It's rare for an unusual technical solution in the cycling world to truly impress me. Usually, "revolutionary" things are either overcomplicated, have questionable functionality, or solve a problem that doesn't exist. This time, however, it's different. I'm not a huge fan of the Cane Creek brand, though I can't fault it either. They make their products, nothing overly pretty or unusual, but they work. And then suddenly it turns out they have a few strange things, including the Cane Creek ViscoSet model, designed for... electric bikes. Who needs headsets designed for electric bikes, you might ask. Have people lost their minds yet? Well, no. At least not everyone.
What is the problem?
Most of the bike and rider's weight rests on the rear wheel. For this reason, they're usually pumped harder. In the case of electric bikes, the rear wheel is additionally burdened by the motor and battery. This can sometimes increase vibrations in the " steering section ," which are normally absorbed by the tire, handlebars, frame, and rider. The lighter the headset, the worse it gets, but you can't turn it too hard, or the bearings will die, and the whole thing will jerk. This effect is sometimes called "shimmy." It usually occurs at certain speeds or when the bike is loaded. Doesn't that sound dangerous? Harmonic vibrations can be so strong that riding becomes a nightmare—you constantly have to grip the handlebars, which "want" to swing around with an amplitude of several centimeters. Riding without holding on is out of the question. This problem also frequently occurs in cargo bikes. That's how we first encountered it—Antymateria's sister brand, URVIS, produces steel cargo bikes in Poland. Annoying vibrations plagued the project from the start, further complicated by the stick-type steering system. However, it turned out that simply installing Cane Creek Viscoset headsets completely eliminated the problem. How is that possible?
Cane Creek ViscoSet has many elements and simple operation
From the outside, they look almost standard. The top section is slightly higher than typical headsets, but honestly, I don't think anyone would notice. Just a standard A-head headset with external cups. There's nothing unusual about the lower bearing, but the magic happens at the top. In the photo, you can see 12 washers, which give the impression of a complex mechanism or combination. However, the ViscoSet is surprisingly simple. Look closely. Half of the washers have outward-facing protrusions, and half inward. The former fit into corresponding slots on the cup collar, while the latter fit into a special ring placed tightly on the steerer tube.
Alternately arranged and coated with a special fluorocarbon grease, they absorb vibrations and make the headset smooth but with a slight drag. By changing the position of the pads, we change the friction, allowing us to tailor the damping to our needs. The more contact surface area between the two types of pads, the stronger the effect. This is achieved by creating two stacks of both types, leaving only one place for the grease to work. Brilliant! Plus, they're durable and easy to service. Weighing just 36 grams more than a standard model of the same design, it's hard to fault them.
ViscoSet has a much wider range of applications than you might expect
The headset was custom-made for a company making electric bikes, but as I mentioned earlier, cargo bikes are also a growing market, where weight distribution, especially unladen, is even more problematic. It turns out, however, that there's no shortage of takers for more traditional bikes, where shimmy isn't a problem. Cane Creek Viscoset is increasingly being used on gravel bikes , where it helps absorb minor vibrations on rough roads, which is especially noticeable over long distances. Overall, I find it more appealing than any elastomer or suspension stems. Rumor has it that some people also use them on endurance road bikes, although the design with external cups poses a significant challenge.
I appreciate it when someone provides a real solution to a specific problem. Especially in a way I certainly wouldn't have thought of. Cane Creek Viscosets aren't needed often, but on those rare occasions, they do their job admirably.
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