I reecived an SL fork without any top cap or start nut or fancy expander plug thingy plug thingy, I understand that easton uses something called a bear claw that fits on the outside of the steere tube, but if it is the thing I jsut say at the LBS it is no wonder they never use them (and I’ve heard that they tend to slip).
in any case can I use a standard Star Nut and top cap on my carbon steerer?
Update: I was about to say screw it and install the star nut and top cap thingy when I thought that I would do a little more research into the matter (especially after the other posters warned against the star nut) So I call up Easton Customer Service and explained that I could only find the Bear trap and coudl not not locate a compression plug for my fork and that the online manual specifically calls for one. No questions asked other than my name and address and they are sending one in the mail! The call literally took 3 minutes.
Dont use a metal star nut. I know cannondale makes their forks compatible with a star nut, but I’m leery. Just buy an expander plug dealy thats made for carbon steerers from you lbs. I tried the bear claw and was extremely unimpressed. How are they still sending those out. I’ve never seen anyone who can get it to stay put - Ernie
I have the same exact fork and have had quite an adventure finding a preload device.
I wouldn’t use a star fangled nut in a carbon steerer. I wouldn’t use the Beartrap either.
The 1-1/8" Reynolds compression plug is too big to fit and the 1" version is too small. The Profile compression plug fits but gets expanded so much that it gets stuck in there and parts start coming loose.
I hear the FSA compression plug works well with the EC90s and I will try them next. If I’d known this was going to be so much trouble, I would’ve just gotten a fork with an Al steerer.
Another option is to get a preload device that you remove after you tighten the stem clamp bolts. The EC90 appears tolerate a stem clamping on the steerer with nothing inside it since that would be the case with the Beartrap.
Well, I just called Easton customer service and was told they don’t have compression plugs separately. I said that other people had been sent compression plugs but they said they didn’t have any and wanted to give me the number for Quality Bicycle Products instead.
I finally got them to send me one so I’ll weigh it once it arrives. I’d already ordered an FSA one this morning along with some other items. I’ll weigh that as well.
So, I will have two Profile, three Reynolds, one Easton, and one FSA compression plug as well as the Beartrap. Maybe I’ll take a picture of my entire collection once I get them all.
Last time I called customer service. This time I called warranty service. I’m not sure what the difference is except customer service was not cooperative. If I had gotten the runaround again, I was going to ask for RMAs for my EC90 fork and handlebars and EC70 seatpost.
