Differences between Nitto's Technomic NTC-150 and Pearl
03-12-17, 09:32 AM
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Differences between Nitto's Technomic NTC-150 and Pearl
I am purchasing a stem for a vintage sport touring bicycle and am trying to discern the difference between a Nitto Technomic NTC-150 and the more expensive Nitto Pearl.
Assuming a clamp size of 25.4mm, both appear to be 150mm in height, made of forged aluminum, angled at 71º, even in weight, and have the same style of clamp—though differ significantly in price.
Is there a substantial difference in the finish (it is difficult to tell in pictures on the web)? Does it all come down to the Pearl's NJS approval (though this would be moot if the clamp was 26mm)? What reason would there be to choose the Pearl?
Any assistance in distinguishing between the two would be dearly appreciated.
Assuming a clamp size of 25.4mm, both appear to be 150mm in height, made of forged aluminum, angled at 71º, even in weight, and have the same style of clamp—though differ significantly in price.
Is there a substantial difference in the finish (it is difficult to tell in pictures on the web)? Does it all come down to the Pearl's NJS approval (though this would be moot if the clamp was 26mm)? What reason would there be to choose the Pearl?
Any assistance in distinguishing between the two would be dearly appreciated.
03-12-17, 10:43 AM
#2
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Others will probably have an answer. I can only say I have never had a Nitto stem with an unsatisfactory level of finish. They all seem quite nice to me.
03-12-17, 01:33 PM
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Thank you for the reply. I spent some time investigating this and I believe there actually is a difference in the clamp. The Pearl appears to have something much more fancy going on there:
03-12-17, 01:42 PM
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I always thought the Technomic line had the extra long quills to put the rider in a more upright position.
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03-12-17, 02:51 PM
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I think the Pearl is slightly prettier.
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03-12-17, 03:43 PM
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The Nitto Deluxe is identical to the Pearl except it has a longer quill. The Pearl and Deluxe are much nicer than the Technomic. The DX measures about 11.5 cm from the minimum insertion line to the top, IIRC. I've got an extra Nitto DX with 10 cm reach if you are looking for one.
03-12-17, 04:21 PM
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The Nitto Deluxe is identical to the Pearl except it has a longer quill. The Pearl and Deluxe are much nicer than the Technomic. The DX measures about 11.5 cm from the minimum insertion line to the top, IIRC. I've got an extra Nitto DX with 10 cm reach if you are looking for one.
If you see the pictures in my other post above, there does seem to be a significant difference in the clamps of the two stems I am pondering.
Thank you for your help!
Edit: The Technomic Deluxe appears to be a different stem than the Technomic NTC-150.
Last edited by ethet; 03-12-17 at 04:35 PM.
03-12-17, 06:24 PM
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I presume that the NTC-150 is the Technomic model with a 150 mm quill. Other Technomic models are available with much longer quills. The finish and clamp are much higher quality on the Pearl and Deluxe models, and the only difference between these two models is the quill length. I would definitely get a Pearl or DX model if you can find one for a good price. They are some of the nicest quill stems available.
03-12-17, 06:52 PM
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@tarwheel Thank you for the follow up. Something about the confusion invoked by the Technomic line really bothers me. It reminds me of Macs in the 90s. I don't like being made to feel like an idiot when I am trying to figure out what is going on with the differences in seemingly similar products under the same model name.
So I bought a Pearl (or 'NP'). The extra money is worth the peace of mind when ordering blind. And @noglider thinks its prettier, which says a lot to me.
So I bought a Pearl (or 'NP'). The extra money is worth the peace of mind when ordering blind. And @noglider thinks its prettier, which says a lot to me.
