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Sudden Steerer Tube Failure on Canyon Endurace

  • This topic has 20 replies, 13 voices, and was last updated 6 years ago by Pilot Pete.
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  • April 12, 2018 at 8:16 pm #28366
    ad8741

    Hi All,

    Two weeks ago, the steerer tube on my Canyon Endurace CF (approximately 2.5 years old) failed without warning, which led to a nasty crash – I have a damaged AC joint as a result.

    After sending the bike back to Canyon, they have inspected the bike and informed me that the failure was due to “a worn headset bearing not turning/spinning as it should. The lack of correct rotation from the bearing caused the headset spacers to cut into the steerer.”

    I’ve posted some pictures of this at the following link:

    https://1drv.ms/f/s!AtFNSLu4w8xTgQauFwVXcglo9pPu

    I’m looking for some advice as to whether anyone has seen a similar thing happen before, and whether the explanation I’ve been given by Canyon is in any way feasible – should a worn headset bearing ever be able to cause the catastrophic failure of a steerer tube?

    Thanks,

    Adam

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Viewing 15 replies - 1 through 15 (of 20 total)
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  • June 10, 2020 at 8:38 am #916953
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    Pilot Pete

    A torque wrench should

    A torque wrench should prevent that happening again…

    PP

    June 9, 2020 at 4:09 pm #916951
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    Macton

    Hi Joegg, i have a Canyon

    Hi Joegg, i have a Canyon Endurace CF SLX with the combined cockpit…due to my over zealous tightening have cracked the carbon fibre on the fork top tube and have ordered new forks from Canyon do you reckon your trick would prevent this happening again….i tried adding a photo, but wont let me. regards Mark….oh looks like it did work

     

    https://cdn.road.cc/wp-content/uploads/roadcc/IMG_0088_0.jpg

    May 4, 2020 at 12:03 pm #916949
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    BadgerBeaver

    oops, thanks – will check the

    oops, thanks – will check the date of the post when it pops up next time! Lots of posts and stories on here seem to be recycled at the moment…

    May 4, 2020 at 11:03 am #916947
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    joeegg

    To reinforce the steerer on

    To reinforce the steerer on my Endurace i put an aluminium sleeve down to cover the clamping area of the stem.I found that an old 27.2 seatpost was the perfect diameter .Loosen stem, cut the right length off,a bit of stud fix on the outside,and slide down.I run my stem close to the headset top cap so had to slide it down about 25mm from the top of the steerer. Tighten stem, and hopefully i have a little bit of an insurance policy.

    May 3, 2020 at 5:56 pm #916945
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    Hirsute

    A bit late after 2 years…
    A bit late after 2 years…

    May 3, 2020 at 5:38 pm #916943
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    BadgerBeaver

    I think you are right to

    I think you are right to question Canyon’s response. The reason it sounds like nonsense BS is because it is. 

    Please can I suggest that you get a second or third opinion from a qualified engineer and or repair specialist, and get it writing. Would be great if you come back to this forum to tell us what happened, please? I sincerely hope you are looked after by Canyon, in which case, do tell, but if the opposite happened, please do share. 

    Lastly, well done for surviving a snapped steerer!

    April 19, 2020 at 2:15 pm #916941
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    Chris Hayes

    Firstly, sorry to hear about

    Firstly, sorry to hear about the crash, but at least you’re okay.  Forum discussions regarding Canyon failures are all too common.  It may be a function of high volume sales and ‘normal’ failure distribution, or they suffer from poor design / quality control / materials.   Either way,  none of the above explains their crappy, ‘f**k you’ customer service which I read about time-and-time again.  

    My 2003 Litespeed (winter bike) has done well over 120,000kms without failure – riding done safe in the knowledge that the frame carries a lifetime warranty.  

    April 18, 2020 at 11:09 pm #916939
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    Durianrider1

    Sounds like they lied to you

    Sounds like they lied to you mate! It is VERY clear from an engineering angle to see your steerer CRACKED at the high stress zone of the bottom edge of the stem. If canyon put in a PROPER steerer plug that went below the lowest edge of the stem then it would not have failed.

    I see steerers fail when the stock plug is deep enough but the rider stupidly allows spacers above the stem which mean the stock steerer plug WONT cover past the lowest stem clamping edge. A steerer failure is in the post.

    Carbon steerers should be inspected by the owner every 5000km at least!

    Ive done many youtube videos on the subject.

    April 14, 2018 at 10:40 pm #916937
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    Anonymous

    Sounds like a load of pony

    Sounds like a load of pony from Canyon, as above you’d have noticed an issue in how stiff steering had become or how loose the steerer was, it really would be noticeable even just taking a hold of the bars and moving them when off the bike just walking from your front door to the kerb.

    In any case would you expect a headset bearing to be so shit that it does that much damage, at all never mind after that period of time. Christ my Specialized Globe which has an alu steerer on the carbon fork has tens of thousands of miles on it in all the worst conditions 7 years of UK commuting will bring. I’m a heavy lump too and I’ve never had to adjust the headset at all.

    For a headset bearing to go pearshape like that to me says it was faulty from the off, the spacers shouldn’t be cutting in like that anyway.

    think you should get another assessment and the original bearing returned if they are flipping you off.

    April 14, 2018 at 6:19 pm #916935
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    hawkinspeter
    Ad8741 wrote:
    hawkinspeter wrote:
    I can’t see the photo without signing up for a Live drive. Think I’ll skip that.

    Sorry about that. Try these instead:

    https://adraffe2.blob.core.windows.net/bike/IMG_1149.JPG

    https://adraffe2.blob.core.windows.net/bike/IMG_1153.JPG

    Thanks for that.

    I don’t see headset bearings causing that and I can only think it’s something to do with the top-cap/expansion bung not being correctly installed.

    April 14, 2018 at 12:46 am #916933
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    Nixster

    I agree that the expander

    I agree that the expander bung seems the more robust design but on the other hand if play in the headset was causing steerer tube failures they would be going frequently because most if not all headsets develop some play as they wear. 

    The expander bung does provide some support to the steerer if it’s correctly positioned within the depth of the stem, which can counteract over tightening of the stem bolts to some degree. I’d still say the most likely explanation is over tightening of the stem or a steerer defect. If it’s the latter then headset design is irrelevant. If not, it doesn’t help but it’s not the cause.

    If you have a Canyon you could always add an expander if you were concerned, Exustar make them.

    The OP could tell Canyon that either the spacers must be faulty to damage the steerer or the steerer must have had a fault to fail as it did and what are they going to do about it? 

    April 13, 2018 at 3:30 pm #916931
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    velochris

    Maybe email a few of the
    Maybe email a few of the companies who repair carbon bikes. They may have seen a similar pattern.

    I had a Canyon a while ago which used the same headset. In my opinion it is a flawed design (Campagnolo used it on one model as well).

    I have built dozens of bikes and stripped similar amounts of headsets. Maybe I was unlucky but I always found with time that model would slip so thr headset became loose. If that was the cause I could not say.

    My theory was the small grub scew that sets the tension must ever so slightly loosen with vibration etc. It does not need much movement to create play in the bearings.

    April 13, 2018 at 3:27 pm #916929
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    ad8741
    Nixster wrote:
    Is the upper headset bearing seized? Did you hear any noise from the front end before it went? I imagine it would creak if the spacers were rubbing on either the stem or the headset.

    There was no noise at all, no creaking, nothing – I would imagine the spacers would have had to be cutting into the tube for a quite a while to cause a problem, but I have never heard anything or experienced any issues. The only noise I heard was the crack of the tube breaking, followed by the sound of my shoulder hitting the ground hard!

     

    April 13, 2018 at 3:06 pm #916927
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    Nixster

    The Canyon headset uses an

    The Canyon headset uses an expanding headset top cap rather than a compression bung I understand but I don’t see that being particularly relevant here. Did the steerer fail within the depth of the stem or where the stem meets the spacers? I’m assuming the latter.

    I can see a scenario where a seized upper bearing causes relative movement between the top cap and the stem with any spacers between them moving relative to both. Usually it’s the lower headset bearing that goes first however and as its more heavily loaded it’s noticeable in the steering whereas the upper bearing may not be.  Is the upper headset bearing seized? Did you hear any noise from the front end before it went? I imagine it would creak if the spacers were rubbing on either the stem or the headset.

    What Canyon are saying I think is just about plausible but there are a couple of things I’d question. First the spacers are usually a close fit on the steerer and secondly shouldn’t have any protruding edges to cut into the steerer. Bit of a manufacturing issue if they do I think. If they did or were a loose fit then yes scoring of the steerer could cause a stress riser and sudden failure of the steerer. 

    The more likely explanation is either excessive stress caused by over tightening the stem bolts or a defect in the steerer but they have seen the bits and I’ve only seen pictures. 

    April 13, 2018 at 2:52 pm #916925
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    ad8741
    hawkinspeter wrote:
    I can’t see the photo without signing up for a Live drive. Think I’ll skip that.

    Sorry about that. Try these instead:

    https://adraffe2.blob.core.windows.net/bike/IMG_1149.JPG

    https://adraffe2.blob.core.windows.net/bike/IMG_1153.JPG

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