Factor Ostro

[ichobi]

It would be interesting to see a complete comparison for steerer design for all
World tour bikes. In my experience, specialized made the best and most trouble free design
- can use any bar or stem
- regular round 1/1”8 steerer
- no turn angle limit (hello cannondale)
- pretty clean integration even without specialized own cockpit setup.
- simple routing mechanism

A few other brands also opt for similar design but not many. Not sure why everything has to be proprietary when clearly someone can make standard stuff works just fine.

[tjvirden]

Good that Factor have been busy investigating and put some detailed info out. They're not the first to have problems with non-round steerers and I'm certain they won't be the last.

In my experience even standard setups (ordinary round, carbon steerers + aluminium stems) can be very difficult to get working flawlessly when riding on rough surfaces - tiny differences in dimensions or surface finishes really can make all the difference as to whether the vibration loosens the assembly. And the same old problem occurs - if it doesn't hold, then just increase the torque on bolts - nooooooo!

Some sort of fixed nut, or thread, in the steerer definitely works, but it's usually a bit messy from an end-user point of view - it's not at all ideal to have customers or LBS's glueing things. I suppose one way round it is to severely limit adjustability (new Aeroad?) but personally I'm not keen on that.

[alexneumuller]

Good that Factor have been busy investigating and put some detailed info out. They're not the first to have problems with non-round steerers and I'm certain they won't be the last.

In my experience even standard setups (ordinary round, carbon steerers + aluminium stems) can be very difficult to get working flawlessly when riding on rough surfaces - tiny differences in dimensions or surface finishes really can make all the difference as to whether the vibration loosens the assembly. And the same old problem occurs - if it doesn't hold, then just increase the torque on bolts - nooooooo!

Some sort of fixed nut, or thread, in the steerer definitely works, but it's usually a bit messy from an end-user point of view - it's not at all ideal to have customers or LBS's glueing things. I suppose one way round it is to severely limit adjustability (new Aeroad?) but personally I'm not keen on that.

Riding mine in the moment. No problem as yet.


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[tjvirden]

Good that Factor have been busy investigating and put some detailed info out. They're not the first to have problems with non-round steerers and I'm certain they won't be the last.

In my experience even standard setups (ordinary round, carbon steerers + aluminium stems) can be very difficult to get working flawlessly when riding on rough surfaces - tiny differences in dimensions or surface finishes really can make all the difference as to whether the vibration loosens the assembly. And the same old problem occurs - if it doesn't hold, then just increase the torque on bolts - nooooooo!

Some sort of fixed nut, or thread, in the steerer definitely works, but it's usually a bit messy from an end-user point of view - it's not at all ideal to have customers or LBS's glueing things. I suppose one way round it is to severely limit adjustability (new Aeroad?) but personally I'm not keen on that.

Riding mine in the moment. No problem as yet.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

That's the best sort of test - if it doesn't come loose at the torque spec, then it's good!

[cyclespeed]

Mine was OK for almost 3 months....then suddenly came loose for no reason.

[tjvirden]

Mine was OK for almost 3 months....then suddenly came loose for no reason.

I've had that (not an Ostro) - for me it occured purely because of the very badly broken tarmac
I started riding on; there is always a reason, but it can be obscure, such as a different temperature or weighting the hoods.

[FactoryMatt]

"A batch of them received a clear anodizing treatment after sandblasting which then decreased the surface roughness and ultimately the pull-out strength. With the pull-out strength reduced, this meant the compression plug would slip within the steerer, and the headset would loosen as a result. "

once the stem is clamped, the compression plug doesn't regulate headset tension. all because of an anodizing treatment? smells like bullshit to me. the cycling equivalent of "electrical problems".

there should be more margin for error built into components than what this apparently alludes to here. why is it the companies that profess high standards are the ones with issues (Canyon, Factor)

[tjvirden]

"A batch of them received a clear anodizing treatment after sandblasting which then decreased the surface roughness and ultimately the pull-out strength. With the pull-out strength reduced, this meant the compression plug would slip within the steerer, and the headset would loosen as a result. "

once the stem is clamped, the compression plug doesn't regulate headset tension. all because of an anodizing treatment? smells like bullshit to me. the cycling equivalent of "electrical problems".

there should be more margin for error built into components than what this apparently alludes to here. why is it the companies that profess high standards are the ones with issues (Canyon, Factor)

Not necessarily true. Even with an apparently good fit and proper bolt torque, under vibration a stem can 'walk' on the steerer - without a securely fixed topcap (meaning one that is connected to something immovable in the steerer) the headset then loses preload.

I first experienced this when using a Schmolke Ahead Plug to replace a standard Look steerer bung/topcap. I found 3T Arx stems particularly resistant to this movement, but could not use an Easton EA90 in an otherwise identical setup. Tiny differences.

In the same way that carbon paste or grease changes the way surfaces interact, so can anodizing. Of course design and manufacture need to take account of the effects.

[mrlobber]

If ISN returns to race on Ostros, then we know for sure Factor thinks they've fixed the problem, whatever real reasons have been behind there; and probably consumer bikes should be safe then as well.

[cyclespeed]

If ISN returns to race on Ostros, then we know for sure Factor thinks they've fixed the problem, whatever real reasons have been behind there; and probably consumer bikes should be safe then as well.

No, because they all got new forks, but we (the consumer) didn't...........

[mrlobber]

No, because they all got new forks, but we (the consumer) didn't...........

I share your concerns, as I'm in line for an O2 VAM myself, but John Ebsen just confirmed that it would come with the updated front assembly and should be safe to ride, so apparently they think that the plug solves it (as we know from Canyon seatpost, that might not always be the case though )

[Scott2017]

If ISN returns to race on Ostros, then we know for sure Factor thinks they've fixed the problem, whatever real reasons have been behind there; and probably consumer bikes should be safe then as well.

No, because they all got new forks, but we (the consumer) didn't...........

The blog post is a bit confusing, but it seems to say that the production forks were designed to fit better with the plug, but the problem was that some of the production plugs had been made wrong. The team got new forks because theirs had been glued to the plugs so they couldn't see which batch the plugs were from. I think.

[Woodleg]

If ISN returns to race on Ostros, then we know for sure Factor thinks they've fixed the problem, whatever real reasons have been behind there; and probably consumer bikes should be safe then as well.

No, because they all got new forks, but we (the consumer) didn't...........

The blog post is a bit confusing, but it seems to say that the production forks were designed to fit better with the plug, but the problem was that some of the production plugs had been made wrong. The team got new forks because theirs had been glued to the plugs so they couldn't see which batch the plugs were from. I think.

You are right. If you haven't glued the plug, or overtighten it (10nm recommended), your fork steerer should be ok.
The problem is that the team has glued and/or overtightened the plugs.
I was testing the new plug and everything seemed OK after a couple of training session on the rollers and a 225km ride, but unfortunately last Monday I fell off the bike because of a root bump that launched me to the sky and I broke my pelvis... Once again in less than a year, and when I was on my best condition ever. Shiiiiit.
The bike is OK, just some scratches on the hoods and the rear derailieur.
Got the hoods and handlebar in its position and could get home by myself.

Last time there were three fractures and I was back on the road in seven weeks, so this time with only one clean fracture I hope I'll be back in a moth or so.


Enviado desde mi AGS2-W09 mediante Tapatalk

[FactoryMatt]

Didnt BMC also have issues of another sort with their d-shaped steerer?

“At no point in our development and testing to date, on either the Ostro or the integrated O2 VAM, had we seen a failure of this type, including the 2020 Tour de France where riders like Andre Greipel rode the Ostro,”

https://cyclingtips.com/2021/03/factor- ... erer-tube/


Racing IS the only real testing for a system like this. And one stage race under a handful of riders isnt sufficient. Even the Gorilla. Theres more here to the story than a slippery compression plug. I understand stems CAN walk, but they havent acknowledged nor denied that this D-shaped Steerer has made that event more likely. Round steerers for me i think.

Why dont they just use a knurled plug like Spesh and Parlee?

[iggg]

What do you think about seatpost offset? Have you ordered your frameset bike with 0mm or 25mm?

My current bike has an offset, but factor's bike fit expert suggested 0 offset, along with a frameset one size smaller than what the geometry chart suggests...so trying to figure out what to do with it