Bicycle Mechanics - Look KG381

Friend of mine just got a sweet new ride - black 381 Look frame, DuraAce 9 speed and cosmos wheels.

Problem with the bike is the steering. I rode it and I can't figure it out... It seems sticky, like it goes one way, you pull the other way and it whips to the other side. Very hard work to keep it straight. Now, we checked headset - perfectly smooth and centered. Cables don't grab or anything, it's very normal when you hold the bike up and move the bars back and forth. The wheels are also well balanced. Problem occurs at slow and fast speeds.. Could it be the fork? Frame? Rear wheel? Has anyone seen this before?

Could be a fork with the wrong trail for your headtube angle. Some bikes are just twitchy and you get used to them.

Lean your chest on the saddle and grab both brakes tight. Rock the bike back and forth to see if there is play in the headset.

Is the front wheel centered in the dropouts?

That's all I can think of, good luck.

I checked that and the headset is fine. The frame and fork are a matched pair. I called Veltec Sport (USA Distributor of Look products) and they said that there is only 1 fork for that bike the HSC4 (although other forks could work). My only guess not is the headset, but upon examining it I can find nothing wrong. Its smooth, seems to be alighned properly, etc.....damnedest thing I've seen yet.

I've also tried swapping in the wheels from my other bike. Problem is still there. :eek:

Cheers,
Stephen


Lean your chest on the saddle and grab both brakes tight. Rock the bike back and forth to see if there is play in the headset.

Is the front wheel centered in the dropouts?

That's all I can think of, good luck.

If you tried to ride it with your hands barely touching the handlebars, would it always pull to the same side? or does it want to turn right/left equally?

It seems to want to turn equally to the right or left. Its not an oscillating pull back and forth. Sometimes it pulls one way, sometimes the other. Its driving me crazy. I brought it to two mechanics and they both check out the bike and said it was fine. Then I told them to ride it. Both of them came back with the same response, "Dude, that's messed up. I have no idea what's causing that..."



If you tried to ride it with your hands barely touching the handlebars, would it always pull to the same side? or does it want to turn right/left equally?

so you're sure it's not unevenly worn headset bearings or cups?

weird...

This may seem like a really dumb suggestion, but in consideration of the physics of the situation, is it possible that the fork is on backward. If the fork has very little curvature, rake) it could be on backward. That is the only thing that would force the wheel to tend to turn outward. I admit that this is a very stupid suggestion so don't rub it in!!!!!!!!!