This sounds really stupid but i have a Canyon Endurace and the handlebar doesn’t stay centered compared to my other bikes. It has a tendency of going left or right easily. My friend’s Canyon Endurace also has the same feeling.
But my bikes from other brands doesn’t feel so fidgety. Anyway for me to reduce this? New headset bearings? I think part of it is due to the long hydraulic hoses from factory.
Hmm, is the fork clean from grease and such?
If you have tightened the side screws to the correct torque, the only thing I can think of is that there is grease or such that lessens the friction = it can be turned too easily.
Also, I’ve had issues where the levers aren’t in the same spot, so it feels like the handlebar isn’t centered…
Just to clarify, you aren’t talking about the HB / Stem getting out of alignment with the front wheel, you are talking about the whole front end (HB, stem, front wheel) just turning too easily and not staying centered, correct?
Assuming the latter, I am going to assume you have electronic shifting……on mechanical systems, the stiffness of the shift housing helps keep your front end straighter and not moving around as much.
Not much you can really do about it….
I’m confused as well… are you saying the cockpit doesn’t stay centered on the steerer? If that’s what you mean, it needs fiber paste and proper torque on the stem bolts. If you mean when riding, it just moves left and right too smoothly, it’s just new, good bearings. That’s a good thing!
Pretty sure he’s talking about steering, but the wording is ambiguous.
Are you referring to the fork steerer? I would need to check as i have not disassembled the bicycle yet.
Yup. Not referring to the stem out of alignment with the fork steerer. Just that the fork does not centre as easily as my other bikes. And i think the cables do make it stiffer in a way.
You are right but the bike tend to flop over easily when i park it into a bike stand that is holding the rear wheel.
Yup. You are correct. I was not sure how i should phrase this issue i am facing.
But just to make it clearer, everything should be torqued down properly. The bike is running sram rival axs. I find that the steering flops left or right too easily compared to my other bikes. Just wondering is it a Canyon thing or a headset bearing thing. Would tightening anything makes any difference?
This is entirely a lack of shifting cables thing.
Brake lines are very flexible and don’t offer much resistance to turning forces. Indexed shifting housing is very stiff and helps keep the wheel centered in situations like you describe.
@rogerchua Try tightening the screw under the cap on the stem. This will increase the tension on the bearings and make it more difficult to turn the handlebars / stem / steer. It will also make it more difficult to bring back to center.
Sorry but this is just very bad advice.
The screw under the cap won’t do what you’re suggesting, it’s just an expander plug, to provide a platform for the screw on the stem cap.
The screw on the stem cap is for tightening the tension on the bearings, but should not be overtightened for this purpose, as it will wear down the bearings much faster.
I wouldn’t do this….tension on the bearings should be based on proper functionality.
Increasing the tension will slow response time and more importantly, negatively affect control when riding with no hands or even one hand.
What the OP is experiencing is perfectly normal…
Yes, sorry, meant the pre-load bolt on top of the cap.
Totally get what you’re saying… my aeroad bars flip around a ton, especially on the workstand. Point is, this is a good thing. It means your headset bearings are smooth. People literally spend hundreds of dollars on ceramic bearings to get this smooth operation.
I just finally had my headset replaced on my 2018 Felt FR1 and it handles like new again. Subtle but noticeable. Very nice feeling.
The local bike store had only needed to clean and service it until this last time. Di2 also.
I had forgotten that the front end will want to flop around when manoeuvring the bike when off it.
Steering friction comes from three factors-
1 & 2: head angle & fork offset (aka caster) - when you steer L to R you’re lifting and lowering the front end a bit. The amount of weight you I have on the front time might impact the resistance.
3: tires - when rollling, a higher rolling resistance tire should have a greater centering effect.
The Endurance doesn’t have anything special going on there. It does have a slightly larger steerer tube, so it might feel slightly different, use a slightly bigger bearing, and won’t bind as much as a smaller one.
I wonder if having a 1 1/4 steer tube has anything to do with it, compared with 1 1/8 for just about every other bike?
None….again, what the OP is describing is perfectly normal.
Thanks everyone! Seems like its just how it is for that bike. Will have to live with it. On a side note, the small bolt at the base of the stem, needs super low torque. My friend cracked the plastic cover on it with a torque wrench. 