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Cane Creek Viscoset?!

MikeD

Leader and Demogogue of the Ridemonkey Satinists
Oct 26, 2001
11,669
1,713
chez moi
Anyone seen this? The latest attempt at a bicycle steering damper, apparently intended for e-bikes and bikepackers... I remember a few tries at dampers before, but nothing that stuck around. People always lauded them when they tested them, though. (Then again what media outlet doesn't laud every new product?) I like them for motorcycles, but motos and bicycles are of course a different use case.

This seems like an inexpensive, simple way to do it...apparently they have a set of interleaving plates set similar to a motorcycle clutch which provide the friction, keeping the whole thing internal to the headset. They only run smooth because of grease, though, so there's another occasional repack situation. I still kinda wonder if it's worthy trying out for general riding.
 

StiHacka

Compensating for something
Jan 4, 2013
21,560
12,504
In hell. Welcome!
Just curious, do you actually use it for this purpose? I bought the 767A for a different purpose (damping of a joystick), but I use it as a "glue-like-lubricant" for parts that I don't want to move much or at all. I suspect that if you packed your headset bearings with it, it would take you a LOT of effort to move the handlebar.
 

Westy

the teste
Nov 22, 2002
54,225
20,003
Sleazattle
Just curious, do you actually use it for this purpose? I bought the 767A for a different purpose (damping of a joystick), but I use it as a "glue-like-lubricant" for parts that I don't want to move much or at all. I suspect that if you packed your headset bearings with it, it would take you a LOT of effort to move the handlebar.
I have not. I have used it to prevent squeaks and rattle in my car's interior. Would certainly require some experimenting to get the amount right for a steering damper.

But I would also question the need for a steering damper on a modern bike. Bigger wheels, slacker geometry, and stiffer frames have made head shake a non issue IMO. Why it seems to be marketed towards eebikes and bikepacking.
 
Just curious, do you actually use it for this purpose? I bought the 767A for a different purpose (damping of a joystick), but I use it as a "glue-like-lubricant" for parts that I don't want to move much or at all. I suspect that if you packed your headset bearings with it, it would take you a LOT of effort to move the handlebar.
Not given that your bars are effectively a couple of 15" levers, one in each hand...
 

Jm_

sled dog's bollocks
Jan 14, 2002
18,850
9,556
AK
I have not. I have used it to prevent squeaks and rattle in my car's interior. Would certainly require some experimenting to get the amount right for a steering damper.

But I would also question the need for a steering damper on a modern bike. Bigger wheels, slacker geometry, and stiffer frames have made head shake a non issue IMO. Why it seems to be marketed towards eebikes and bikepacking.
Basically one guy, Mike C, says they are required for his fat-bike riding. I can see a little validity there, keeping the front wheel straight in soft conditions on a narrow track can become damn impossible, especially trying to start, your wheel constantly tries to go left and right as you try to get some forward momentum and hop on the bike at the same time. But this is also a good indicator that trying to ride in said conditions is a bad idea. It usually means a lot of dismounts and mounts, that chew up time and wreck your body. I was riding on some singletrack in Fairbanks the other week and thinking, "maybe that would be a good idea for this trail", but more I was thinking "this is a pretty shitty singletrack that wasn't designed right". I love the narrow stuff, but they failed to account for how the rear wheel tracks inside of the front on a turn and how you might like to stray to the edges to get a little aggressive. Their singletracks were basically a 1' wide packed surface, so you had to ride exactly in the middle, like a skinny, and if you strayed to the edge or rode a sharp turn, you'd slide off into deep snow. Basically it wasn't very fun because you couldn't ride it very aggressively. I'm not buying a damper headset for that either. Hell, it already feels like you are riding/steering drunk on a fatbike, so the last thing I want to do is slow it down even more.