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TECH NEWS

Specialized issues recall for Roubaix, Ruby, Diverge, and Sirrus due to Future Shock clamping collar defects

Own a Roubaix, Ruby, Diverge, and Sirrus with Future Shock? You need to read this

Specialized has just issued a recall for its Roubaix, Ruby, Diverge, and Sirrus models due to an issue with the clamping steerer tube collars on the Future Shock.

The Future Shock, if you need reminding, is a spring inside a cartridge located between the stem and head tube. It was introduced on the redesigned Roubaix a couple of years ago and delivers impressive ride comfort and smoothness. We were so impressed we gave it our Endurance and Sportive Bike of the Year award last year.

To be clear, the issue isn't with the Future Shock itself. It's the clamping collar around the top of the stubby steerer tube which is used for preloading the headset bearings that appears to be the cause of the issue.

Specialized Roubaix Expert.jpg

Specialized says it the voluntary recall is due to “stress corrosion cracking” with the collar that clamps around the top of the steerer tube. It has designed a new and improved collar which, together with an adjustment to the torque setting, will significantly improve the collar’s resistance to stress corrosion cracking.

Specialized has produced a list of bikes affected by this issue and urges anyone with a bike to stop riding it immediately and return it to the bike shop for a new collar to be fitted.

specialized recall

Here’s the full statement from Specialized.

Dear Specialized Rider,

Your safety is our top priority. Whenever something happens that may compromise your safety, we take immediate action.

Based upon reports from the field, the steerer tube collar on select Roubaix, Ruby, Diverge, and Sirrus bicycles may be susceptible to stress corrosion cracking. When that happens, it may result in a sudden loss of steering control while riding.

Click here to view a list of affected models by Model Year.

We are voluntary recalling the steerer tube collars on these bicycles and are replacing them with a new, improved collar which, together with an adjustment to the torque setting, will significantly improve the collar’s resistance to stress corrosion cracking. We have reported the matter to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and are working closely with them on a press release announcing the recall shortly.

Please stop riding your bicycle immediately and visit your local Authorized Specialized Retailer to have a new steerer tube collar installed, at no cost to you.

We wish to apologize for this inconvenience and thank you for your patience.

Thank you for riding Specialized.

Jon Goulet, Director, Global Quality and Rider Care

David worked on the road.cc tech team from 2012-2020. Previously he was editor of Bikemagic.com and before that staff writer at RCUK. He's a seasoned cyclist of all disciplines, from road to mountain biking, touring to cyclo-cross, he only wishes he had time to ride them all. He's mildly competitive, though he'll never admit it, and is a frequent road racer but is too lazy to do really well. He currently resides in the Cotswolds, and you can now find him over on his own YouTube channel David Arthur - Just Ride Bikes

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2 comments

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Austim | 5 years ago
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I'm not exactly encouraged by Specialized needing to put out two recalls in 13 months... Are they rushing things? Doesn't make me confident.

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handlebarcam | 5 years ago
1 like

Quote:

To be clear, the issue isn't with the Future Shock itself. It's the clamping collar around the top of the stubby steerer tube which is used for preloading the headset bearings that appears to be the cause of the issue.

To be clear, the issue isn't with the device itself, just an integral component in the system which makes it work, and the proprietary design of which makes you dependent on a single company to get right and keep stocks of replacements for years to come, after they've moved on to their next gimmick.

Of course, when this was launched, and people pointed the extra points of failure, compared to established methods of improving comfort such as bigger tyres run at lower pressures, they were called luddites.

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