The need to adjust when changing wheels depends on the wheels being used. In the case you need to adjust them, it's really no big deal. Earlier today I switched from training wheels to race wheels ( also changing brake pads & cassettes) in about 30 minutes total. Never had to center my brakes, but it is easy to do so, especially the front.

Wayne,

Thanks for the tip. I just talked to my LBS and they have a new tightener assembly that just arrived from Trek which they are going to install. They are also looking at the seat post, but I am not sure exactly why. Since it is raining for the next week or so I am not in a big hurry. The LBS said they will make certain it's perfect when I get it back. What else could I ask for?

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Mark
Northern California
Trek 1500 SLR Road
Trek SC7 Triathlon

Hey Carl - I picked it up today and my LBS has inserted the shim provided by Trek. I spoke with the head mechanic he communicated that from his conversations with Trek, you guys are making these shims in-house in Wisconsin as a short-term solution, and are working on having a new seat post clasp (the piece that gets tightened) for the longer term and that the LBS will contact me as soon as they receive them. Is this the strategy as you understand it?

Also, would it be possible to have a new larger seat post sent as well, as I'm not sure I can see a clasp alone solving the problem further down the seat-tube, into the frame (I've felt/heard rocking in there toward the bottom of the post on previous rides.) And obviously, given the investment, I expect to race this bike for many seasons.

Thanks again for all your help, and happy holidays to you guys.

Best,
James

I would like to add to this that its imperative there is a common and speedy solution to this issue. Surely *if* the newer seatposts are slightly larger, then the logical solution is to issue early-adopters with one. I for one would not want any flex/rocking in the seatpost and would even go as far as to say I'd buy one from Trek - not that I should have to of course.

That is how I understand it.

The new clamp offers greatly increased clamp-up force at lower bolt torque. Essentially, it gives you the same effect (pushing the post more firmly into the back of the pocket, eliminating slipping and rocking) as the shim just with less effort due to a change in the ramp angles and moving the clamp face further aft.

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Carl Matson

Thanks for the update.

Thanks Carl - appreciate the prompt update as always and for the technical info as well. I'll keep an eye out for the new clamp.

Thanks,
James

Hey Joe-

I hear (see) Nick and Eric have been in touch. Fly reindeer, Fly!

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Carl Matson

Thanks they just posted PICS

How do you go about getting the new clamp? Is it a warranty item and do you have the part number?

Thanks for your participation on this forum.

Wayne

No worries, Wayne.

Several items related to fixing the issue are working their way into the pipeline every day, but quantities are not large enough on any (yet) to say "hey, everyone go ask for XXX".

For the moment, all post-slipping claims should be worked through your dealer as a warranty item, and depending on what the tech reps have on hand at the moment what may come back is a new clamp, a shim, or a new post. What PETRO heard via his LBS regarding the shim being issued along with something like an IOU for a new clamp makes sense to me, but I haven't seen any official language to that effect. I've been poking at the folks responsible for announcements like that and believe me, as soon as I (and your LBS) know, I'll make sure y'all do too.

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Carl Matson

Carl, thanks for the response.

I just reread the SC assembly instructions and it says to use the carbon fiber assembly gel on carbon fibre parts. So far that has solved my seat slipping problem. Are the engineers saying that the assembly gel is not enough and that even with the assembly gel a new clamp is required.

Thanks,

Wayne

Not really...it's more like this:

You can spec a nominal dimension on anything, but what you really get is a distribution that you hope is centered on that nominal. If you're smart, you try to set up the tolerances (and the working range of your part(s) if applicable) so that at worst-case tolerance stackup everything still works.

Now one or more of your vendors undershoots/overshoots (depending on the target and your tolerance specs) and you still get a distribution but it's centered somewhere else. Now stack a couple of those offcenter distributions. If they offset each other, it's all good...but if they're cumulative some %age of your customers will have a combination that doesn't work as intended.

So in the end (unless things have gone really really Really wrong) not everyone will have "the issue" and the normal best practices - like assembly paste and proper bolt torque- will cover folks on the edge. For those who do have slipping (and just as important, to prevent more occurrences as new bikes go down the assembly line) we get better parts rolling as soon as we can, whether via redesign or working with the vendor to figure out where things went wrong and modifying a tool or a process at their end. Or both.

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Carl Matson

Carl, I understand about tolerance stack up, I am a retired engineer from Caterpillar (25 years in design and then 12 years in marketing). I can see how it could be difficult to get the sizing exactly correct on the SC. I am guessing that the seat post itself is an extrusion. Is the seat post hole in the frame machined? Since mine is not currently slipping I did not take it out to look. If both parts, seat post and hole in the frame are not machined I can see how getting the parts to the exact spec could be a nightmare.

My post would slip when I hit a sharp bump, I only weigh a little over 150 lbs, I can imagine the "G" forces on the seat post when a rider weighing over 200 lbs hits a sharp bump.

Thanks again for the reply.

Wayne

Actually, both parts are molded. The difficulty in achieving tight as-molded tolerances depends on what you're molding and how. The BB cups for BB90 aren't machined other than to clean out some flash where the spindle sleeve goes...likewise the seatpost pocket.

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Carl Matson

 
Nice picture of Indy Car Driver Tony Kanaan on his P1 SC...

Is there anyway I can see real life pictures of some of the rarer colors available on P1? I have tried just looking online and wherever but I am curious on a few of the rarer colors available with the Factory Team Issue Options....For example Appleseed Blue or Winter Mint?

I had the seatpost slipping issue, called my LBS and within a week had a new clamp mechanism to put on my bike. Trek wanted to know the bike serial number and from that info figured out that my post was fine and that the clamp alone would fix the issue. The first things I noticed was the lower torque value and larger bolt size, it definitely holds the post better and I've had no slipping issues since.... note however that I've only ridden the bike for 30 minutes on the trainer to test it, we'll see in the spring if it holds but it certainly feels more solid and I'm sure it won't be an issue.

Slipping seat posts, rubbing draft boxes, lack of stem availability, etc. are among the myriad of reasons why I'm glad I decided to wait for the 2012 Speed Concept. Give Trek a year to work out the kinks. Like my father said to me when I was younger, "Never buy a car in it's first model year. There's always a lot of problems."

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Favorite Gear: Dimond | Cadex | Desoto Sport | Hoka One One

You'll definitely need to give it more than 30mins - I have the slipping seatpost (old clamp) and twice it only started slipping after about 40mins. I've forwarded my bike serial number to be LBS but am still waiting for a fix for mine, here in the UK :-(


Wise words. Its always dangerous being an early-adopter. There's a question mark over whether I'll be racing at all in 2012 so I decided to pull the trigger now on this bike...haven't got time to wait!

Minor details to own such a crazy fast bike right now. I've only had the seatpost issue, no draft box issues. Trek are amazing with warrany issues and I know if I ever have trouble they will step up.

I hear you. It's not like I'm riding a piece of shit now so I can wait the extra year. That way the minor kinks get dealt with and maybe Di2 pricing will come down a little bit.

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Favorite Gear: Dimond | Cadex | Desoto Sport | Hoka One One

O.K., I took my medium SC for its first outing today. Bought the bike I guess over a month ago but didn't ride it because the stem was too short. I put on a 100/45 and the fit felt near perfect for me, just a few minor tweaks needed. I am having the seatpost slippage issue, I'll see my Trek dealer tomorrow.

I am a little concerned about headset. It was incredibly loose. I know didn't mess with it at all when I changed out the stem thinking it was already set, presumably by the factory -- or maybe that was the LBS' job? I know a few people posted issues and the fix is to simply tighten the steering axle nut to 2.5 Nm per the manual which I did.

My real question, speaking of tolerances: After tightening the nut, there seems to be a tiny bit of play between the fork and frame. I grab the front brake and push on the bike back and forth very quickly and I can feel and hear a bit of a click. Is this expected with these bayonet forked bikes?

Hey! I just got my size Med about 10 days ago and I still haven't got to ride mine yet. Have a RETUL fitting on New Years Eve in Florida and doing a sprint tri on the 1st. Can't wait to ride her. I have not put the race wheels on yet and will proabably just use my training wheels for the sprint!

So...let's back up a little...

Tightening everything in that front end in the right order is the first place to look for a loose headset "feel" fix. Not saying you didn't, but good to doublecheck...assuming you start from everything loose:

-is the upper headset bearing right-side up? the bevel to match the preload nut profile is on one side only
-thread the preload nut onto the internal steerer just finger-tight
-place stem on top of fork and tighten the three bolts that connect the stem to the fork
-set the bearing preload nut
-tighten the pinch bolt at the rear of the stem

If you leave the stem cover off and try the rocking test at this point and you still have that loose headset feeling, you should be able to see if it's coming from the headset area.

There is a small amount of play in the front brakes which you can see during this test. The bushings in the brakearms do need some space between themselves and the fork & cover otherwise they don't rotate.

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Carl Matson