The reasons for hiding cables are now well established, ranging from professional riders seeking marginal gains to bike designers wanting to create cleaner, leaner-looking bikes.
The downsides of Internal routing are that it makes bikes harder to build and harder to travel with – not forgetting they’re harder to adjust and service, hence mechanics don’t like it.
However, Cane Creek believes it can offer something better with the new HCR system.
HCR is hidden, not internal
The key elements of the HCR system are a combination of a classic-looking lightweight stem and a headset built for longevity. The stem, while being compatible with IS52 and EC44 designs with internal routing, is much easier to live with.
The HCR stem is based on the beautifully finished, classic-looking GXC stem. Unlike that stem and different from most internal-routing stems, the HCR has a deep machined channel on its underside. This hides cables rather than routing them through the body of the stem or using a plastic bolt-on cover, as seen on competitors' stems from the likes of FSA, such as the SMR or ACR.
Cane Creek claims that by using this channel, it simplifies travelling with your bike because the stem can be disassembled from the steerer without splitting hoses.
We've seen similar from the likes of Giant, but none with the extra emphasis on sealing and only using quality materials that should give Cane Creek the edge when it comes to longevity.
It also makes maintenance and adjustment easier, even enabling a complete stem replacement without removing cables or hoses. The spacers have a slotted design, too, which means you can alter the stack height without splitting hoses or having to use plastic split spacers.
Quality, but not at a prohibitive price
Cane Creek’s designers made the choice early in the HCR's development not to use plastic in either the stem or spacers.
Will Hart, Cane Creek’s product marketing manager, told us: "When we looked at the existing products on the market, we were disappointed to see that even the most premium-priced offerings used plastic split spacers and plastic covers for the cable routing.
"Plastic is not something we like to use at Cane Creek, so we decided that HCR would be all metal, which is what we do. That means every part of the HCR system can be made in-house."
The headset is based around Cane Creek’s highly regarded Hellbender 70 bearing races. The Hellbender 70 has a great reputation for longevity and anti-corrosion with its combination of stainless-steel construction and robust sealing.
The alloy top cover, which interlocks seamlessly with the spacer, features a channel for the cables into an interlocking cable seal. It is a thick rubber-like material called EPDM with a level-80 durometer.
EPDM is a synthetic rubber (Ethylene Propylene Diene Monomer) known for its durability, flexibility, and excellent resistance to UV rays, ozone and weather. It is used widely in applications requiring weather resistance, such as roofing membranes, automotive hoses and seals.
The seal has four holes for hoses and mechanical cables. The insert comes with alloy plugs for each hole to maintain the sealing when running the combo on wireless-drivetrain equipped builds.
The HCR combination is priced at $249.99 for both stem and headset. It's similar in price to an FSA NS ACR stem at £133.99 / $124 and a basic No.55R FSA stem at £95 / $101. That FSA combo weighs in at around 338g, according to FSA.
Cane Creek claims the combination of a 90mm HCR stem and headset weighs in at 160g for the stem, which is 70g lighter than the FSA equivalent and 92g for the headset, making the Cane Creek more than 80g lighter.
At the premium end of the market, a Chris King AeroSet and ENVE In-Route stem combination, common on high-end custom bikes, will set you back £320 / $295 for the headset (113g) and £390 / $350 for the stem (180g). In comparison, the Cane Creek combination is $395 less costly and 40g lighter.
Is the HCR the answer to your internal-routing woes?
At first look, the HCR system certainly has quality, and it’s very well priced for such an obviously premium offering.
Does it solve the known issues with internal routing on headsets? Well, not quite. The improved sealing, the materials used and the simplified, channelled, hidden rather than fully internal routing certainly make assembling and maintaining a bike easier (I’ve just built up a new bike using the HCR system – more on that and a full review will follow later in the year).
The fundamental design of routing within the bearing centre still leaves bikes open to water ingress, a common problem on OE equipment on bikes. Cane Creek has cleverly worked within the confines of internal designs and stacked the odds in its favour by using high-grade, corrosion-resistant bearings and materials. I’ll report back on how they hold up once I’ve got a few miles under my belt on the HCR setup.
Where I think the HCR will find favour is on custom builds, especially bikes built with traditional steel or titanium. Most modern stem designs, such as the ENVE In-Route and FSA NS ACR, look somewhat incongruous when paired with a titanium frame. The HCR stem, replete with its all-alloy spacers, looks more as though it belongs.
Cane Creek HCR details and prices
- HCR headsets and stems sold separately
- Stems come with 1x10mm and 2x5mm slotted HCR spacers
- Headsets come with a round conversion spacer in case you want to use them with another stem or one-piece cockpit
- Cane Creek also offers a kit of slotted HCR spacers for individual sale if riders need more than what comes with the stem
- HCR headset, IS52|IS52: $129.99 / €179.99 / AU$257.95 / £139.99
- HCR headset, EC44|EC44: $149.99 / €209.99 / AU$303.95 / £159.99
- HCR stems (all sizes): $99.99 / €139.99 / AU$195.95 / £99.99
- HCR Spacer kit – 1x10mm, 2x5mm: $29.99 / €34.99 / AU$58.95 / £29.99
Specifications
- Stem material: forged and machined 6066 aluminum
- Weight: 160g (90mm stem)
- Stem lengths: 70mm, 80mm, 90mm, 100mm, 110mm, 120mm
- Stem angle: -6 degrees
- Colour: black
- Headset codes: EC44/EC44 & IS52/IS52
- Drivetrain compatibility: optimised for wireless drivetrains, compatible with mechanical
- Stem hardware: stainless steel
- Headset cups: machined 6061-T6 aluminum
- Headset bearings: Hellbender stainless steel bearings
- Seals: interlocking cable seal, steerer tube seal, bearing lip seal
- Spacers: one-piece, machined aluminum HCR headset spacers, included with the stem. 1x10mm, 2x5mm
- Standard converter spacer included with headset for use with non-HCR stem
