“Just about everyone has been out of town this week so I’ve had the ramp to myself. Thought I’d bring a video camera for company; nothing too crazy but it was fun making it and it beat ‘riding alone’!” -Simon

The Tomahawk is based around a list of front-load features that Chase Hawk requested and it is the first front-load stem to use convergent bolt axes for the front cap. This allows the stem to have the separate adjustability and “look” of a traditional four bolt front-loader, but with a smoother overall shape. It also eliminates the stresses associated with letting the bolt holes break through the outer face of the stem body. As a bonus, this means that the stem still looks “normal” when it is flipped to raise the handlebars.

You’ll also notice that the Tomahawk makes use of the steerer tube clamping design that is found in the Elementary stem. With this unique configuration the locking bolt for the fork’s steerer tube remains straight during tightening (rather than bending as the wedges rotate around the steerer). The stem’s fully internal clamp design also means that the back of the body can be bolt-free, and knee-friendly.

For the Tomahawk, we invested in full forging tools for the stem’s cap and body in order to maximize the strength of the material used. This stem was designed as a forging (rather than simply machining it) because forging improves a part’s strength by forming the ideal grain structure that is needed for a given shape. As a benefit, this process also means that we can offer the stem at a reasonable selling price.

• Front-load design
• Chase Hawk approved
• Converging front bolt axes eliminate typical through-hole stresses and improve the stem’s look when flipped
• Easily accessible internal clamping system
• Forged 6061-T6 aluminum maximizes strength and minimizes waste
• 53mm reach
• 9.5mm rise or 22.5mm when flipped
• 9.4 oz (266g)

Colin Mackay has seen it all and added two more spots to his hit list in 2011 with a Vans trip to Chile’ to visti Coco, and a massive filming session in Virginia for this awesome remix of skatepark, street and trails. BMX for life.

Shot on a Canon 5dMK2, Canon MKIV, Panasonic HPX170, GoPro Hero.

VEGAS BABY from alistair on Vimeo.

Simon WINS 2nd

Rockstar BMX Dirt Podium at Portland Dew

Brett Banasiewicz 1st, Ryan Nyquist 2nd, Dennis Enarson 3rd, Luke Parslow 4th!