Bloody bicycles.
I pulled the headset apart last night (didn't remove the bearings, just dropped the fork - mistake?). Greased everything. Tried to convince myself that the thing was adjusted properly. Did everything up.
One thing I noticed which I hadn't before. Under the top bearing dust cap (?) there's a plastic bush that presses down on top of the bearing. This has a break in it. It's a clean break, it's a tight fit around the steerer tube and the break expands slightly when it's pressed onto the steerer so I suspect it's supposed to be there, but don't remember it. It's a Ritchey headset. Can anyone confirm that this break is supposed to be there? Does it matter where that break sits (front, back, one side). The headset all looks right, I'm just feeling panicy looking for problems to fix.
Ride to work this morning?
Still clicking but the noise has changed - it's softer, muted almost, but still there. I'm wondering if it's worth just pulling the top bolt down a quarter turn at lunch time (after loosening the neck of course, then resetting it, then finding it's not central, then resetting it).
I've also looked closely at the cables, particularly the gear cable outers from the bars to the frame which have been the source of clicks in the past. Last weekend, before all this this noise went beserk on me, I shortened them (the set up changes had left them too long) and replaced the end bits on the outers with plastic ones rather than the metal I'd been using - I really don't think it's the cable ends. One gear cable now touches the front brake cable but again, looking at it when riding I don't think that's the problem either. Unless it's the rear dr cable outer at the back end of the bike ... I haven't looked at that and it was disturbed while doing the cables on the weekend so another job for lunchtime.
If tightening the headstem doesn't work, I'll swap the pedals tonight - easy to do, just steal them from the Europa
Listening to the noise this morning, it's really easy to believe it's pedals ... which guarantees it's something else doesn't it.
I must be in a good mood today, I'm almost enjoying this now.
Richard