 PROBLEM:
You're noticing a knocking, clunking, shuddering in the front of the bike
when you ride over something rough.
SOLUTION: Check the
bike's headset because it's probably loose.
The headset is the bearing
assembly in the frame's head tube. The handlebar stem is at the top of it.
The fork goes into the bottom if it. These parts need to rotate freely,
but in this case too much freedom is a bad thing. A loose headset makes a
bike feel sloppy, sound noisy and wear out things needlessly. Here are
simple ways to tell if a headset is out of adjustment.
Stand
over the bike and firmly squeeze the front brake lever. Now rock the
bike back and forth. If the headset is loose, you'll feel it.
Raise
the front of the bike three or four inches and drop it. If the headset
is loose, you'll hear it.
You need a little know-how
and perhaps a couple of very big wrenches to adjust a headset. It's not
hard... Or, your friendly neighborhood bike shop can do the fix quickly
for a modest charge.
A headset also can be tight
and suffering premature wear. It's easy to check for this, too.
Lift the front of the
bike a couple of inches by holding the frame's top tube. Nudge the
handlebar to the left. Then nudge it to the right. The bar should turn
easily in each direction. If it binds, the headset is probably tight.
Shop time!
And if the handlebar wants to stop straight ahead
like it's locking into a notch, that's because it is. The headset is worn
and probably needs replacement. |
