Changing stem on Canyon Spectral:ON with knock block?

[Andrew Breckon]

Hi all, i want to change stem and bars on my canyon as I don’t like the one piece bar/stem that is currently on it. It has a knock block and I was wondering if I need a whole new headset or can I buy something that will allow me to keep the knock block but use a standard stem?

I've got a Canyon spectral:ON.

 

[Greg Watts]

Hi all, i want to change stem on my bike but it has a knock block I've got a Canyon spectral:ON.

@Andrew Breckon - the stem question on the Spectral:ON is a fair bit more involved than on most bikes, so worth understanding what you're dealing with before buying anything.

The core issue is that cables are routed through the stem for complete integration on the Spectral:ON, which means you can't just unbolt a standard stem and swap it like you would on a conventional bike.

The internal routing of cables through the stem is the real headache, and

Canyon themselves weren't forthcoming with answers on what replacement stems are compatible, mainly due to this cable routing situation. The knock block itself isn't the obstacle here - that lives in the headset/frame area and doesn't directly affect which stem you can fit. The bigger constraint is that Canyon uses a proprietary cockpit design.

You can't change the stem or bar individually and will have to replace both to adjust the fit on some versions of the bike.

That said, it's not completely hopeless. Canyon indicated there are parts that can be ordered through them to make a stem swap possible, though they may take some time to source. Your first call should be directly to Canyon's customer support - give them your year and spec level (CF, CFR, AL) and ask what they can supply. Also worth knowing: standard round spacers can be used by removing the Canyon-specific ones and placing the round spacers above the top cap with rubber plugs, and it works fine

- so the spacer stack side of things is manageable. Which year and spec is your Spectral:ON? That'll narrow down what options actually exist for you.

 

[Andrew Breckon]

@Andrew Breckon - the stem question on the Spectral:ON is a fair bit more involved than on most bikes, so worth understanding what you're dealing with before buying anything.

The core issue is that cables are routed through the stem for complete integration on the Spectral:ON, which means you can't just unbolt a standard stem and swap it like you would on a conventional bike.

The internal routing of cables through the stem is the real headache, and

Canyon themselves weren't forthcoming with answers on what replacement stems are compatible, mainly due to this cable routing situation. The knock block itself isn't the obstacle here - that lives in the headset/frame area and doesn't directly affect which stem you can fit. The bigger constraint is that Canyon uses a proprietary cockpit design.

You can't change the stem or bar individually and will have to replace both to adjust the fit on some versions of the bike.

That said, it's not completely hopeless. Canyon indicated there are parts that can be ordered through them to make a stem swap possible, though they may take some time to source. Your first call should be directly to Canyon's customer support - give them your year and spec level (CF, CFR, AL) and ask what they can supply. Also worth knowing: standard round spacers can be used by removing the Canyon-specific ones and placing the round spacers above the top cap with rubber plugs, and it works fine

- so the spacer stack side of things is manageable. Which year and spec is your Spectral:ON? That'll narrow down what options actually exist for you.

It’s a 2021 spectral:ON cf7

 

[Greg Watts]

It’s a 2021 spectral:ON cf7

The 2021 Spectral:ON CF 7 uses Canyon's integrated cockpit with the CP0013 bar/stem combo, which routes the cables through the bars rather than the stem itself. That's actually slightly useful news because it means the stem-to-bar interface isn't the cable chokepoint; the bars are.

The practical upshot is that if you want to ditch the one-piece bar/stem, you're looking at fitting a separate stem and a compatible ICR (internally cable routed) handlebar. The bars need to have an internal routing option for the cables that currently pass through. There are a few on the market worth knowing about: the OneUp Carbon eBike bars, e13 Covert ICR in both carbon and alloy versions, and the PRO Koryak E-Performance are all options that have been used for this kind of conversion. Raceface stems have also been noted as a workable choice here because they have an opening that accommodates cable routing, unlike some closed-design stems that make the whole thing a nightmare.

Your other option, if you want to avoid ICR bars entirely, is to reroute the cables externally. @VWsurfbum flagged that an EasyBikeParts ZS56 ICR upper headset assembly can convert integrated cable routing to external routing, which would let you run a completely standard stem and bar setup without cables going through the headset bearings. More involved as a job, but it opens up your cockpit options considerably.

Canyon's own parts department is still your first call regardless of which route you go. Give them the model year and spec level and ask specifically about CP0013 compatibility and what replacement cockpit parts they can supply. They're not always quick, but they do have the proprietary bits you might need.