Ive just received a new TCR Advanced SL frame, and looking at the headset assembly, there is no crown race for the the fork. Is it possible that a crown race isnt used in the design? Can someone out there please check their fork to see if they do have a crown race-less design, or not please?

I can check when I’m home, although mine is a 2012 model.

sounds odd, but you never know

try putting the lower bearing straight onto the fork & see if it spins freely ?

2016 TCR Advanced Pro here – no crown race and no headset cups…… enjoy being scared of your bike! 😯

P.S. The bearings seem pretty crap. Mine have had 2 or 3 proper wet rides, they still spin no problem but looking pretty 2nd hand

nothing to worry about – the lower bearing sits directly on the crown seat on the fork steerer

a smear of good waterproof grease (finish line teflon is recommended) on both bearings and any metal headset parts is recommended before assembly

Yeah but it still catches you by surprise! Much like all the Giant full-sus owners that went looking for their missing shock bush 🙂

Again yup, should’ve stripped the front end when I bought the bike but foolishly thought the manufacturer/shop might’ve taken care of it

Thanks folks, yes it’ll takesome getting used to. Next problem – the steerer tube. A traditional looking steerer expander bung has been provided, as has an ‘air cap expander system. According to the instructions a sleeve is glued in place and then a simple top bolt plugs in, allegedly holding all in place. This seems a bit insufficient to me i suppose, and cant fathom why it is there in addition to the expander bolt. It has to be glued in tothe steerer, so once its in, well its in for good….so im a little nervous about doing it. Does anyone have a pic of their steerer setup, ideally showing an expander bolt setup or the aircap setup?

https://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-us/technology/overdrive/50/ This page shows the ‘traditional’ bung supplied and fitted into a Giant.

http://thebikehubspokane.com/product/giant-aircap-od2-expander-system-steerer-plug-244332-1.htm This shows the ‘Aircap’ system also supplied, but which looks very insufficient to me.

An idea what people are using and pictures would be really appreciated.

I just got the standard one with mine. Can only think that the Aircap is just a weight saving alternative.

Shouldn’t be any reason why gluing wont work just fine as long as it’s done properly. Even then it’s the stem that stops things coming loose rather than the top cap, so wrost case is that you’d find it had come away when trying to adjust it at some point.

Don’t have a photo, but it wouldn’t really help anyway as you’d just see the shiny top of the wedge in the steerer.

Thought I might drag this thread back up again.

Does anyone else have trouble keeping a TCR headset tight? I’m tightening as you would any headset but then being very well behaved and torquing up the stem (Carbon steerer fear) yet it gradually loosens off every time. Latest attempt used carbon assembly paste on the steerer-stem and over-torqued the stem bolts, still worked loose over a hundred miles of riding this week. Other than ditching the torque wrench (I know how accurate this is as I tested it in work) and just cranking them as I would on the mtb, I’m out of ideas

Thoughts?