I had my old MTB commuter up on the stand yesterday and noticed that when turning the handlebars they have a noticeable "groove" they like to sit in lined up with riding straight. This sounds to me like it is going to require new parts rather than something I can fix. I had a quick Look on Sheldown Brown but couldn't find anything (of course that usually is due to a lack of the right terminology). Can someone tell me what this is and how it is fixed? Surely the parts on a 12 year old $250 bike shuld last longer than this 😉
I had my old MTB commuter up on the stand yesterday and noticed that when turning the handlebars they have a noticeable "groove" they like to sit in lined up with riding straight. This sounds to me like it is going to require new parts rather than something I can fix. I had a quick Look on Sheldown Brown but couldn't find anything (of course that usually is due to a lack of the right terminology). Can someone tell me what this is and how it is fixed? Surely the parts on a 12 year old $250 bike shuld last longer than this 😉
DaveB "trip to Peter Moore coming up"
Is this on the stand with no weight on the wheels? I know that my fixie has a very distinct apparent sort of detent to straight ahead on the ground, but if I unload the forks, the headset revolves pefectly smoothly. I'm putting it down to a quirk of geometry. But if it does that unloaded, then I'd be blaming the headset...galling on the bearing race?
In news:[email hidden], DaveB <[email hidden]> typed: | I had my old MTB commuter up on the stand yesterday and noticed that | when turning the handlebars they have a noticeable "groove" they like | to sit in lined up with riding straight. This sounds to me like it is | going to require new parts rather than something I can fix. I had a | quick Look on Sheldown Brown but couldn't find anything (of course | that usually is due to a lack of the right terminology). Can someone | tell me what this is and how it is fixed? Surely the parts on a 12 | year old $250 bike shuld last longer than this 😉 | | DaveB "trip to Peter Moore coming up"
If the bearing was ever overtightened, this will always happen. New bearings will fix it up.
Karen
-- "I'd far rather be happy than right any day." - Slartibartfast
I had my old MTB commuter up on the stand yesterday and noticed that when turning the handlebars they have a noticeable "groove" they like to sit in lined up with riding straight.
Damage to the bearings called 'brinelling" (sp?). Caused often by a headset that is loose, and the normal road impacts cause small dints in the race surface. Check how the steering feels with the bike on the ground though. It may be OK
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This sounds to me like it is going to require new parts rather than something I can fix.
You are correct in your surmise. Not easy to remove. It will just get steadily worse, the only strategy is to fit a new headset.
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I had a quick Look on Sheldown Brown but couldn't find anything (of course that usually is due to a lack of the right terminology). Can someone tell me what this is and how it is fixed? Surely the parts on a 12 year old $250 bike shuld last longer than this 😉
After 12 years you've had reasonaable life out of that headset methinks.
Is this on the stand with no weight on the wheels? I know that my fixie has a very distinct apparent sort of detent to straight ahead on the ground, but if I unload the forks, the headset revolves pefectly smoothly. I'm putting it down to a quirk of geometry. But if it does that unloaded, then I'd be blaming the headset...galling on the bearing race?
Yep that's it exactly. With no weight they definitely want to go straight. The headset is one that needs fairly frequent tightening, so it may be I got a bit heavy handed last time.
On 17/09/05 at 10:29:40 DaveB somehow managed to type:
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I had my old MTB commuter up on the stand yesterday and noticed that when turning the handlebars they have a noticeable "groove" they like to sit in lined up with riding straight. This sounds to me like it is
<snip>
Your headset bearings are shot. It's either been a bit loose or a bit tight and the balls have made nice little "sockets" for themselves in the bearing surfaces. What's happened is either "fretting wear" ( or "false brinelling" ) or "true brinelling". Have a squint at http://tinyurl.com/7zszv (false brinelling) and http://tinyurl.com/89zu5 (true brinelling).
Regardless of the actual type of defect, your headset needs replacement when steering starts to become "indexed"...
I had my old MTB commuter up on the stand yesterday and noticed that when turning the handlebars they have a noticeable "groove" they like to sit in lined up with riding straight. This sounds to me like it is going to require new parts rather than something I can fix. I had a quick Look on Sheldown Brown but couldn't find anything (of course that usually is due to a lack of the right terminology). Can someone tell me what this is and how it is fixed? Surely the parts on a 12 year old $250 bike shuld last longer than this 😉
DaveB "trip to Peter Moore coming up"
Is this on the stand with no weight on the wheels? I know that my fixie has a very distinct apparent sort of detent to straight ahead on the ground, but if I unload the forks, the headset revolves pefectly
Thats a ding in the bottom beating race.
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smoothly. I'm putting it down to a quirk of geometry. But if it does that unloaded, then I'd be blaming the headset...galling on the bearing race?
The top one. Yeah its a ding or just general wear. You ding em when you hit a curb or a pothole and the beating is a little loose. Its fairly rare cos good bearing are well so good. Wear in the straight ahead position.. is of course where its going to wear most 🙂 It can be really narrow and feel exactly like a ding. But a ding in the race looks like it has been hit by a tiny ball preen hammer if you can imagine it.
I had my old MTB commuter up on the stand yesterday and noticed that when turning the handlebars they have a noticeable "groove" they like to sit in lined up with riding straight. This sounds to me like it is going to require new parts rather than something I can fix. I had a quick Look on Sheldown Brown but couldn't find anything (of course that usually is due to a lack of the right terminology). Can someone tell me what this is and how it is fixed? Surely the parts on a 12 year old $250 bike shuld last longer than this 😉
DaveB "trip to Peter Moore coming up"
Is this on the stand with no weight on the wheels? I know that my fixie has a very distinct apparent sort of detent to straight ahead on the ground, but if I unload the forks, the headset revolves pefectly
Thats a ding in the bottom beating race.
Quoted message said:
smoothly. I'm putting it down to a quirk of geometry. But if it does that unloaded, then I'd be blaming the headset...galling on the bearing race?
The top one. Yeah its a ding or just general wear. You ding em when you hit a curb or a pothole and the beating is a little loose. Its fairly rare cos good bearing are well so good. Wear in the straight ahead position.. is of course where its going to wear most 🙂 It can be really narrow and feel exactly like a ding. But a ding in the race looks like it has been hit by a tiny ball preen hammer if you can imagine it.
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I should mention that by overtightening its possible to ding the entire race at once (if its in dead straight.) by forcing every ball in with pressure. You need to be ham fisted but it can be done
With no weight they definitely want to go straight.
How often do you ride with no weight on the front wheel?
Well there have been a few scary moments in the past with my daughter in the child seat while going up steep hills. But at times like that the headstem was the least of my worries.
"DaveB" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...
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Shane Stanley said:
In article <[email hidden]>,
DaveB said:
With no weight they definitely want to go straight.
How often do you ride with no weight on the front wheel?
Well there have been a few scary moments in the past with my daughter in the child seat while going up steep hills. But at times like that the headstem was the least of my worries.
DaveB
Sounds like you need a new headset.......I have got a couple laying around at home if you want to check them out. I don't have a headset press though but someone told me once that you can press them in using a sash clamp with a couple of blocks of wood (I'm game to try if you are).
If you are on the BR tomorrow I will catch up with you then.
like a couple of the other guys suggested, it's common for old style ball & race head sets to pit, and it feels like the steering wants to lock in to being dead straight.
When this starts out, it's just annoying, but when it progresses, riding no hands becomes impossible.
If it's a 1" threaded head-set, they're so cheap these days that it's best to just replace the whole thing.
