Handlebar/fork not stiff rotationally

Alek

On my Kinesis Crosslight Pro6 with matching full carbon forks, I can hold the front wheel with hand and turn the handlebar left and right a good couple of centimeters.

There is no play or creaking, bearings are nice and tight, the fork is very stiff front/back (doesn't give much when braking hard, unlike a steel one on the other bike).

Also, when I stand in the front and apply some weight on the hoods, the handlebar is bending down noticeably, but not as much as when rotating.

Stem looks stiff, but it seems that the steering column is very flexible.

Is it normal or am I risking a face transplant?

Since I realised this, I have impression that this lack of stiffness makes quick steering a little funny, if not delayed / spongy.

Great, I'm a bit paranoid now

C3PO

Alek wrote: »

On my Kinesis Crosslight Pro6 with matching full carbon forks, I can hold the front wheel with hand and turn the handlebar left and right a good couple of centimeters.

There is no play or creaking, bearings are nice and tight, the fork is very stiff front/back (doesn't give much when braking hard, unlike a steel one on the other bike).

Also, when I stand in the front and apply some weight on the hoods, the handlebar is bending down noticeably, but not as much as when rotating.

Stem looks stiff, but it seems that the steering column is very flexible.

Is it normal or am I risking a face transplant?

Since I realised this, I have impression that this lack of stiffness makes quick steering a little funny, if not delayed / spongy.

Great, I'm a bit paranoid now

Is the stem rotating on the steerer tube ie. not tightened correctly?

Alek

Is the stem rotating on the steerer tube ie. not tightened correctly?

Definitely not the case, its turning but then and returning to the correct position. Stem bolts tightened to 4N.

Seaswimmer

You should never have got rid of that steel Peugeot or the Pashley before it:)

Steel = Good
Carbon = Scary.

C3PO

Alek wrote: »

Definitely not the case, its turning but then and returning to the correct position. Stem bolts tightened to 4N.

So by a process of elimination it can only really be some play/flex in the steerer tube?

magicbastarder

can you see how much motion there is in the crown of the forks?

Alek

You should never have got rid of that steel Peugeot or the Pashley before it

You know too much. I NEVER had a Pashley :P

So by a process of elimination it can only really be some play/flex in the steerer tube?

This is what I'm thinking, rather flex than play. But is it normal / acceptable?

can you see how much motion there is in the crown of the forks?

How? By removing the fork from the frame, attaching handlebar and trying then? Fork legs seem to be solid enough...

check_six

When I got my first bike with carbon forks I had a lot of issues with the compression bung (starnut equivalent for carbon forks) not staying in place. The bung was not secure in the steerer and problems would follow. This bike had a bung that had a reverse thread tightening bolt hidden in it which I had struggled to identify, leading to wobbly headset issues. I know you said that everything was tightened up correctly, but I'd be looking at reseating the stem and making sure the bearing races were okay just to say that I'd checked everything obvious first.

Alek

Thanks, I was going through this myself - the bung was getting loose in the middle of the race (bumpy!) and the bike developed a LOT of play in the headset. But since I epoxied it inside the steerer this issue is a matter of the past

Alek

Visited Expert Cycles on my commute home. I guess they know a bit about Cx bikes ;-) Very nice chap took my bike, started bending, twisting and said there is nothing to worry about, as some full carbon forks are like that and in his opinion it also comes from stem and bars. I take his word it and sleep safe tonight :-)