Seat stay pivot bearing near the rear axle has come loose in the CF on my spectral, 2nd time it’s happened. First time was back in April and both stays were replaced under warranty, took just over a month which was a bit annoying but with COVID kicking off as well it didn’t seem too unreasonable. This time I’ve just had a dispatch estimate of 12-16 April 2021! I haven’t actually had any communication from the warranty team (just emails confirming the ‘order’ and estimated dispatch date), but I wouldn’t expect they’ll be able to do much about the date provided by the factory.

Do I have any options here beyond just sucking it up? Bikes and bike parts are like gold dust at the moment, I’d have been pushing for a complete replacement frame if it wasn’t for the fact that they don’t have any in stock. However, 5 months is a ridiculous length of time to be without a bike!

Annoyingly, I’ve been wanting a winter hardtail for a while but held off this year due to the lack of stock around…

How old is the bike, and did you buy from new?

Any chance of a repair / rebond as an interim measure?

From what I have seen barely used bikes started coming on the market as the weather turned. There are some bargains to be had if you aren’t fussy.

Replace the bearing, chuck some bearing locker compound in there and ride it until the replacement arrives.

It’s just over 2 years old and I’ve had it from new, warranty is 6 years. No experience in carbon repair so not sure if it’s repairable, but I’d guess that it isn’t – you’d probably have to cut the stay to get any meaningful amount of material in to secure the bearing (here if anyone wants to see).

I’ve been keeping an eye on the 2nd hand market but unfortunately I’m a bit fussy – want something that I’ll keep for a good few years and a lot of the stuff I’m seeing has budget forks that I’d end up wanting to upgrade.

Replace the bearing, chuck some bearing locker compound in there and ride it until the replacement arrives.

Wouldn’t work unfortunately, the bearing is secure in it’s metal housing, the problem is the housing has come loose in the carbon frame.

Just use some bearing retaining compound to secure the seat to the surrounding carbon. Loctite do different versions for different sized gaps. 90s Treks FS bikes were virtually built from the stuff.

If it’s happened twice I’d be tempted to buy a new frame and build it with the components off the old one. Then get shot of the failed one when the new parts arrive.

Wouldn’t work unfortunately, the bearing is secure in it’s metal housing, the problem is the housing has come loose in the carbon frame.

I’d be giving a cf bike repair place a call, sounds like the repair you need is just a much smaller version of rebonding a bottom bracket shell in a frame, especially if I were getting a replacement part in six months.

I’d be giving a cf bike repair place a call

Good point, would at least be worth getting an opinion on if it could be repaired easily or not.

sillyoldman
Full Member

Just use some bearing retaining compound to secure the seat to the surrounding carbon. Loctite do different versions for different sized gaps. 90s Treks FS bikes were virtually built from the stuff.

This is what i’d be doing. Happy in the knowledge that the replacement is coming, so zero ****s given if it gets a bit rattly again before the new one arrives

+1 for using some penetrating threadlock between the carbon and insert for a few months.

Would that work when there is a good few mm of lateral play and 1-2 mm of horizontal play (https://vimeo.com/478439625)? The housing can’t be removed to apply any loctite, so any application would have to be via the small gap that is currently there. If so what type of loctite should I be looking at? Zero experience with this kind of thing so I’ll just end up with the wrong thing otherwise!

What about a second hand hard tail frame. Move your bits over, ride it for the winter. Move the bits back when the new parts arrive. There is limited stuff for sale so you might pay a premium bit still a lot out there. No need to be fussy if it’s temporary.

Or fix what you.have for now. I’d go with epoxy over loctite for that.

ebennett
Full Member

Would that work when there is a good few mm of lateral play and 1-2 mm of horizontal play (https://vimeo.com/478439625)? The housing can’t be removed to apply any loctite, so any application would have to be via the small gap that is currently there. If so what type of loctite should I be looking at? Zero experience with this kind of thing so I’ll just end up with the wrong thing otherwise!

I cant see your video, so not sure how the housing cant be removed if it’s able to rattle around? Could you get some loctite in from behind perhaps? You’ll be looking for something like Loctite 638 Bearing Retainer, get that in there and you probably wont even bother putting the replacement part on when it arrives

That looks like something retaining compound has a good chance of fixing, at least temporarily until the replacement arrives.

As above 638 is probably best, possibly 601 which has a low viscosity and is better for bonding when there is a significant gap. It’s hard to say from the video which would be best.

Apply the retaining compound, then leave it upright with a g-clamp or similar to keep the sleeve fully pressed in.

Looks like the holder has unbonded from the frame, someone like target composites might be able to help.

April 2021 is completely unacceptable, 4 weeks is just about reasonable. They can do better than that.

Thanks, I might give the loctite a try and I’ve spoke to a carbon repair place that can sort it for about 200. Pricey, but more peace of mind from that vs loctite! I still need to actually speak to someone from Canyon though, they requested the part back last time so I need to make sure I’m not invalidating the warranty first.

As far as I am aware they have a legal obligation to repair or replace within 28 days from receipt of the claim.

As far as I am aware they have a legal obligation to repair or replace within 28 days from receipt of the claim.

Whilst the second doing the same gives a good ground for arguing a manufacturing/design fault at 2 years old there’s no such requirement. They’re required (under UK consumer law, not applicable if its a direct sale from Germany) to deal with it in a reasonable time. What you *think* is reasonable and what is reasonable are two very different things.
If it’s 5months to source the part because that’s what it actually takes that’s reasonable. If it’s a week because they dragged their heels and it’s should reasonably have been sorted same day a week is unreasonable.

At this point, given you’re inside 3 years, I would be asking for a new frame of a current/different model, I’d have no faith a 3rd wouldn’t do the same and if they make life difficult I’d be politely asking why 2 have developed the same issue if its not a manufacturing issue before kicking too hard about my consumer rights. (it is consumer rights to be looking at at this point though rather than warranty imo, though given they’re in Germany it’s the German (or any overarching EU) legislation you need to be looking at)

Send it to Hambini 😂

Yeah, if anyone from Canyon ever contacts me I’ll certainly be making those points. Unfortunately I think a complete new frame might be just as long – nothing is showing as in stock on their site.

Turns out Canyon UK just forgot to send me an email, after chasing them they replied and confirmed the replacement would arrive early December. Turned up last week, so the bike is back in service and it gave me a good excuse to buy the winter hardtail I’d been eyeing for a while!

Tried the loctite 638 on the broken part but it didn’t work. Suspect the gap it needed to bridge was too large and not enough of the loctite could get through the small gap around the bearing housing to bridge it.