Zipp SL145 Stem: Update

When I reviewed the Zipp SL145 previously I noted its steller performance. It’s stiff like a belt of Scotch and light enough to keep weight weenies quiet. However, it was not without flaw. My one criticism of the stem was that the faceplate corroded. Living near the Pacific Ocean, any metal part with inadequate plating suffers an ignominious demise as its surface corrodes. I can only take flaking chrome or other plating for so long before I replace the part.

At Interbike my contact at Zipp informed me that the SL145 had a new faceplate that, hopefully, wouldn’t suffer the same corrosion the old one had. I haven’t gotten any technical details on the faceplate yet, but the surface appears to be shot peened with a polished center section.

The new faceplate will be standard with all SL145 stems. Zipp has not yet determined if the faceplate will be available aftermarket, something I encouraged them to offer for those who experienced the same issue I did. If you need a new faceplate, I encourage you to leave a comment to show the folks at Zipp the need.

I’ll report back next spring with the results of my experience with the new faceplate.