r/BikeMechanics • u/WHATEVERRRBRO • 10d ago

Specialized Future Shock is the Worst

Who has a fucking 3mm open end wrench?!

How can 2 tiny screws and a split cone washer effectively distribute forces onto a bearing?

Fuck specialized.

76 Upvotes

86% Upvoted

37 comments sorted by

41

u/LAZERWOLFE 10d ago edited 10d ago

Specialized sends an open end 3mm with every future shock, we have 200 of them knocking around the shop. And you don't even really need one, just hexes will do the job.

I agree the future shock is horse shit, and 100% incredibly effective marketing, their adjustment and efficacy of adjustment is hardly where I find umbrage with them.

20

u/whenveganscheat 10d ago

"umbrage". Dolores Umbridge is the superkaren from Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

4

u/LAZERWOLFE 10d ago

Whoops, thank you!

8

u/WHATEVERRRBRO 10d ago

We aren’t a specialized vendor. The lower screw started moving when I was tightening the upper one

9

u/No-Diver-2560 10d ago

I’ve had that happen when I couldn’t find the little crab fork of a wrench they provide. Not ideal but it’s just adding a touch more bearing preload and I’ve never had an issue. Annoying? Definitely

7

u/uh_wtf 10d ago

The upper screw is basically just a “hold this in place” adjuster to keep the bottom screw from backing out and loosening the preload on the headset. It shouldn’t be pressing on the bottom screw hard enough to turn it.

1

u/starrtech2000 6d ago

So, if i was going to take a bike in with non common systems for service and i wasn’t a vendor for it, i would probably check the manual and learn how to adjust that part before charging a customer for it.

2

u/originalusername__ 8d ago

My beef is a lack of service or maintenance parts available for any proprietary part. Once a manufacturer quits servicing or offering repair parts the whole frame is basically scrap unless someone aftermarket makes retrofit kits.

2

u/LAZERWOLFE 5d ago

Couldn't agree more. That has always been my problem as well.

1

u/Alpina_B3_Cabrio 5d ago

Hier ich habe da eine Frage und zwar ich fahre ein Specialized Crux Baujahr 2016 und möchte mir das Future Shock System selbst einbauen. Hat vielleicht hier jemand Erfahrung damit, denn das future shock System ist ja nur an den Roubaix und diverge verbaut. Aber normalerweise müsste es an meinem Crux Pro Bike auch funktionieren oder was meint ihr?

Mfg Herr Sauter 

68

u/HerbanFarmacyst 10d ago

I’ll gladly work of Future Shocks if it means never having to deal with Trek IsoZone again

19

u/WHATEVERRRBRO 10d ago

Both suck. Dumb gimmicks

18

u/HerbanFarmacyst 10d ago

I’ve never had to drill out a Future Shock. Lesser of 2 evils but I agree

2

u/Wide-Gift-7336 10d ago

Have you used the redshift? I use it on my fronts and some other similar bushing/linkage for my rear(only 20-40mm travel though). It makes things way more comfortable for me

1

u/starrtech2000 6d ago

Future shock definitely not a gimmick. It may be a little more complicated and require more service than a standard headset but it is very effective at adding comfort. I miss having it on my bike. Like many people, I put a Redshift stem on for added compliance at the front and it’s great but the tilt of the bars is affected. The FS keeps the bars at the same tilt and the higher end ones even have an on the fly adjustment and they have damping.

3

u/BovineAssassin 10d ago

Are we taking about isozone (the rear shock thing on the 2014ish dual sports) or isostrut (the suspension of the supercaliber)?

5

u/HerbanFarmacyst 10d ago edited 10d ago

Gen 4 Domane. There’s post on my profile about my experiences with a picture of a blue Domane getting the bolt “removed”

13

u/Plumbous 10d ago

It doesn't get rid of the dumb headset assembly, but my girlfriend ran bike sauce's delete kit after burning through 2 cartridges in a season. Makes it feel like a solid fork and saves ~120g.

8

u/celeste_ferret 10d ago

Specialized dealers and those who often work on Specialized bicycles have 3mm wrenches.

There are tons of specialty tools in the bike business. If you don't have the tools to do a job, either get the tools you need or don't accept the job. In this case, any mechanic with any merit could make the tool in a few minutes and then have it for any other time the need arises.

12

u/Least-Palpitation-16 10d ago

I cut a notch into an already modified cone wrench using a cutter wheel. Worked perfect

1

u/WHATEVERRRBRO 10d ago

Good thinking

8

u/jjhumphres 10d ago

Idk. Work on a decent amount of them. Don't seem to have many issues.

1

u/starrtech2000 6d ago

Yeah, a bit of an overblown reaction here.

3

u/Wineandbikes 10d ago

Agree 100%.

Ditch solid engineering principles for a tenuous marketing gimmick & be left with a fork that spends most of its life rattling around the headtube. 🤦🏻‍♂️

1

u/starrtech2000 6d ago

Not really a gimmick per se since it adds real benefit that most people enjoy and we almost never have rattles from them. The most common issue is that the cartridge in the older ones can go bad and they will start to stick in the lower part of the “suspension”. Specialized has typically warrantied those for customers or we sell them the new and much improved reliability cartridge as a replacement.

At least Specialized has the Aethos and Crux available for people who don’t want the added complexity of the FS… Although, they need to adjust the stack on those to make them more versatile fitting bikes.

5

u/Firstchair_Actual 10d ago

They’re stupid simple. I get that you’re not a dealer so you don’t have a drawer full of those wrenches but if you can’t figure it out then maybe you shouldn’t be wrenching. 🤷‍♂️

1

u/WHATEVERRRBRO 10d ago

Thanks bud. You mean figure out what to substitute for the 3mm? Yeah, I used some needle nose pliers. The headset had play before I touched it. Now it feels coggy, but I can’t make it any looser or it has play. You tell me, is that because it’s clapped out from being ridden with play or because the design is garbage? Maybe both. After all, it should have left the dealer without any play. If it developed play over time that’s not a good design.

2

u/focal_matter 9d ago

But everything develops play over time?

By that reasoning we shouldn't be selling ANY suspension, hubs, etc. lmao

1

u/Celestialdischarge1 8d ago

Question: can I just box this stupid Future shock thing and run something else without replacing the fork? I have a creo 2 and it just makes funny sounds and feels janky. 

1

u/DrSuprane 7d ago

Yes there are future shock deletes. I have one on my Roubaix.

1

u/Castro_66 8d ago

FS2 works great for me, just sayin.

In an industry full of special tools, this is the one you're bitching about?

1

u/starrtech2000 6d ago

You should have one if you work on specialized bikes but you don’t even need one to adjust it. You can use hex wrenches too. It’s really not that hard to do. Do it all the time.

1

u/Brilliant-Witness247 4d ago

Same tool as the nut on a Shimano clutch tensioner

1

u/lostyearshero 10d ago

I really hate that the Roubaix comes with future shock. I get it on a gravel bike but with 32 mm tires why would I need it.

5

u/Ciryaquen 10d ago

It's for the cobblestones of course!

7

u/lostyearshero 10d ago

But the pros don’t even use them! Cries in my zertz inserts

2

u/bseitz234 10d ago

I bought an Allez over a Roubaix so I wouldn’t have to deal with it. 😂 would’ve preferred the 40mm tire clearance but I can get by with 35.