rigidity to the front of a bike.
This article was originally published in Cycling Plus magazine, available on Apple Newsstand and Zinio.