Cannondale Aficionados / Owners

Throw it straight in the bin and buy a proper carbon steerer tube bung that actually works.

Now.

Two bolt steerer clamp here. A smidge of crabon paste round the bung and steerer (ooh-err). A fair old turn of the top cap compression bolt, all other clamp bolts torqued.

Is there any way it could be an issue with the frame? Tolerances or whatever, I dunno.

I had slowly loosening headset issues on my non-Cdale. I eventually put it down to crappy headset design (external Chris King before they changed the design) allowing a small amount of lateral play between headset and steerer. Then under braking forces, this play allowing the stem to be levered up a tiny amount.

Not had any issues with my CAAD12, what version have you got? Disc/Groupset?

I had this issue with my CAAD12. I use to have to tighten it all the time. However after removing the spacers above my stem, so the top cap sits directly on the stem it has been solid! Cannondale say you should not have any spacers between the top cap and stem, not really sure of the physics behind it, but willing to accept!

Mine is also setup like this, top cap setup straight onto the stem

That's how they are supposed to be.

Thanks all. I’ll try all the suggestions and let you know how I get on.

There’s definitely enough gap between the top of the steerer and the stem so I don’t think it’s that. Maybe the carbon paste will help...

One last go, and then this.

The Specialized ones, if you can find them, or these are what you need in your life:

1 Attachment

I dunno. The stem should be doing the work of keeping the preload. You can ride a-heads without a top cap or star nut or bung or whatever just as long as the stem is gripping the steerer properly and the correct pre-load was applied and locked in by the stem before the top cap was removed.

I'd wonder if the compression ring is too low. I'd try running it without the headset top-seal doobry using the stem to directly apply pressure to the compression ring. See if that solves it.

I completely agree, and logic / physics would agree also that should stem and headset be fitted properly and torqued correctly then you should theoretically be able to remove the steerer bung/expander completely and ride worry free!

However, the reality that I’ve never been able to for my head around with those Cannondale SI expanders is that the headset/stem religiously works loose and results in front end steerer play!

This has also defied the laws of physics / logic to me, as to do this you’re basically going to be very partially clamping the stem above the top of the steerer tube. Fine with a thick alu steerer, but with carbon?! No thanks!

The mantra of always having (at least) 5mm spacer above and below the steerer has repeatedly been a case for bike companies (I have no personal experience with Cannondale) rejecting warranty claims for cracked / damaged steerer tubes.

I have no personal experience with Cannondale

Cannondale are unusual in this regard; their instructions state that you must run the top cap on top of the stem and have a small gap beneath the top cap and stem.

You don't always see team or demo bikes set up this way though.

Mine doesn't either, but then my steerer isn't cut

+1 for carbon paste, in my experience with headsets working loose on carbon steerers I wouldn't have expected it to work without it.

Saeco CAAD12 Disc

(spenny)

£3100 for a throw together of average parts on a CAAD12 Disc......

^ are you two on commission ?

missed that, thing is awful, and heinously overpriced.

for £3145 id expect at least Dura Ace 9100 / Sram Red

deduct £1k for that bar tape

Didn’t the CSG build this thing up?

Did anyone build it? Bog standard otp bike isn’t it?
Other than obviously the paint. I think it’s fat creations

Yeah, basically an RRP £750 frame with £2400 of bullshit