Zipp's entire Service Course line proves that aluminum still has a place in cycling componentry -- it will never be as light as carbon, sure, but it will never be as expensive either, and that's enough of a reason for us to stand behind it. Zipp strikes an admirable balance between cost, weight, and performance with the Service Course SL Alloy Stem, which features a 3D-forged 7075 aluminum construction to give it a mix of superb strength and stiffness inspired by kit built for the peloton. Both stems in the Service Course line are built in the same tooling, with smooth lines and a newly redesigned faceplate with enough negative space to for easy handlebar orientation. Compared to the pedestrian version, the Service Course SL stem drops some grams with CNC-machining and by replacing the stainless steel Torx bolts with titanium.