You are right until you denied the jury is in. The jury is in. There are a subset of FS owners that have had problems...some repeated issues. There are many reasons. It can even relate to the rider himself...how they ride...how much weight on the handlebar....conditions including rain, dirt and salt. A bad batch of FS cartridges. How they were installed.


Definition of design robustness is...a design that endures the widest range of conditions. Riders aren't the same. Parts aren't the same. Conditions aren't the same.

FS issues are real. Too many reported to deny. Of course the negative is spoken about. Possible there are 20 good FS to 1 bad. Still accounts for too many issues over thousands of FS bikes sold.

I like the technology although I believe a spring without a damper is somewhat suspect but many that ride a FS Roubaix or Diverge on rough surfaces enjoy the experience. Others prefer the control of no steerer spring and wider tires inflated to a lower pressure. This is why some for example will prefer last year's Diverge to this year's Diverge or Roubaix. Ride quality can be tuned with tire width and pressure. Yes some give up on speed on the smooth flat but if truly smooth, don't need the wide tires or FS.

What matters is you are happy with what you have. But other data points should not be denied and they won't be. The FS is flawed mechanism with short life. If 500 hrs is to be believed for 500 hours of riding, this is a short life to dole out another $50-60...not to mention enduring untoward noises and/or binding along the way if unlucky to draw the short straw which some have.