So, what is K.I.S, how does it work, and do we really need it? You can also jump to our first ride impressions on the Canyon Spectral 29 CF8 K.I.S<\/a>.<\/p>\n <\/p><\/div> <\/section> The K.I.S system is claimed to improve your connection with the front wheel, giving you a more accurate feel of what\u2019s going on beneath your tyre by removing unwanted feedback from your handlebars.<\/p>\n It achieves this by automatically centring your bike\u2019s handlebars and steering, straightening the front wheel to the twelve o\u2019clock position.<\/p>\n The K.I.S system consists of a cam ring that\u2019s bolted around the middle of the fork steerer. The cam is then connected to a coil spring that\u2019s anchored within the top tube via an ultra-strong synthetic fibre band.<\/p>\n As you rotate the handlebar, one side of the band increases in tension and pulls the spring. The small force generated by the band and spring works to create a self-centring effect on the bar, trying to pull it back to its original, central position.<\/p>\n Jo Klieber, the man behind the technology, said over the course of nearly four years the K.I.S system went through 100 different iterations before the design team were happy with the result.<\/p>\n The slider that enables you to adjust the K.I.S stabilister is the only visible part of the system \u2013 everything else is housed inside the head tube.<\/p>\n To adjust the system, you loosen the 4mm Allen bolt off and slide it forward towards the head tube. This lowers the self-centring force.<\/p>\n Pull it back towards the seat tube and you increase spring tension, and thus how much of an effect the K.I.S system exerts through the bars.<\/p>\n There\u2019s also a little window at the front of the head tube to enable access to the cam ring clamp bolt. Access to the cam ring is required if you ever need to reset\/re-align the system, or remove the fork.<\/p>\n The total system weight is claimed to be just 110g, and it is fully integrated into the frame.<\/p>\n The K.I.S system is claimed to require no maintenance and last the lifetime of a bike.<\/p>\n It\u2019s a bold claim, but one both Canyon and Syntace are happy to stand behind.<\/p>\n An integrated steering limiter prevents the bars from spinning past 90 degrees, though it can still happen in extreme circumstances.<\/p>\n If you do have a big crash and properly clobber your bars (and bike), the K.I.S system may need to be re-centred\/reset.<\/p>\n In this circumstance, the system has been engineered to slip when a certain force is reached to avoid damaging it.<\/p>\n The hardware is made from corrosion-resistant materials, while the coil springs and synthetic-fibre bands are said to require no maintenance.<\/p>\n Despite needing to cut a hole into its carbon frame to fit the system, Canyon says the modified Spectral still meets its CAT4 EWS-race-ready strength test.<\/p>\n Canyon made a point of us checking all the bikes ahead of riding to ensure the K.I.S system had bars sitting centrally before we set off.<\/p>\n To do this, you lift the front wheel and ensure things are aligned, just as you would your stem.<\/p>\n The primary goal of the K.I.S system is to increase steering stability.<\/p>\n The self-centring effect should, in theory, help to calm the steering down.<\/p>\n You might be thinking, \u201cis that really an issue?\u201d.<\/p>\n As bikes have developed over the years, head angles have slackened, fork offsets have decreased (after first increasing), and wheel diameters increased. All of this has helped to calm down the handling of modern mountain bikes<\/a>.<\/p>\n However, balancing all of these factors isn\u2019t easy.<\/p>\n On the trail, while trucking along at speed through the rough stuff, modern bikes (especially those with super-slack head angles) will feel surefooted and composed.<\/p>\n However, at slower speeds with higher steering angles, you may well start to feel the destabilising effects of wheel flop, where, at times, the steering can begin feeling nervous and twitchy.<\/p>\n While it\u2019s fair to say most current bikes do a fine job of balancing these traits, Klieber still felt there was room for improvement.<\/p>\n The K.I.S system is designed to help calm this sensation, essentially tethering the unstable front wheel\/steering assembly to the more stable and heavier frame and rear wheel.<\/p>\n According to Klieber, connecting the two helps to give a more predictable feel through the tyre.<\/p>\n Canyon claims this means dealing with situations where the bike is understeering or oversteering should feel more intuitive and easier to control.<\/p>\n Klieber claims the system has other benefits beyond control.<\/p>\n According to Klieber, the calmer, more stable steering should help reduce fatigue.<\/p>\n When climbing at slow speeds on steep terrain, the front wheel is more inclined to wander. In these scenarios, we tend to give a burst of acceleration through the pedals in order to bring the front wheel back in line.<\/p>\n The K.I.S system should help to counter these situations by doing some of the work for us and helping the front wheel stay on the line intended.<\/p>\n Another good example is when drifting through a flat turn on loose gravel. In these situations, riders will regularly find themselves trying to counter steer and make small corrections through the bars. This can, at times, feel quite twitchy.<\/p>\n Again, in theory, that connection from front to rear should help calm this sensation, allowing you to counter steer with more control thanks to the calmer steering and improved connection from front to rear.<\/p>\n Canyon refers to this as a \u201cweighted feeling to the steering that boosts your sense of stability\u201d.<\/p>\n Canyon claims the small amount of force exerted on the bars by the K.I.S system is minimal, and the benefits outweigh any extra input required by the rider.<\/p>\n Canyon was keen to stress the K.I.S system does provide a very different feel through the handlebar, and will take time to adapt to.<\/p>\n How much time will vary from rider to rider, though some of the engineers from Canyon and Syntace said riding on it for a month will ensure you\u2019re totally in tune with the change in handling.<\/p>\n Klieber was keen to point out that, while there have been other systems and devices similar to K.I.S in the past, it isn\u2019t a steering damper in the strictest sense of the word.<\/p>\n Many steering dampers add friction to stabilise or calm the steering, in many cases using a hydraulic damper to do this. The Cane Creek ViscoSet<\/a> and Hopey steering damper<\/a> are the best-known systems.<\/p>\n While these help to reduce \u2018speed wobble\u2019, some steering dampers negatively affect feel through the bar, with the added friction they create making for a bike that feels slow to react.<\/p>\n The K.I.S system doesn\u2019t use a damper and, according to Klieber, shouldn\u2019t feel restrictive or produce any kind of binding feel through the bars as you initiate a turn.<\/p>\n According to the Canyon team, the shaping of the cam ring means the torque curve (the rotational counter force that the system exerts on the steering as you turn the bars) produced as you rotate the handlebar should feel consistent no matter how far you turn them \u2013 \u201cthe system feels almost the same as you turn from 15 degrees to 50 degrees\u201d.<\/p>\n There is, however, a sharp ramp-up either side of the starting centre point (up to around 10 degrees). Canyon says the high initial centring force helps to keep the bike on line and stable.<\/p>\n This curve then flattens out significantly, which is what contributes to the consistent feel through the bars as you turn them.<\/p>\nFive things you need to know about the K.I.S steering stabilisation system<\/h4>\n
What is Canyon\u2019s Keep It Stable bicycle steering stabilisation system?<\/h2>\n
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<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>K.I.S adjustability<\/h2>\n
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<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>Claimed to last a lifetime<\/h2>\n
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<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>Why do we need K.I.S?<\/h2>\n
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<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>Reducing fatigue<\/h2>\n
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<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>Sounds like a steering damper, right?<\/h2>\n
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<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>Tuning the Canyon and Syntace K.I.S system<\/h2>\n