2bridges1bike

Hi All

i have a wahoo kickr bike, the handlebars slips lowering my stack height as I ride. I already applied silicone lubricant to the collar per tech support instructions. Which should I try next polylube or assembly paste? I know assembly paste works better but I share the bike with my wife and I worry the extra grit from the assembly paste will wear out the handlebar collar and stem over time

thanks!

ingo

none of the Wahoo suggested solutions worked for me. Rather than return the bars and clamp I put a plastic spacer under the stem to stop it from slipping down. The spacer is made from 1" PVC pipe cut to length and split lengthwise to go around the steerer tube. You will need two spacers for the different stack heights.

Ed Wiser

I removed the handle bars and then tighten the quick release till I could just close it and left it over night. The tubing they use on the. Ike is just thick enough that the quick release doesn’t deflect the tubing enough. Once I did the above I have never had a problem in a year of daily use.

2bridges1bike

thanks, after reading this I joined the kickr fb group, someone designed a spacer which can be 3D printed. But this is much easier

2bridges1bike

Ive already tried that, I am going to repeat the process with a binder bolt and see if it helps.

spelger

for such an expensive piece of machinery this should not be happening.

Ed Wiser

The metal is pretty stiff. They made the frame out of thick metal. An they wanted it to be easy to change between riders. Some people use a split collar with a bolt and ratchet wrench to tighten an bend the tube.
As for the comment about expensive. I have about 10 different bikes profiles on my bike for different routes. An can switch between them during a ride. Also have Shimano,Campagnolo and SRAM shifting. Once this is adjusted users don’t have many issues with the bike. I don’t know anything in the world that doesn’t have some problems.

2bridges1bike

I agree, unfortunately all of the “adjustable” bikes have there issues. I still think this is the best one on the market, and definitely has the best feel. The tilt feature really does add variety and makes indoor riding more enjoyable.

I should be able to sort this out, as others have. Fwiw wahoo has offered to warranty replace the entire bike if I can’t get this sorted. This is still easier than dealing with a bike / trainer and maintain ing an entire drive train.

surak

You're not supposed to leave the lube on after tightening the QR collar overnight, you're supposed to clean it off and apply fiber paste.​​​​​

2bridges1bike

I did wipe off the lube, tech support did not mention fiber paste but I am going to try that. I switch the height of the handle bars everyday as both my wife and I use it. Will the added grit of the fiber paste wear down the handle bar stem and collar overtime?

surak

I wouldn't worry about it, the paste isn't strong enough to grind down metal. More likely the QR will break well and Wahoo will send you their official fix (which is a nut and bolt, last I checked).

Ed Wiser

You can also replace the quick release bolt with a regular Allen head bolt and a nut. This will give you more toque.

2bridges1bike

yes, I am going to try this. It will be much easier to use a ratchet ona bolt than messing around with that qr. I’ve had to use a plastic tire level to loosen it because it gets too tight.

Sy Reene

Maybe a tightened hose clamp in between?

PeteHski

I would try carbon assembly paste. No way will that wear out the metal parts over time! Even if you deliberately attempted to sand through the tube it would take forever. A bit of assembly paste might leave a few cosmetic hairline scratches, but nothing worse and more importantly I think it will stop it from slipping.

PeteHski

I think this will work too, but there's far more chance of doing some damage than using assembly paste if you start ranting on the wrench to get it tight enough. I would class this as a bit of a bodge IF you have to go well over the recommended torque for the bolt size, which you probably will if the QR is still slipping when really tight. Increased friction is what you want here, not excessive clamping force. Hence the assembly paste solution being preferable.