George

When I walk my bike, I don't have to hold the handlebars. I have the headset tight, but not to tight where I feel uncomfortable with it. My concern is, it feels like knuckle or something, I have to get by, to turn the handlebars. Is that because I have them to tight? It steers easy and I took it apart and nothing is bent, that I can see. It just walks straight, until I turn the bars, and then it turns real easy. Thanks for any replys.

mcoomer

If there is a roughness in the movement it could be because the headset is too tight or it could indicate that the bearings need service or are worn. I would try loosening the headset slightly and see if that cures the problem. If not you may need to service/replace your headset bearings.

well biked

You're experiencing the dreaded "indexed steering" affect. A headset spends so much time in one position (pointing the handlebars straight ahead), it wears very unevenly, and will eventually wear enough in that one position to create the "indexing" you're talking aboout. The headset really should be replaced, but if you find that it has caged bearings, you can repack it with loose balls and it should solve the problem for awhile. I serviced the headset on a bike that had this problem recently, discarded the bearing retainers and repacked with new, loose balls, and the headset, for the time being at least, works as good as new-

HillRider

You have to understand this will require more loose balls than the number in the retainers, usually several more per race. The reason loose balls temporarily fix the headset is that, since there are more of them, they no longer line up with dimples in the races so they don't "index".

well biked

Yep, I should have added that bit of info. And when you take the old bearing cages out (assuming that's what you have), you can pop one of the old bearing balls out of the retainer to determine which size bearing balls you need. Oh, and one more important thing: to determine how many balls to put in, pack them in until they begin to jumble up, then remove two. Everywhere else on a bike, I do this and only remove one, but for headsets, remove two-

George

Do you think that the indexing problem could happen in 1500 miles?

well biked

All I can say is that what you're describing sounds like "indexed steering" with the wear situation I described. There's no other reason it would feel like a "knuckle" only when the bars are pointing straight ahead, as you say, that I can think of. So yes, I'd say it can happen in 1500 miles-

George

Thanks for the replys guys, I'll get right on it.

supcom

It can if you have a cheap headset and ride a lot of rough or chip seal roads. Original equipment headsets are often fairly low end since few buyers have an appreciation of headset quality and a cheap headset saves a few bucks in manufacture.

going to loose bearings is a delay tactic that will just put you back where you are in another 1500 miles. For me, that would be about 2 months. Your best solution is to replace the headset. Assuming the bike is not under warranty, then get a higher-end headset.

George

I just called and I got a price of $50 on a WTB, and $35 to install it. Can I just buy bearing for the WTB rather than keep changing headset ? Thanks again.

George

I got the job done for $17, thanks again.