Syntace, the maker of high end German components have been busy this year, with new stems, handlebars and wheelsets. Their partnership with Liteville keeps growing, and they’re revamping both of bike companies two models. Syntace has a couple of interesting new products for 2013 that are oriented towards the 29er crowd. The FlatForce stem has a negative 6 degree rise (-12mm), and comes in 44mm, 55mm, 66mm and 77mm lengths, and includes titanium hardware. It has the same rectangular shape and wide bar clamp as their MegaForce stem, which offers increased torsional rigidity, and for weight savings, it utilizes extensive internal sculpturing.

As an interesting side note, the Syntace design engineer got the idea for its shape when his child was watching Ice Age, and he saw the Scrat the squirrel (mix of the word’s squirrel and rat), with his pronounced saber-toothed snout.

He got the idea for the MegaForce stem rectangular shape, when he observed a loaf of bread that his Wife was making, and he noticed how the risen bread naturally chose that shape. Sometimes designs come from the strangest places!

The Vector 7075 aluminum and carbon handlebars get a couple of new versions, and a name changes for each of the seven shapes, to designate their rise and material they’re made from. The new carbon additions are the High 5, Low 5 and Low 10, which have a +5mm, -5mm and -10mm rise respectively, all of which are 740mm wide.