Cane Creek Cycling Components https://canecreek.com/ Fri, 26 Jul 2024 19:50:43 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.6 https://canecreek.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/cropped-CaneCreek_Skink_BLACK-32x32.jpg Cane Creek Cycling Components https://canecreek.com/ 32 32 Life’s Too Short for Boring Bikes – An inside look at Will’s new custom painted Starling Murmur https://canecreek.com/lifes-too-short-for-boring-bikes-an-inside-look-at-wills-new-custom-painted-starling-murmur/ Fri, 26 Jul 2024 19:50:43 +0000 https://canecreek.com/?p=87721 Will Hart, Product Marketing Manager About a year and a half ago, I sold what was a very popular and mainstream mountain bike and bought a boutique, handmade frame from a small workshop in the UK. I connected heavily with the people behind Starling Cycles and their all-meat-no-filler approach to building bikes that simply work, […]

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Will Hart, Product Marketing Manager

About a year and a half ago, I sold what was a very popular and mainstream mountain bike and bought a boutique, handmade frame from a small workshop in the UK. I connected heavily with the people behind Starling Cycles and their all-meat-no-filler approach to building bikes that simply work, day in and day out, with minimal fuss. Their bikes also had character and style – a unique sense of personality that is increasingly hard to find in the massive, industry-leading brands. Simply put, I like the way steel bikes look and feel. Since it’s my full-time job and my primary pastime, bikes literally occupy most of my waking hours on this planet, and I’ve come to appreciate ones that simply get the job done and don’t require babying or time-consuming maintenance. For example, the Starling Murmur’s pivot bearings are held in with pinch bolts, similar to how your stem holds on to your steerer tube. When the bearings need replacing, simply loosen the bolts and the bearings pop out with your thumbs. For real… 

It’s a bicycle – not a space ship – and fixing it can be that easy.  

Furthermore, it rides GREAT. I’ve checked off more personal mtb goals on this bike than I ever thought possible. And no – a professional racer probably wouldn’t like it.  

I’ve had this Starling Murmur for about a year and a half at this point. For the first year of its life it looked like this ^ 

One of the nifty upsides of steel frames is that they’re relatively easy to repaint. Over the last few years, an old bike shop friend of mine from Richmond, VA has been developing a bicycle frame painting business on the side of other full-time pursuits. The intricacy of Grant’s paint work has really started to take off and after seeing some photos of recent projects of his, I knew it was time for a full refresh on the Murmur.

Around the same time, I was able to snag a set of the super hot, limited edition purple Hayes Dominion A4 brakes. The Dominions are my favorite that I’ve tried thus far and these are the second set of Hayes brakes that I now own. As soon as I got the purple brakes, I snapped a picture and sent them to Grant.  

My text message to Grant read: “Make these things POP.” 

Grant responded simply with nothing but the ‘handshake’ emoji.  

I stripped the frame down, sad to see my primary bike out of commission for a while, but equally eager to see it get reborn.  

I gave Grant the idea that I wanted some sort of white to purple fade (to match the brakes) and we discussed gold as a possible accent color to highlight some of the accents on our shocks and 110 bottom bracket. 

I was not prepared for what I would get back a little over a month later.   

 

My friend Grant: Cyclist, photographer, musician, and now frame painter. Grant is one of the more prolifically creative people I know. Richmond, VA
The cell phone photo that started it all...

Using a painstaking, handbrushed alcohol ink process, Grant turned this simple bike frame into a rolling piece of modern art. Grant’s description of the process:  

“I had the old paint sandblasted, then I painted the front triangle white and started painting with purple alcohol inks to get the watery look. 

It’s a process you can do with a paint brush and a little handheld air blower to move the inks around before they dry. Alcohol inks can be re-wettened, so you have a lot of time to move them around to get them to look the way you want.” 

    – Grant Fanning

The Finished Product...

Voila!

                                                                                                             Stunning. I’ve never seen anything like it.

Details of the Build…

eeWings are the only crank choice for a bike like this; they’re as bombproof as the frame itself. This bike build does wheelies over the graves of carbon fiber counterparts.  

Drivetrain wise, Sram X01 Eagle mechanical works very well. Call me a luddite, but please don’t make me have to charge and monitor battery life on one more freaking thing!  Here, I’ve paired the X01 shifter and derailleur with a cassette from the Polish brand, Garbaruk. Their cassettes are fully machined and incredibly lightweight without being exhorbitantly expensive.  

Our company (under the name Dia-Compe USA at the time) introduced the modern threadless bicycle headset to the world in 1992. None of us would be here at Cane Creek without this humble, yet industry-altering innovation. My Murmur continues the legacy with a 110 headset, of course. Luxurious, high polish finish, stainless steel Hellbender bearings, and a 100% lifetime guarantee. 

If you were a kid in the 90’s, you probably remember the popular ‘I Spy book series, where you had to hunt for specific tiny items, hidden in a sea of random clutter. I like to imagine that Grant hid a bunch of small white starling birds in the paintwork so that if you get tired mid-ride, you can always take a break and see how many little Starlings you can find…

How many can you find in this entire article? 

Fun fact: A group of Starlings is called a ‘murmur.’ 

Starling builds their front triangles in Bristol, UK using legendary Reynolds 853 tubing. As far as steel goes, it’s very light and strong stuff. Starling uses brazing to join the tubes instead of TIG welding. They say the lower heat and bigger surface area of the joint produces one that’s more flexible (in a good way) and less likely to warp the tubing and cause misalignment issues. Plus, brazing is just classic and cool from a traditional framebuilding perspective.

                                                                                                                 “Jet fuel can’t melt steel bikes”

                                                   This sticker was given to me by another steel bike hipster at a recent bike festival. #Helmyeah!  Stick it to the man. 

Our Tigon air-charged coil shock is almost tailor made for this frame. Tigon’s ability to offer amazing small bump sensitivity (aka GRIP) along with the bottomless feel and support of an air shock squashes a lot of possible criticisms of the simple, single pivot suspension design.  

A simple formula:  

(Starling + Tigon) = (cool & easy bike to live with + great suspension characteristics)  

Closing Thoughts…

I’ve owned lots of mainstream, big brand bikes and they’re great! There’s no argument to be made that countless R&D hours and massive amounts of development time, money, and care went into them. But at the end of the day, something like this Starling gets me and most others that see the bike far more excited. I see this every time I’m out riding.

“Is that handmade?”

“Is that custom?”

“Wow, what kind of bike is that?”

It’s fun to see the curiosity in people’s eyes when they see something that’s out of the ordinary. Kids, adults, you name it. That childish sense of ‘WOW factor’ is often lost on mainstream products approximately 3 weeks after they’re released and that’s the cost of mass-popularization and homogeny.

I’m not saying this bike is better than a mass-produced one. I’m not saying steel is unequivicolly better than carbon. I’m not even saying you have to build something completely custom to have fun playing bikes.    

What I hope this build instills in people is a realization that you don’t have to like what everyone else likes. You don’t need to buy what top professionals use to have a good time. All you need is a bike that works and works well, consistently. Durable, reliable components are at the core of this.

Perhaps this build will make another rider feel like they can have the confidence to think for themselves as well. Dream up something wild, I dare you.

You can start small by ditching your cheap plastic crank preloader.

Check out Starling’s handmade bikes here : https://www.starlingcycles.com/

Follow Grant’s artwork and bicycle escapades here, or hire him to paint your frame : https://www.instagram.com/gratstagram/

Go ride your own bike to the spots these photos were taken : https://www.trailforks.com/trails/big-rock-trail-7362/

https://www.trailforks.com/trails/corn-mill-shoals-trail/

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Cane Creek & Industry Nine – Ride Rock Creek Takeover https://canecreek.com/cane-creek-industry-nine-ride-rock-creek-takeover/ Mon, 22 Jul 2024 18:28:10 +0000 https://canecreek.com/?p=87642 Rock Creek Bike Park: 298 W Rock Creek Rd, Zirconia, NC 28790 Lets ride! Monday September 16th, 2024 Join us for an exciting day at Rock Creek Bike Park! This special event is your chance to ride Rock Creek, demo top-tier products, enjoy exclusive hands-on experiences, and take advantage of great purchase incentives. RSVP now! […]

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Rock Creek Bike Park: 298 W Rock Creek Rd, Zirconia, NC 28790

Lets ride!

Monday September 16th, 2024

Join us for an exciting day at Rock Creek Bike Park!

This special event is your chance to ride Rock Creek, demo top-tier products, enjoy exclusive hands-on experiences, and take advantage of great purchase incentives. RSVP now!

Event Highlights:
– Demo Products: Try out the latest components from Industry Nine & Cane Creek.
– Hands-On Experience: Get up close and personal with products.
– Exclusive Incentives: Special offers for on-site purchases.
– Free and discounted entry available!
– RSVP to secure your spot in advance
– Connect with Us: Meet the teams from Industry Nine and Cane Creek.

Location: Rock Creek Bike Park – 298 W Rock Creek Rd, Zirconia, NC 28790

Event Details:
– Date: Monday September 16th, 2024 
– Time: 2:00pm – 8:00pm (last demo back at 7:00pm) 
– Park Access / Shuttles
– Free entry to riders with both Cane Creek and I9 products*
– $20 to riders with either CC or I9 products*
– $20 for pre-registered CC/I9 Demo’s (limited availability) 
– $45 all other riders
– Additional day-of Revel mountain bike demo opportunities on site thanks to Gravelo Workshop

*Products eligible for discounted or free entry include: 
Cane Creek suspension, eeWings cranks and/or Industry Nine wheels (must be currently installed on bike)

Don’t Miss Out!
Whether rain or shine, we promise an unforgettable experience. So, mark your calendars and
get ready for a day of fun, adventure, and great company.

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Being Frank: Corduroy Riding In Marin https://canecreek.com/being-frank-corduroy-riding-in-marin/ Wed, 19 Jun 2024 19:11:52 +0000 https://canecreek.com/?p=86758 Brent Graves – CEO & President June 2024 Right before we launched the all-new V-Link full suspension bike at Diamondback in 1995, I convinced my boss that my product manager and I should take a road trip to Northern California to visit bicycle dealers and show off the new bike. While we did do some […]

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Brent Graves - CEO & President

June 2024

Right before we launched the all-new V-Link full suspension bike at Diamondback in 1995, I convinced my boss that my product manager and I should take a road trip to Northern California to visit bicycle dealers and show off the new bike. While we did do some of that, the trip was more fun than work as we got to ride some great trails with some great people. The pinnacle of the trip was riding with WTB co-founder and designer extraordinaire Charlie Cunningham. 

Up to the mid-90s WTB was more a design consulting business than a component brand. The guys at WTB had created and implemented a host of ideas like Grease Guard for SunTour. They had also been designing mountain bike tires for Specialized. The three WTB guys, Steve Potts, Mark Slate, and Charlie Cunningham, are absolute legends in mountain bike development and were key characters in the opening act of mountain biking in Marin County 40+ years ago.

When a new partner joined WTB, the group started to focus on their own products. My product manager, Chris Hilton, was taken with their new saddle and tires, but even more he was obsessed with the culture and lore of WTB. So when we started planning our trip, he reached out to WTB with the hopes of a short meeting – we ended up getting a bit more than that.

The day that we were slated to meet with WTB started with a ride in trails above Redwood City, CA with early Sea Otter promoter Rick Sutton, and the memorable moments started from the beginning. Coming from riding the sun-baked dust-covered hardpack trails of SoCal, the loamy tree-shaded trails of NorCal were as different as beer and bourbon – both intoxicating, but very different. Though the ride was a treat, the first big memory was of following Rick’s van down a steep, twisty road faster than a couple of vans had any right to be traveling. We had our bikes in our van, but Rick’s bike was on top of his van. Chris and I were laughing at the abuse Rick’s bike was taking from tree limbs hanging over the road when all of a sudden a massive limb knocks Rick’s bike loose to slam into the side of his van. It was like King Kong swatting a pesky zoo keeper from his path. Unfazed, Rick re-mounted his bike and pointed us towards his favorite taqueria.

While the morning temperature up on the ridge above Redwood City had been cool and comfortable, down in the valley it was baking. We made two mega sized burritos disappear in the heat and then headed for the Golden Gate Bridge and Marin County beyond. When we got to Charlie’s place, the ride, food, and heat had us thinking about a nap. However, entering the world of Charlie Cunningham snapped our minds, if not our bodies, back to attention. Charlie was an absolutely amazing guy – he was like a mad scientist with the enthusiasm and inquiring innocence of a 12-year old bird watcher. Additionally, Charlie’s impact on mountain bike design and function reverberates to this day. I cannot do justice to his contributions, but this article provides a glimpse of Charlie’s genius: https://theradavist.com/charlie-cunningham-2012-29er/

So we headed out on a ride, with Charlie in his normal riding attire: tan corduroy pants that had been ripped and sewn back together in numerous places, a long sleeved white button down shirt, a massive fanny pack (called a hip pack these days) and if I remember correctly, a Bell V1 Pro helmet. Did I say it was hot? It was then over 100 degrees, and Charlie was dressed for a different climate altogether. And then… Charlie took off at light speed! Chris poked my competitive spot by jeering “are you going to let the old man drop you?” Mind you that “old man” was much younger than I am now, but nonetheless he had considerable years on us. So there we went in the heat with bulging stomachs chasing Charlie Cunningham up and down the fire roads and single track of Marin County!

Eventually we emerged on a grassy peak with an unbelievable view of the Pacific Ocean. We followed Charlie’s lead by dismounting and finding a spot in the grass. It seemed like a surreal moment: two young rednecks turned mountain bikers basking in the glow of a ride with legend Charlie Cunningham in the birthplace of mountain biking. But when Charlie started digging into his pack, Chris and I just knew Charlie was going to pull out some crazy recreational drug apparatus. Then we got a last surprise of the amazing day when out came a super pimp pair of binoculars to better take in the ocean and surrounding hills.

The bike has given me nearly everything in my life, and experiences like the one with Charlie and Chris nearly 30 years ago is just one invaluable example.

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Introducing Our Next Limited Edition eeBrake: Tie-Dye II https://canecreek.com/introducing-our-next-limited-edition-eebrake-tie-dye-ii/ Tue, 18 Jun 2024 12:27:03 +0000 https://canecreek.com/?p=86699 Our newest limited edition brake – Tie-Dye II combines six bold colors to create the ultimate statement piece. Known for their extraordinary stopping power, incredible adjustability and striking design, eeBrakes are also half the weight of their competitors – truly setting them apart in the world of performance. eeBrakes are a collaboration between acclaimed component […]

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Our newest limited edition brake – Tie-Dye II combines six bold colors to create the ultimate statement piece.

Known for their extraordinary stopping power, incredible adjustability and striking design, eeBrakes are also half the weight of their competitors – truly setting them apart in the world of performance.

eeBrakes are a collaboration between acclaimed component designer Craig Edwards and Cane Creek. They are assembled by hand in our facility just outside of Asheville, North Carolina.

We have released two limited edition eeBrakes per year since 2017, each limited to a small quantity. The brakes have become a favorite for custom builders and enthusiasts looking to add character and stopping power to their bikes.

Tie-Dye II brakes are sold as a set of 2 (front & rear).

There will only be 200 sets made.

 

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Introducing: Galaxy Limited Edition eeWings and Helm MKII https://canecreek.com/introducing-galaxy-limited-edition-eewings-and-helm-mkii/ Tue, 11 Jun 2024 11:44:44 +0000 https://canecreek.com/?p=86458 Cane Creek is excited to introduce their next Limited Edition Helm MKII and eeWings Cranks, Galaxy. The Galaxy Helm MKII casting and Galaxy eeWings are painted with a holographic ultraviolet glitter that gives a brilliant color changing effect. The brilliant and prismatic paint, activated best by direct sunlight, bears a striking resemblance to the vast […]

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Cane Creek is excited to introduce their next Limited Edition Helm MKII and eeWings Cranks, Galaxy. The Galaxy Helm MKII casting and Galaxy eeWings are painted with a holographic ultraviolet glitter that gives a brilliant color changing effect. The brilliant and prismatic paint, activated best by direct sunlight, bears a striking resemblance to the vast array of twinkling stars that make up the cosmos. 

Helm MKII Galaxy is available in 29-inch wheel, Air or Coil, 160mm travel with a 44mm offset. All Helm MKII forks are easily travel-adjusted at home. eeWings Galaxy are available in extremely limited quantities in eeWings MTN 165 and 170 and eeWings All-Road 170 and 172.5 and only 100 total cranks will be made.

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Behind the World’s First Gravel Fork: Invert Development Story https://canecreek.com/behind-the-worlds-first-gravel-fork-invert-development-story/ Mon, 22 Apr 2024 20:01:33 +0000 https://canecreek.com/?p=85277 Kyle McNamee, Product Manager As a Product Manager, one of my main responsibilities is to identify opportunities. This can happen in numerous ways: from attending races or group rides, to doing hours of market research, and speaking with other industry professionals. It even includes discussion with other manufacturers. Sometimes discovering these opportunities can happen organically […]

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Kyle McNamee
Kyle McNamee, Product Manager

As a Product Manager, one of my main responsibilities is to identify opportunities. This can happen in numerous ways: from attending races or group rides, to doing hours of market research, and speaking with other industry professionals. It even includes discussion with other manufacturers. Sometimes discovering these opportunities can happen organically while out riding and realizing “hey, what if X did Y better?” Sometimes it’s just a small tweak to something existing, but sometimes it can be something big – something that has potential to change the way people think and more importantly, help them enjoy riding their bike more.

Rider Benefit is something we focus on a lot at Cane Creek, and it is the determining factor in why we make what we make. Asking ourselves “What’s the Rider Benefit?” is how we remain certain that our products will improve your bike and your overall riding experience. We don’t make products just because we can, and we don’t make products only for the sake of racers being able to go marginally faster. We make products because we believe in them, and we believe they will increase your enjoyment when out riding your bike.  

Several years ago, when we began laying out the plan to make a gravel suspension fork, we identified that there were several key factors stopping people from truly entertaining the idea of adding suspension to their gravel bikes. 

Functionality/Rider Benefit 

Whether they know it or not, riders will benefit from added control on gravel. They want something that provides a smooth ride with confidence-inspiring traction and that is quick and easy to provide said benefit. There are forks out there that are simple, but don’t perform all that well for gravel, or have polarizing looks. There are others that perform well but are just too heavy and complicated (visually and functionally.) Like Goldilocks, we wanted Invert to be “just right” for gravel.  I often relate it to carbon wheels. You buy carbon wheels when you want an immediate and noticeable benefit, with limited complexity and immediate setup.  

Simplicity 

Riders also don’t want to fiddle with adjustments to get the benefit they seek. The more minimal the setup, the fewer the knobs – the better! We also identified that sometimes people are often intimidated by the maintenance of a suspension product, so we knew we wanted to make that as easy as possible too. Good bike parts should make the experience of riding your bike more streamlined, not complicate it. 

Weight 

Even if you’re not a “weight weenie”, limiting the addition of weight to your bike is always a priority. One of the more commonly used arguments against suspension for gravel is that it adds unnecessary weight.  

Aesthetics 

Let’s face it, looks matter. Sometimes even more than function. Even if they believe in the benefits of suspension on gravel bikes, most riders are extremely hesitant to bolt a mini mountain bike fork to their sleek, drop bar gravel bike.  

 These four aspects are what we sought to address with Invert. Every fork ever made for drop bar bikes is lacking in one, if not several, of these categories. Collectively, these aspects became known as the “Four Pillars” of our design and informed every decision going forward.  

 If there were to be a ‘proper’ fork for gravel bikes, it should provide a smooth and controlled ride. It should be appropriately lightweight, and visually integrated to match the aesthetic of drop bars. It should also be easy to understand and simple to use. We knew we were on to something when we realized nothing else on the market could check all of these boxes at once.  

DEVELOPMENT

Stage I: Shortened Helm for proof of concept 

The first question to be addressed was “what type of spring should our gravel fork have?” For this early experiment, we cut down some Helm fork internals and set up our trusty mountain bike fork with only 40mm of travel. We rode our 40mm Helms with coil springs, elastomers, and air springs. An elastomer-based fork would indeed be simple, but would it provide the functionality we wanted? Coil forks and shocks are sensitive (would be great for gravel) but that spring type represents a lot of metal and isn’t lightweight. Ultimately, our test riders help settle the decision to go with an air sprung design. In a blind test, they consistently ranked it highest on a specially created rubric where we gathered qualitative feedback on things like suspension sensitivity, weight, descending/cornering confidence, and brake dive.   

Stage II:  The decision to go inverted. 

After our initial ride testing, we began to brainstorm the ideal way to accomplish the 4 key product pillars we were after. Inspiration often comes from the lifestyles we lead. Many of us are passionate motorcycle enthusiasts and know inverted forks on motorcycles are a must-have for premium performance. Frankly, we felt that upside down forks had ‘unfinished business’ in the bicycle world and were curious to see what this layout could offer!   

 The most obvious benefit of the inverted design is that the aesthetics are far better than a traditional fork layout. We also saw that it could offer us the chance to use carbon fiber and build something very light. From a performance side of things, inverted forks reduce unsprung weight. This means that when you hit a bump there isn’t the additional mass of a cast metal lower to push upward and out of the way, leading to harshness felt by the rider. This lower unsprung weight makes inverted forks more sensitive to bumps – great for when you’re riding gravel roads at 15-20+mph. Inverted forks use gravity to keep all the lubricating oil at the bottom of the fork where it matters most, keeping things running smoother for longer. Yet another benefit is mud clearance. Without an arch like those found on the lowers of traditional forks, there is nothing between the tire and the frame to clog with mud in extreme conditions. 

 All in all, the inverted design proved to offer a pathway to achieving our Four Pillars, while also providing some additional, advantageous performance benefits.  

Stage III – “The Mule” 

 At Cane Creek we are lucky to have our own, in-house machine shop, that we use for rapid prototyping. We can make anything from super small, intricate suspension parts – to complete, working prototype forks in relatively short time frames. We quickly decided we needed to build our own working, inverted fork for ride testing and research. While this original version was nowhere near our weight goals, we learned a lot from months of ride testing and iterating with it. We played with everything, from bushing and seal sizing to lockout firmness to the feel of the ‘click’ of the CS button. We would design, machine, build, test and repeat – and we did it a lot. Personally, I rode more than 20 different versions of “the Mule.”  

Stage IV – Putting it all together. 

 Many people will look at Invert and assume that it has one big carbon fiber upper. Aesthetically, this was the goal. However, underneath the paint, it is actually a combination of a carbon CSU (crown steer unit) bonded to machined aluminum tubes. Early in the project we investigated using a full carbon upper, but this proved to be quite difficult since the fork requires perfectly smooth and durable inner surfaces for the internal moving parts to slide on. If the Invert upper were one-piece carbon, we would have had to post-machine the carbon structure. As you can imagine, this is quite difficult and expensive, as well as heavy since the carbon would need to be thick enough to allow machining. Alternatively, we could have bonded aluminum sleeves into the carbon legs. These internal sleeves would have needed to be quite thick to achieve the tolerance needed, meaning that it would also greatly increase the weight of the final upper. 

We pivoted, deciding to construct the entire lower half of the fork from machined aluminum tubes and eliminate the carbon fiber entirely from the fork legs. This novel, hybrid solution achieved the best balance between the weight of the CSU, ease of manufacture, and the ability to hit our desired tolerances while keeping the fork’s cost reasonable. 

 While continuing ride testing and iterating with the Mule, we were also working on what the finish product would look like, because again, looks matter! We designed and evaluated numerous options for the shaping of the CSU (crown-steerer unit, the main visual piece) and lower dropout legs (the two legs at the bottom that move up and down, the nest two largest components). I’m really happy with how the fork turned out visually, and I know others will be as well.  

Stage V – Continued Testing & big decisions 

 Once we had determined our plan for how the larger components were going to be shaped and manufactured, we needed to fatigue test them in our test lab to guarantee the ultimate strength of the fork. This is a crucial step in making sure everything is reliable and safe to ride. (For more information on the ISO fatigue testing we do here at Cane Creek, check out this past blog post written by our Engineering Manager, Lev Wechsler. Rigorous Testing, Exceptional Safety, Cane Creek’s Commitment to Quality)  

 Once the fork had passed ISO, it was time to get riding. A lot of riding. What better test than the largest and most notable gravel race in the world?  

 We knew that Unbound Gravel 2023 would be the ideal initial testing ground for Invert. Reed Mann, our lead design engineer on the project, and myself were the first to put a fully formed Invert through its paces. We knew the race was likely to throw the kitchen sink at our new creation, and it proved to be ideal in evaluating the fork’s performance, traction, durability, and long-distance ride comfort. We came home with zero issues, referring to the experience between ourselves as “Passing the Unbound Test.”  

With a working prototype chassis, we set up yet another round of outside rider testing to gather more feedback. With fresh eyes and legs riding the fork, it was time to focus on finetuning several key characteristics. We tested various versions of the air spring, focusing on finding the ideal spring curve (how progressive is too progressive?) We also gathered more feedback from riders on the Climb Switch functionality. Lastly – we wanted to determine the necessity of including a complex damper in the fork. Mountain bikes benefit greatly from high-performing, adjustable dampers – but was this necessary for gravel? Had anyone stopped to really ask if complex dampers in gravel forks provided real rider benefit to gravel riders? Too much of a good thing is too much, and adding functionality for its own sake (or that of the marketing team) is not a legitimate reason to include something in a well thought out design.  

 With the final round of blind testing done, we came to following conclusions on these questions:  

  1. Riders did not appreciate or consistently notice any kind of damping adjustments. With only 40mm of travel, it is frankly very hard to identify what several ‘clicks’ of low-speed compression adjustment (or any other adjustment) really does for you. The fact of the matter is that the fork is only traveling in the first 5-10mm of its stroke most of the time, and there isn’t the time or velocity for a damper to have much noticeable effect. This solidified the decision to eliminate a damper from the system.  
  1. A linear spring rate makes Invert feel “dead” and give up its travel too easily. Likewise, too much progression has a negative effect, especially for smaller riders. We decided that we would set Invert at a ‘sweet spot’ of spring rate, giving it a moderate amount of progression (bottom out support). This would keep the fork sensitive enough to provide ample traction on washboard roads, but give it the support needed to resist frequent bottom outs. 
  1. Not everyone wants or uses ‘lockouts’ on suspension products. Removing the Climb Switch mechanism would mean less weight, and even more simplicity. This led us to decide to offer an option without the Climb Switch – dubbed Invert SL. It’s for the rider who wants the least intrusive, most minimal and lightweight option – but still captures the core benefits of Invert. The Invert SL spring curve and feel is identical to that of Invert CS. 

 Don’t be scared of service!  

 Having been making premium bicycle suspension for over 20 years, we know full well the importance of suspension service and what it takes to keep suspension moving smoothly. More often than not, riders fail to service suspension on time. It’s a hard thing to keep track of, and often it’s just plain inconvenient. We wanted to eliminate this concern with Invert. Servicing the fork is a simple process of unscrewing the seal heads (the notched aluminum pieces in between the upper and the lower legs) with the common 12 notch, 46mm bottom bracket tool. Once loosened, you simply slide the seal heads down the leg a few inches, drain the splash oil, wipe things clean, add fresh oil, and thread the seal heads back into place. You don’t have to separate the lowers from the upper, or even let the air out to perform this service! It’s almost as easy as lubing your chain or cleaning your bike. 

 “Everything you need, nothing you don’t”  

 As Cane Creek’s Product Manager, and a true Invert fan, I thoroughly believe in the above statement. We worked hard to identify what a gravel rider actually wants and needs and tried to avoid falling back into the status quo set by existing suspension products built for other types of riding. I’m hoping that Invert will open the minds of the ‘gravel suspension hesitant’ and allow people to make their gravel bike the best gravel bike it can be. After all – your gravel bike isn’t a mountain bike, and Invert is not a mountain bike fork. It’s the World’s First Gravel Fork.  

 Cheers to gravel. 

 -Kyle 

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Introducing Invert, The World’s First Gravel Fork https://canecreek.com/introducing-invert-the-worlds-first-gravel-fork/ Mon, 15 Apr 2024 12:27:00 +0000 https://canecreek.com/?p=84997 https://youtu.be/poqJTdh9hS4 Asheville, NC- Invert is the World’s First Gravel Fork. Early in the research and development process, Cane Creek identified four key ‘Pillars’ that would be integral to making the world’s first well-executed gravel fork: A smooth and controlled ride that boosts confidence Lightweight design that does not work against riders Visual design that integrates […]

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Asheville, NC- 

 Invert is the World’s First Gravel Fork. Early in the research and development process, Cane Creek identified four key ‘Pillars’ that would be integral to making the world’s first well-executed gravel fork: 

  1. A smooth and controlled ride that boosts confidence 
  2. Lightweight design that does not work against riders 
  3. Visual design that integrates seamlessly into the drop bar bike’s silhouette 
  4. Simple setup & operation that is not unnecessarily complex  

Until this point, no fork made for drop bars, rigid or otherwise can offer this much rider benefit in one, clean package. This is what it means to truly be a Gravel Fork. 

Riding beyond the pavement can be rough, physically taxing, and unpredictable. Invert goes straight to the source of this problem to offer a smoother ride with more traction, both uphill and down. With Invert, riders will be more efficient, more relaxed and have confidence to glide over gravel like they have never experienced before. 

“Wider gear ranges, tubeless, INVERT: gamechangers! Most times progress is met with hesitation but often becomes the norm. Throughout the development of Invert, our team knew there was a better way, and was vested in making a true, legitimate option for Gravel. Invert is going to change the gravel landscape.”    – Kyle McNamee, Product Manager   

 Cane Creek will offer two models of Invert that will be available this summer – Invert SL and Invert CS. Invert SL and Invert CS differ in two simple ways – A Climb Switch and the amount of available travel.  

Invert CS comes with 40mm of fork travel and a Climb Switch, that when clicked, dramatically reduces the amount of fork movement for pedaling out of the saddle. The Climb Switch button is inspired by the simple click of a pen and is as satisfying to click as the feature is to use.  

Invert SL is a more minimal and lightweight variation, for those that want the least intrusive option, but still want the rider benefit of Invert. It forgoes the Climb Switch mechanism and comes with 30mm of travel. This shorter option may also be preferable to some riders that want to keep their stance on the front of the bike lower. Invert SL weighs less than 1 kilogram.  

Why inverted? This layout proved to be the best path forward for Cane Creek to be able to adhere to the original ‘Four Pillars’ of the design concept. An inverted fork allowed for the lightest weight and most visually integrated design – two crucial aspects gravely missing from the market. It also has other beneficial side effects. The inverted design reduces the mass directly attached to the front wheel which makes it more sensitive and better at actively smoothing the surface below. This is known as reducing the unsprung weight of the system. Inverted forks also use gravity to help keep bushings and seals coated in suspension oil – playing another crucial role in reducing overall friction.  

Lastly, the design leaves more clearance above the tire for riding in mucky conditions and places the wiper seals in an orientation where dirt, grit, and mud will not collect and sit as easily! 

Using Invert is easy. Riders only need a basic shock pump to set the PSI in the air spring to 95% of their body weight. Cane Creek recommends this as a starting point, with further adjustment encouraged, based on rider preference. No other adjustments are necessary. Through blind testing with a variety of riders, Cane Creek decided that complex and wide-ranging damper adjustments simply aren’t needed when considering the minimal travel and primary use case of realistic gravel riding. Invert is everything a rider needs, and nothing they don’t.   

Cane Creek’s all new Invert gravel fork will be available for purchase by early Summer 2024 through retailers, distributors, and factory direct at canecreek.com. Visit canecreek.com to sign up and receive email notification when they are available for purchase. Invert is available in the SL model for $1099.99 and the CS model for $1199.99.  

About Cane Creek Cycling Components 

Cane Creek Cycling Components is a manufacturer of premium cycling products headquartered in Fletcher, NC. The company was founded in 1975 as the North American headquarters of Japanese brake manufacturer Dia-Compe. In 1995 the company was renamed Cane Creek Cycling Components and was subsequently purchased by its employees. Over the years, Cane Creek has introduced several groundbreaking products – including the original threadless headset, the AheadSet – and the revolutionary Double Barrel Shock. 

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Being Frank: Warranty Versus Guarantee https://canecreek.com/being-frank-warranty-versus-guarantee/ Mon, 25 Mar 2024 13:55:14 +0000 https://canecreek.com/?p=84448 Brent Graves – CEO & President March 2024 There is a common misunderstanding between a product warranty and a product guarantee. For consumer products, including bicycles and parts, a warranty states that the product was manufactured without defects in design or workmanship. This is a near universal definition. Warranties do not promise specific use results. […]

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Brent Graves - CEO & President

March 2024

There is a common misunderstanding between a product warranty and a product guarantee. For consumer products, including bicycles and parts, a warranty states that the product was manufactured without defects in design or workmanship. This is a near universal definition. Warranties do not promise specific use results. In essence, a warranty claims that the product was made as intended. Guarantees are usually much more specific, usually promising certain function or performance attributes like, “guaranteed not to rust.”

For the most part, warranties are a marketing tool that are intended to reduce or eliminate buyer anxiety. Marketing teams would like the warranty statement to imply to the buyer that problems will not be encountered, and by extension the buyer will be satisfied. That’s all good until there is a problem and a customer service rep (CSR) has to explain to the customer what the warranty actually covers – defects. This is where it can get tricky, as the customer can easily see a failure as a defect but the company sees it as normal wear-and-tear, improper use, and/or negligent care. In some cases the claim may not be a legit warranty, but for the creation of goodwill the CSR has the product repaired or replaced.

This gap between the customer and company perspectives is not uncommon and sometimes leads to customer frustration that manifests as angry forum posts, trolling, and even lawsuits. Certainly, there are times when a product issue is related to a design or manufacture defect and for whatever reason the company declines to back the product. There are also times where there is no defect, yet the customer has experienced a problem leading to their dissatisfaction. This usually stems from mis-aligned expectations. For example, when I was young many BMX bicycles had stickers applied that stated the warranty would be voided if the bicycle was “used for racing, stunt riding, or jumping.” But those were the very types of riding the we expected to do with the BMX bike!

As stated above, guarantees are making specific promises, and are usually much more valuable to customers. Companies carefully craft guarantee statements to minimize their exposure yet offer what they think the customer will value. Warranties are required by governments, but guarantees are not. Since guarantees are not required and they expose the company to increased liability, guarantees are much less common. Again, marketing departments would like customers to view a warranty as a guarantee – up until the point the customer is dissatisfied and there is no real defect.

(Note: The U.S. requires a 1-year warranty whereas the EU requires 2 years.)

Marketing departments also understand that a longer warranty period is perceived to mean a better quality product. In reality, most true defects show up early in a product’s life cycle. If there is a real defect in design or workmanship, it generally shows up early. So offering a five or ten year warranty does not have as much value as it would seem. In contrast, a longer term guarantee should be more meaningful to the customer.

As it is required, all Cane Creek products have warranties. In addition to government required one- and two-year warranties mentioned above, our cranks for electric MTBs (Electric Wings) have a 5-year warranty, and our cranks for standard MTBs (eeWings) have a 10-year warranty. However, Cane Creek also offers a “100 satisfaction guarantee” on our 110 headsets and 110 bottom brackets. Without conditions we will replace parts if you are not satisfied. This is bold and uncommon, especially for high-wear parts. But what makes this guarantee extremely rare and valuable is that the guarantee covers the bearings! What does that really mean? Well, if you rode your 110 bottom bracket for seven years and put 1,000,000 miles on it and then decided it did not meet your expectations, Cane Creek will replace it. There is no fine print or special conditions. You are satisfied or not. No one anywhere offers a satisfaction guarantee for headset or bottom bracket bearings.

I hope this blog provides you with a better understanding of what warranties and guarantees mean. And if you want absolute peace of mind, look for a guarantee – like what Cane Creek offers with the 110 headset and 110 bottom bracket.

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Cane Creek Announces Their Next Limited Edition eeBrake: The Alchemist https://canecreek.com/cane-creek-announces-their-next-limited-edition-eebrake-the-alchemist/ Tue, 20 Feb 2024 13:18:02 +0000 https://canecreek.com/?p=83301 Cane Creek is proud to announce a new limited edition of their critically-acclaimed eeBrakes – The Alchemist. Cane Creek’s, The Alchemist combines brightly anodized silver and gold parts to create the ultimate road bike adornment. Known for their extraordinary stopping power, incredible adjustability and remarkable control, Cane Creek’s eeBrakes are half the weight of its […]

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Cane Creek is proud to announce a new limited edition of their critically-acclaimed eeBrakes – The Alchemist. Cane Creek’s, The Alchemist combines brightly anodized silver and gold parts to create the ultimate road bike adornment.  

 Known for their extraordinary stopping power, incredible adjustability and remarkable control, Cane Creek’s eeBrakes are half the weight of its competitors and continue to set new standards by which all other high-performance rim brakes are judged.  

eeBrakes are an ultra-light, high-performance, rim brake developed by acclaimed component designer Craig Edwards and are assembled by hand in Cane Creek’s facility just outside of Asheville, North Carolina. 

Cane Creek has released two limited edition eeBrakes per year since 2017, each limited to a small quantity. The brakes have become a favorite for custom builders and enthusiasts looking to add character, and stopping power to their bikes. The striking colors and the limited number of brakes produced have made them highly sought-after products over the past several years. 

 The Alchemist eeBrakes are available while supplies last. Starting Tuesday, February 20th and the brakes will be sold exclusively in sets of two with a retail price of $779.99 per set while supplies last with shipments expected to begin in February 2024. 

About Cane Creek Cycling Components 

Cane Creek Cycling Components is a manufacturer of premium cycling products headquartered in Fletcher, NC. The company was founded in 1974 as the North American headquarters of Japanese brake manufacturer Dia-Compe. In 1996 the company was renamed Cane Creek Cycling Components and was subsequently purchased by its employees. Over the years, Cane Creek has introduced several groundbreaking products – including the original AheadSet threadless headset and the revolutionary Double Barrel Shock. 

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Rigorous Testing, Exceptional Safety: Cane Creek’s Commitment to Quality https://canecreek.com/rigorous-testing-exceptional-safety/ Thu, 15 Feb 2024 19:22:31 +0000 https://canecreek.com/?p=83193 Lev Wechsler – Engineering Manager February 2024 Safety is paramount when riding a bicycle. Cane Creek Cycling Components designs and develops bicycle components with product safety in mind. To accomplish this, we test our products to standards set by various institutions as well as our own Cane Creek standards. Our internal standards often exceed the […]

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Lev Wechsler - Engineering Manager

February 2024

Safety is paramount when riding a bicycle. Cane Creek Cycling Components designs and develops bicycle components with product safety in mind. To accomplish this, we test our products to standards set by various institutions as well as our own Cane Creek standards. Our internal standards often exceed the minimum compliance standard set by these institutions because we insist on engineering and developing premium products.

ISO (International Organization for Standardization) 4210 is one of the most widely accepted minimum compliance standard for bicycles. Each bicycle component has its own set of tests that it must surpass for certification. EN 15194 is a European standard specifically for electric bicycles. EN 14766 is another European standard that specifies safety and performance requirements for the design, assembly, and testing of bicycles and sub-assemblies for off-road, rough-terrain use.

Presently, it is not USA federal law to test to ISO 4210. Since Cane Creek sells products globally, we ensure that our products are tested to ISO, EN, and internal standards to be compliant and guarantee confidence in our product offerings. In addition to performing ISO and EN tests, Cane Creek engineers develop and perform their own tests to determine stiffness, durability, and other performance behaviors. We attach data acquisition instruments to bicycles outfitted with products that are under development. This allows us to ride a trail or road of interest and capture the forces applied to the product that is being designed. With this data, we can replicate the cycling of forces in our R&D lab thousands of times. This accelerates our testing procedures by achieving thousands of “rides” in the time it would take us to ride a particular trail or road a handful of times.

Tigon Service - Gas Leak Dunk Test
Cane Creek Coil IL - Testing Adjustors

Another institution that sets regulations on bicycle products is the CPSC (Consumer Product Safety Commission). They laid out standards and test requirements for bicycles in the 1970’s, however these were initially written for steel bicycles without disc brakes. Since then, there are many types of bicycles and bicycle components on the market comprised of aluminum, carbon fiber, titanium, elastomers, batteries, motors, integrated shift/brake levers, etc. that the CPSC regulations do not address. ASTM (American Society for Testing and Materials) also has a set of regulations pertaining to bicycles. With multiple institutions around the world setting testing requirements and having different laws within each country that Cane Creeks sells products in, we choose to test to the strictest requirements. National and global regulations will adjust over time, so Cane Creek continues to design and engineer new products that meet and often surpass the testing requirements set by the toughest standards.  

During product development at Cane Creek, the engineering team tests prototypes as well as final production parts and records results as dictated by the strictest known regulations. After this is accomplished, testing will continue until the product fails. This includes force loading a crank set until a crank arm breaks or dropping weight on a fork until its structure fails. It is valuable to record when this occurs and understand which area of a product failed first. As long as this failure happens after the minimum testing requirement set by international standards and Cane Creek’s internal standard, we can deem the product robust, strong, and safe for sale. We do this all for the safety of our customers and desire to deliver premium products built with craftsmanship.

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