Specialized SL7 Recall Fix Problems

[@Sandzsteedt]

Specialized be like: Only thing with a void is the "warranty".

[@SignorLuigi]

Great video, Luther!!! Your work in shining a light on the practices of bike companies is so important. Preface: I'll be honest, I would love to own and ride a nice carbon bike. After saving up for years, I'd probably have one now if not for the pandemic and empty shelves. Having said that, my bike is a 43 year old Raleigh SuperCourse. I estimate it has over 150,000 MILES on it. Except for the frame, I've had to replace everything but the original brakes (Weinmann center pull) due to understandable wear and tear. Some things multiple times such as the wheels. A fair number of those miles are from bike packing with heavy loads. The frame (Reynolds steel tubing with lugs) is still going strong! It is annoying to know that the price for enjoying the enhanced performance of carbon over steel in certain areas is that you are playing a game of Russian roulette with the frame due to the profit analysis of the bean counters at bike companies.

[@domestique3954]

Invest your savings in a titanium frame-Carbon frames are „less than ideal“ for bike packing 🤙🍀

[@brettsta72]

Look at the incredible strain put on MTBs steerers, you don’t see them snapping all over the place, and a road bike has infinitely less strain put on that area. I wonder if ‘less than ideal’ here is exactly that, perfectly adequate, but not perfect?

[@itsdeebs5156]

Seriously the MVP of the bike industry right here

[@bahoonies]

What does MVP stand for?

[@itsdeebs5156]

@@bahoonies Most Valuable Player.

[@bahoonies]

@@itsdeebs5156 Just after I fired off that question to you I decided I was being lazy and checked on the internet. According to Google MVP in business means Minimum Viable Product. Makes me wonder what they might have charged for an already outrageously overpriced bicycle?

[@sylvainmichaud2262]

The SL7 is really a "killer bike"!

[@driventomadness117]

Too soon lolol

[@durianriders]

You can tell how much Specialized care about its customers...they sat on this recall for almost a year AND give the WT teams a bonded sleeve in their forks so they can't fail on TV. Plus WT riders get a stiffer more solid lay up for better power transfer than consumer level S-Works SL7.

[@gokaygs]

So snag team issue bikes if/when available?

[@richardwhitehead4684]

This man is the embodiment of ‘no BS’. Bravo! Other aspiring KZbin ‘influencers’ should go to school on this mans videos to learn how it’s supposed to be done.

[@hjuha19010]

In the software world, we say - "Move fast, take chances". This is "less than ideal" for hardware.

[@juanjohnrico]

and for flight control systems software

[@RICHARD.WRIGHT1]

I just assembled an SL7 for a guy in our store, I've not had to modifiy the new plug adpater (just supplied the extension as provided by Specialized), and seeing as the bike was secondhand anyway, I hope he gets on well with the brand! Raoul, love your diagnostics and your very indepth talks! Will we EVER see a carbon bike frame brand that is exempt from all these cheapo manufacturing processes? LONG LIVE Steel and Titanium...

[@londonlionel]

But steel and titanium bikes often have carbon forks.

[@Orgakoyd]

@@londonlionel Ideally a steel fork. I always find it funny how people impose these dangerous problems on themselves to save weight on their bike while they never even race!

[@valiantabello]

Really appreciate your diligence here.

[@n0ch91c3s]

Great video as always. One extra concern I would have with the cut edge is that it's bare aluminum. Anodized compression plugs get corroded with sweat dripping in, won't the raw edge be a lot worse? The carbon in there is raw, dusty, etc. I'd much rather glue in an older Cervelo/3t/True Temper/AlphaQ insert.

[@nickmannerings3574]

I wonder if these bike suppliers (I hesitate to call them manufacturers ) have ever heard of Design Reviews?

[@helloyogeshpatel]

Recently I purchased by from Treak thank God I didn’t gone for full carbon fork next time I am going to get full steel bike even though it is heavy it’s reliable. Even fork will be steel

[@jamesascher8147]

this is what fuels my nightmares as a mechanic

[@sylvainmichaud2262]

You can tell that Specialized is trying really hard to conscientiously ... injure or kill a few customers. "If we haven't done it right the first time, we'll try harder the second time."

[@dzrdza]

My suggestion to anyone who has to cut and shorten the expander plug is to simply put a bandaid over it. I think this would resolve the issue of it cutting into the steerer. Ofcourse, the bandaid should be of premium quality. I put quite a bit of thought into this, at least as much as the manufacturer when coming out with the fix. You're welcome, Specialized!

[@zygmuntthecacaokakistocrat6589]

Just rub some snot into that rough edge. Fixed.

[@lloydkflee]

I recently bonded inserts (my DIY copy of the Alpha Q aluminium insert with starnut) with JB Weld after getting paranoid from all these fork recalls. My inserts go the full length for my 1' Reynolds Ouzo slammed fork and halfway in the headtube on my 1-1/8" Parlee gravel bike fork. I'm hoping it's a firm bond as I didn't chamfer/taper that insert edge...

[@fradd4045]

5:39 " a fair bit really! " lol but it is simply the truth. thanks and keep up the good work!!!

[@occyman]

Great job mate as always

[@martinjosephoconnor3613]

Disc callipers create extra leverage forces on the steerer under braking compared to rim brakes. Lightweight carbon forks need a rethink.

[@chrisstrobel3439]

I sent an email to Bora via their website contact email address asking who makes the metal steerer sleeve seen in the KZbin video of one of their mechanics building Peter Sagan’s SL7 last year .. and this is a copy of their reply: Good morning We only use Specialized parts. There can be parts in metal, what specialized made for the Proteams. But this parts get always delivered with our frame kids. Normally a specialized concept store can get them. Kind regards Ihr Team BORA - hansgrohe So I don’t know why Specialized can’t just supply the same sleeve Bora gets with their framesets to us 😡 I was all set to replace my 2019 Venge frame with a 2022 SL7 .. but after seeing all these videos there is no way I’m spending US $5500.00 on a 2022 SL7 frameset. Thanks for clueing us all in 👍

[@LuescherTeknik]

Thanks for sharing the information from Bora.

[@paulhyland4653]

Love your videos always interesting to watch

[@jimbo9030]

I'm sure you'll now be pre-emptively banned from the Specialized Owners group on Facebook for daring to question the Big S man in the sky and because you are Australian they'll also accuse you of being a fake Durianrider account 🤣

[@LuescherTeknik]

Not really into Facebook anyway so not that fussed ;)

[@slidey1788]

To paraphrase Chappelle, Facebook ain't a real place....

[@stephanschmieg426]

Hi, I assembled my SL7 just a week ago, and prior to it I inspected the inside of the fork. Even without ever having installed the steerer plug I found some indentations. I shortened the steerer plug with a lathe and also chamfered the edge to make sure it can't cut into the carbon.

[@compt3ck]

Wouldn't that area that was cut and filed on the insert cause corrosion since its exposed aluminum instead of anodized?

[@lovecycling193]

I thought about a galvanic corrosion as well 🤷🏻

[@LuescherTeknik]

Correct, this is another problem, good to see people have learnt about galvanic corrosion ;)

[@lovecycling193]

@@LuescherTeknik well after Zipps massive cock up a few years back with their untreated nipples reacting and cracking rims you would of thought more people would have sat up and taking note. I believe Easton had a similar issue with forks that used bonded alloy inserts as well 🤔

[@jamesascher8147]

the two dislikes on this video are from Specialized employees

[@brentnearhood8874]

Thanks! Luescher

[@costelloandsilke7321]

Great video as always Raoul. Aside from Heath Robinson fixes for unforeseen design issues, I also prefer my steerer tubes not to have 360 degrees of carbon without slots, thank you. Regarding flex, I'm also very "grateful" to road engineers for the total lack of standards in the design of speed bumps - the thoughts of the loading on the steerer tube when simultaneously braking and hitting a speed bump (especially a badly designed one) does give me pause for thought.

[@slidey1788]

I avoid the speed bump issue by bunnyhopping them at pace....

[@laurenceraygatchalian6108]

Road bikes are very simple stuff compared to cars or other machinery. $10k+ bikes should be at least 99% flawless in engineering/safety terms. I dont get the recalls due to bad/s2pid designs on top tier modes like the sl7 or aeroad. Clearly no engineering done.

[@engnelsito]

Yes, before a car is released, it is tested for many many miles under all kind of real world conditions, ranging from really cold to really warm countries, to assure it will survive real life usage. How much real life testing is done on bikes? Clearly not enough or otherwise I am sure issues such as those seen on the Aeroad and the SL7 would have become obvious quite quickly...

[@apair4002]

Probably they hired engineer with fake resume lol.

[@pmcmpc]

Cars don't have 2000% gross margin, per S-Works ...

[@durianriders]

Its like Specialized just order frames from the OEM supplier based on what is hardest to copy for the fakers. In doing so the testing is insufficient and they have not been designed by someone who actually rides a bike and or works on them. That is the feeling I get as an SL7 S-Works owner. I had 2 of them. The second one I kept in the box after riding the first one and being so dissapointed at how flexy and heavy they are.

[@jedunboxing4127]

do you need a crown race with carbon fork? mine doesnt have,just bearing sitting on tapered carbon fork

[@JimbobB1978]

Shouldn`t we expect a carbon bike to be fully scanned for voids etc if we`re paying this sort of money? It`s inexcusable for profit margins to be this high. Even with paying for full scans they would be making silly profits.

[@nielsebbesen3048]

The scan itself probably wouldn't add much to your production costs. Having to bin 9 out of 10 of the frames you got from your production because of the defects you found however would.

[@Christian-sh9uh]

Would a longer expander plug that protrudes and grips down past the upper headset bearing be the solution? Or would that introduce problems further down.

[@gb4408]

It's a 50c solution to a million dollar problem. There was a reason they didn't want you any where near their bikes. It was admission of an engineering disaster and the more you would have looked the more you would have found. Your not part of the Specialized family and would have been viewed so. To have an outsider with enough skills to see inside their problem was not acceptable. Specialized, "innovate or kill someone"

[@brucewayne3141]

the die part was for the customers

[@markifi]

@@brucewayne3141 that's really funny. "innovate or die" could both be aimed towards the customer. it was a threat all along

[@matteofornero4326]

When I bought a brand new Tarmac SL6 and I found a giant void on the external surface of the steerer tube, right under the stem clamping area, they refused to acknowledge the mistake in the manufacturing process. The void was so big that I was able to tap it with a coin and hear the change of the sound frequency.

[@TheAntoine191]

Interesting stuff. Sometime bike industry goes in wrong directions. I guess a problem is to sell bike you need novelty and road bike regulations being very strict there's not much you can do to improve on 10years old bikes. To sell bike they found disc brakes and integrated thingy, but for obvious reasons they have to keep the weight in check. So to compensate weight increase on hardware frame and fork are made of air. Combined to mostly useless integration and quite low cost manufacturing it makes for some shoddy system. MTB had more interesting update over the years but the last spark shows they start lacking true improvement and start trying to sell bullshit instead of smart/fast tech like 2017 gen spark.

[@fhowland]

Doesn’t the need to have a big plug like that negate any weight savings from having a carbon steerer tube in the first place?

[@LuescherTeknik]

Kinda seems obvious doesn't it? Underspec build a part to say how light it is and then add an additional part to bring it up to spec!

[@andymacdonald3251]

Hi Raoul, I've enjoyed watching your videos. I'm repairing frames in Nelson (Carbon Rescue). I've been researching which ultrasonic device to get. I wonder if you could please make recommendations

[@yohanpaek9293]

Just use a longer compression plug that grips the tube instead of using an extender. All the extender will do is keep the handle bar from dropping, but won't have any control of steering if the tube breaks.

[@zygmuntthecacaokakistocrat6589]

Exactly how long do you want your expansion plug to be? This one is already oversized.

[@yohanpaek9293]

@@zygmuntthecacaokakistocrat6589 Past the Compression ring. The black extender portion of the plug that specialized provides doesn't grip the tube. If you get a full compression plug that grips the tube past the compression ring, it should help keep the tube from breaking.

[@AM-bl2cs]

would you buy a 'new' sl7 or just pay the extra for an SL8? I feel like the 'recall' "fix" is just a hack/bodge for a fundamental flaw? Did they fix this or are they just putting the plug in the SL7 still?

[@portland675]

Why would we not just remove the steerer tube compression plug altogether? I have a couple bikes that I run without one, like my enduro mountain bike, since we know that compression plugs only serve a purpose when the headset is installed or adjusted. That is an alloy fork of course. But if you keep more than a few extra spacers above your stem, there’s no support inside the steerer anyway. Failures also never occur above the stem, but below it, from what I’ve seen. Running the fork without any plug shouldn’t affect the structural integrity in any manner I can imagine.

[@brianbob7514]

I guess training mechanics to bond in an insert would be too hard or be too much added liability ? I think alpha q forks required the user to bond in a sleeve .

[@LuescherTeknik]

Also curing adhesive takes time and care to do properly.

[@leeharding8306]

I think we will have a new Tarmac double quick. This is a total f__k up and Cannondale have totally f__ked up their internal cable system too. How hard can it be 🤦🏻‍♂️

[@waynosfotos]

That was "more than ideal" 😆

[@onilovni1234]

How could they mess up the Tarmac SL7 so much when the Venge 3 did not have any issues while sharing a very similar cockpit integration?

[@LuescherTeknik]

Great question, maybe due to weight or contract factory, not sure. Anyone from Specialized able to answer?

[@aerobrain2001]

So have they basically replaced one issue with another?! And what's worse it seems is that the damage will now be less visible as it's on the inside face of the steerer :-/ unless I've totally misunderstood part of this.

[@Stevenafoe]

It seems like the cutting/sawing of the metal piece isn’t carrried out very wel. The edge is to sharp, not ‘round’. Thats what i understood.

[@brettsta72]

It would have been so simple to switch to a bonded in plug that would also have been more lightweight. I’m sure Specialized engineers considered this, why then would they have opted for the more expensive and heavier solution?

[@c5492]

I wonder if the fix has been ISO tested... not sure if the ISO test for forks would have identified this, the bigger you bike... yikes..!! makes you wonder why they didn't do a bond in with glue insert, just like the old 3t forks form the cervelo used to have.. also scary a fork with porosity and a hole for the cable to go in.. that will end well, even my cheap aerobike frame has a guide tube bonded in..

[@MerlinMan1579]

The name should change to ‘SLHeaven’ as that is where a rider may go after a failure.

[@VYBEKAT]

LOL

[@arifazhari7598]

Great video. I have questtion related to compression plug, perhaps some mechanical engineer here could answer. i have a long compression plug around 70 mm which consist of 3 split aluminium thingy. the problem that the retaining spring which come with it is rusted so badly it broke. can i replace this spring with NOK O-Ring ? or could you guys recommended something similiar in strength compared to original retainging spring ?

[@NeoPayneHK]

what are they thinking? they call this fix? now i love how colnago bonded the thread into the steer tube

[@Robinators]

Wouldnt it be beneficial, if carbon fork steerers would be made with thicker walls, f.e. with 1'' inner diameter or less??

[@LuescherTeknik]

Yes, but then it would be listed as too heavy, after the fork has been weighed and shown to be 12.7% lighter than last years model, then they add the additional heavy plug ;)

[@pmcmpc]

It would be nice if they started using a kevlar braid again, as used to common practice, but AFAIK only Time still do. Abandoned because it costs probably $10 extra per unit.

[@Sir_Godz]

@@pmcmpc that would cut into their 700% mark up

[@pmcmpc]

@@Sir_Godz Rather more than that ... $250-300 cost for S-Works road frames. Direct from Spec, $5-6k price. But as you say, how could they absorb $10 additional cost within a gross margin in the thousands? Just not possible.

[@samfrosh4118]

Yes fully agree that the walls should be thicker and the Kevlar layer at 45 + and - should be incorporated as well. This would allow the slot that has been cut in the Steerer Tube to be considered "safe" relative to the current risk caused by the slot in just a fairly thin carbon epoxy layup. I would not have confidence in the current slot in the Tube.

[@cbapka4203]

Hello. I bought a Chinese carbon frameset that has the same cable integration as the SL7. I found out about the problem after receiving the frameset. At my request, the seller made a new compression ring with a cutout for the cables and an inner ring that tight-fitting the fork stem. Judging by the grit size of the material, the ring is made of a more durable alloy. I also bought a longer 70mm anchor. I think that's enough. What is your opinion ? Thanks.

[@Stevenafoe]

So, if i understand this: the fork was slammed / cut, so the metal piece needed to be cut aswell. There’s 1 thing they didn’t do well, as the cut needed to be sanded better, more ‘round’, and not so sharp? That mistake, added to the voids in the fork adds up this? Second thing you’ll need to ask the lbs to inspect that area each time you bring your bike in (if you can’t do it yourself). But isn’t that valid for like all bikes? There seem a lot of problems with carbon bikes.

[@lukewalker1051]

This mechanical engineer's perspective: More/less relevant to all carbon bikes as you suggest. Conversation is much more complex than presented. All carbon steerers have some level of voids....just like all aluminum and iron castings have voids and imperfections. This is known and a given. You may know about the strength of honey comb structures. Structures with voids can still be strong. All a matter of degree and there in lies the problem. There are about twenty factors if a steerer will snap versus survive. Head tube length, rider weight, rider strength, handlebar width, where steerer is cut, slammed versus not, stem length....many contributing factors. Likely a 110 lb girl will never snap a steerer on a SL7 that is built worse case even without an internal compression plug. A very different environment for a 1500w elite rider. The real world is much more challenging than the laboratory as much as tests are constructed to simulate worse case. This design is flawed in large part due to the cable routing retainer. Yes, beveling the steerer plug will reduce the stress concentration interacting with the less than perfect carbon layup comprising the steerer tube. This design is negligent and the fix is not straight forward. Each bike set up is different which confounds where the stress concentration is for each bike is the problem. Specialized in fact with a known sensitive design should insert a redundant inner wall in the carbon down 6 inches for every frame. Some high watt pro's do this to preclude steerer breakage at maximum sprint. This would likely add weight to an already porky bike but mostly about cost. The cable routing retainer is an added stress inducer. Trust me when I tell you that the engineer responsible has given long power point presentations to the management at Specialized over this issue. Hurting people because of poor design can cost mfr's millions and even bankrupt companies if negligence is proven. I have worked in R&D my whole life and one thing the public knows nothing about is....out of print assemblies are shipped off the manufacturing floor every day on safety critical parts outside the bicycle industry. Engineers make a risk assessment and if they are wrong, many more people will get hurt. All about profit.

[@northkyt]

@@lukewalker1051 It seems like building forks using automation rather than hand layup could greatly reduce the chance of voids. Additionally adding an internal reinforcement as you suggest seems like a good idea to do on every fork. And, I am not sure why all bike companies can't run every fork through a CT scanner to check for voids and defects. Last I checked Canyon does this on every fork. IMO it should be done on every fork AND on every carbon frame.

[@nguyenho9591]

In a nutshell, 20k bike with popcorn engineering

[@wtfmimshag]

Wow recall solution for a 12k bike is a hacksawed plug that someone has tried to round the sharp edges on?

[@davidrock3959]

Dear LT, because i my gut somehow doesnt trust the carbon steerer in my canyon ulitmate 2018 I bonded a 4cm piece from my 27,2 carbon seat stay into the steerer in the area of the stem, what are your thoughts: legit engineering or less than ideal?

[@LuescherTeknik]

I would have used a longer insert ;)

[@markifi]

if the front brake is a direct mount or a disc brake, is there any reason this is not a very long, 18 cm bolt all the way to bottom of the steerer tube? it's not an elegant solution, but it could solve a lot of problems and make thousands of customers happier.

[@dsociala]

Weight would be one issue. If I bought a top of the line carbon frame I wouldn't like a solution that. A solid non flexible steerer tube could perhaps also cause other issues. That was mentioned in the video that there are flex when braking.

[@ralfmimoun2826]

Then you have to provide some dozens of different lengths. And there is a weight penalty, plus you don't want some 100 gram extra in this specific area. It can make the bike twitchy.

[@markifi]

@@ralfmimoun2826 i doubt a long bolt and a nut would weigh more than that compression contraption

[@markifi]

also when you shorten the tube you'd shorten the bolt just the same@@ralfmimoun2826 but come to think of it, this could be a few strands of dyneema coming up from the bottom, like a carbon spoke in a wheel, then a short bolt and a nut.

[@durianriders]

Specialized are so confident that the new compression ring is safe they give you an extra long plug... When the steerer fails from being cut into it will STILL cause a mad crash as your steerer snaps causing TOTAL loss of control. The market values of the SL7 has dropped so much. I only got 5000AUD for mine and it was BNIB as an sworks frameset. RRP is 8700AUD.

[@damu6678]

Are there any carbon bikes that are well made without all these issues in your videos?

[@LuescherTeknik]

Sometimes they are great.

[@damu6678]

@@LuescherTeknik Any specific examples? Any current ones?

[@brettpatching]

Take a look at Raoul's Time Scylon 2018 Cut Up and Review. I think I'd be saving up for a Time frame (or a Bastion if I ever got rich; Raoul helped them with their fork): kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y6nFZnWnqcytjKs

[@DAVD305]

Internal cable routing through headset has not yet been perfected. I think in 2 years or so it will be perfect till then couple cables out the front are ok with me before I upgrade.

[@pedallinraw]

I’d never have a bike with a carbon steerer....sooner it was 1 inch and alloy or steel....whilst I’m here internal cables suck too 🤷‍♂️🤨👍🏻

[@mga77]

Hmmm... the black part of compression plug should not touch the carbon! Does it??? It's only the red part, which should have contact to the carbon-tube.

[@LuescherTeknik]

Yes, that is the problem, the sharp corner dug into the carbon.

[@glennoc8585]

Curious to know how much flex the steerer endures under max loading. It should be negligible as the bearings and head tube should support the steerer from lateral deflection.

[@LuescherTeknik]

On a tall head tube it can be significant, you would be surprised how much it deflects.

[@brettsta72]

Two questions as a concerned SL7 owner: 1) Is this new plug an unsafe solution. Should I stop riding the bike? 2) Is there an alternative expander plug that you would recommend using?

[@LuescherTeknik]

1) Hard to say as there are lots of variables. 2) I would bond in a machined insert, like the pro bikes apparantly get.

[@brettsta72]

@@LuescherTeknik I enjoy your content and good to highlight these things, but a less than ideal response. Is there a legal reason why you’re not willing to give an opinion? Also, there’s not really an option for an average owner to set a bespoke bonded insert, I wouldn’t know the first place to look, could attempting that actually be more risky than the OEM solution?

[@LuescherTeknik]

You asked me a question, I answered with my opinion??????

[@brettsta72]

@@LuescherTeknik hey look not trying to hate, I enjoy your stuff, but would you honestly say there is a clear answer to question 1? Is this, in your opinion a safe solution? Because SL7 owners, myself included are now left confused whether to ride this bike. Of course there are other variables, there are with any problem.

[@pmcmpc]

@@brettsta72 Re-read his response?

[@danfuerthgillis4483]

Since I made a video explaining this issue on the older round spacers and how the expansion plug was not being installed by all bike companies properly please watch this video, take some notes and pay attention where I go over the way the expansion plug is actually supposed to be installed ( direction and expansion size length) kzbin.info/www/bejne/b6SuepZopc5_d5o. I believe this issue is all over every single bike sold so no one installs the expansion plug as I DO. This recall would of been solved easily by a 10 MM expansion plug as I explain in the video for the round spacers bikes, the new rectangle type spacers are very dangers as they add more fulcrum point movement of the steerer tube.

[@zygmuntthecacaokakistocrat6589]

That plug: why don't they issue them, properly machined, in a few different lengths? Or get a machinist (or even a hackasaurus like me) with a lathe to turn the bottom part to a parabolic profile with the inner thin edge? It'd take 5 min per plug, if that. Another reason I'll never buy a carbon fork from anyone but Enve.

[@LuescherTeknik]

Too expensive for them, that's why. What's so great about Enve forks?

[@JFomo]

2:43 You forgot to check if the pen is working.

[@lordkambing810]

it looks like spesh didnt do any in-depth CAE specially on the critical parts hahahaha but their asking for a premium price? Theyre just selling paintjobs yeah,, chamelon tri color glittery fade

[@apair4002]

Gila kan.

[@Abunnywrote]

Manufacturing voids for that price? Ohhh is abnirmal. People wabt eat shi...

[@Rshorttt]

Make sure that’s not shotgun shell😂

[@kalamarusffm]

BuT tHe FrAmE hAs An S-wOrKs PrInT sO tHe PrIcE iS jUsTiFiEd!

[@cmx2828]

yEs

[@Sills71]

When you buy a mass production bike, designed to maximize profits, you get what you get.

[@richardcarr6493]

l think after seeing all about this issue of a overpriced and underengineered SL7 ,l d prefer the older Rim brake bikes of yrs ago !! They re just made better all around and no off center stress points caused by hidden cables and disc brakes !! lts just not safe engineering anymore ,proof is right here .The money is not where their mouth is!! And this half assed fix proves they dont care either!!

[@wasupwitdat1mofiki94]

Why do engineers and I use that name lightly design so many critical parts that should have maximal strength for safety reasons design these parts out of carbon? They are making every part they possibly can using carbon. Most of it doesn't hold up to the common Joe who do their own wrenching. Steerers used to be made of steel. Again a critical part of the bike. I think the UCI, since they have so many rules that cyclists don't like already, should raise the weight minimum to 8.8K instead of the 6.8K it is now. Then maybe the manufacturers could design some safer bikes and tell the weight wennie girls to man up.

[@danielmoorhouse6506]

I really do enjoy your videos but lately everything is described as ''less than ideal''. Where is the comparison etc etc. Are all forks similar or are they all less than ideal?

[@LuescherTeknik]

I just call it as I see it.

[@andrewbobro3374]

Yep. Unless its bonded or "expanded" its just eyewash ( US Army term for looking the part only).

[@LuescherTeknik]

Love the term "eyewash"

[@17cream]

Geez, not sure what I can say here. Premium prices for poor engineering. Maybe if they can’t make a proper steerer, they should go back to making aluminium inserts.

[@andreww1928]

Less than ideal!

[@shannondeckard8587]

Amateurs spending too much money for their rides between cafes so that they can show off what they ride. CFRP frames/forks are just high maintenance and a problem waiting to happen. If you have to get someone like Roaul to check the bike each time you have a crash or drop your bike the wrong way, just shows that ultralight CFRP bikes not an ideal for amateurs (who will own their bikes for years and will more than likely inadvertently drop their bike or will have minor crashes).

[@getur99]

No material is perfect. I’ve cracked 2 ally frames. One at the head tube weld another at the chain stay. Neither had been crashed or dropped. Just fatigue and cyclic stress from riding a lot

[@dsociala]

@@getur99 That seems like an ok falure to me. If you have been riding alot and the bikes are more or less worn out. Nothing lasts forever. Also falures like that are (to me) somewhat acceptable and possible to detect. But if a carbon steerer fail the outcome could be fatal.

[@ewong7701]

I am an amateur with 3 high end carbon bikes and never had any issues. But I am not a 100kg+ barrister or dentist like you or drop my bike or crash.

[@cdalesupersix]

so a big bike company, fixes their poor engineering with a bodge!

[@dsociala]

Is it time to bring alu steerer tubes back?

[@event4216]

Was thinking same thought. I understand modern road cyclists would dismiss bike with anything non-carbon except chain (for a while) but hey, alloy steerer would eliminate problem at minimal cost. And probably introduce another problem with carbon-metal connection but as far I see, carbon steerer also has been mated with crown instead of being integral part. Hmmm.

[@404nobrakes]

Lol. Add another 300g to the weight of a modern bike. At this point, pros are gonna be riding 8kg monstrosities.

[@danbanham728]

No, the manufacturers just need to make the carbon ones properly and the bike companies need to be less greedy.

[@davidgarza2267]

Then you have to worry about the bonding of the aluminum to the carbon blades. Alu steerer trades one concern for another. Not sure which is worse at this point though tbh.

[@ulaev]

Specialized - nothing special

[@konstantintomilin1826]

Just a reminder that Specialized is overpriced crap

[@FaiscaaaH]

12000€ for this bike LOOOOOOOOOOOL

[@mikicastan]

What a joke🤣🤣🤣

[@steppings5645]

Specialized in BS.

[@taichihead42]

Can you please give me your thoughts on the 1 inch Columbus Minimal fork. It comes with a short steerer plug which i think is totally unsafe.