Enve M6 stem - Alloy or Carbon?

Equipment
1

I’m changing up my stem and handlebar from OneUp to Enve. I’ve decided to go with the M6 bars and I’ll either go with the M6 alloy or carbon stem.

I’ll be competing in a few marathon xc/stage races and I do suffer from numb hands/grip strength issues on longer rides.

These will be going on a new bike so the whole exercise isn’t cheap, and part of me thinks f@ck it, just get the carbon stem and be done with it, it MAY help with the arm/hand fatigue, and the crazy prize will be forgotten in time. The other part of me says don’t be stupid, the alloy stem is expensive enough and will do the job just fine.

It may just sway my decision if anyone has used a carbon stem and actually noticed a benefit, or is it really just down to aesthetics? Anyone had a positive experience moving to a carbon stem?

2

Carbon is not necessarily stiffer or better of a vibration damper than alloy.

Numb hands will come down more so to grip choice, tire pressure, and suspension setup than the stem, and any perceived effect from the carbon stem will likely to be a placebo.

But if you have the cash, they are pretty trick!

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