I am hoping that somebody can help me figure this out. I realized that my fixie is making a weird noise, and after a bit of observation I came to notice the following. When I flip the bike upside down, and try to wiggle the fork while holding the frame, I can see that the steerer move slightly (probably about 1/2 mm or 1/32 inch where it meets the headset). Is this normal? My guess is that it's not normal (my geared bike doesn't do this) and this is the cause of the noise. Any help is appreciated. Thanks

i think you solved the case, sherlock

you might have the same problem that I do. the crown race on my headset (the little metal ring that's pressed onto the fork) is too big so it moves a little bit. when I hit a good size bump, like a low curb, I get a "thunk" noise. it's really not a problem, but it's kinda annoying.

You can always...tighten it?

Yep, it's the headset. It's probably the hardest part of a bike to learn to adjust correctly, but once you get it down, it's a snap. If it's old and dirty you might try overhauling it as well.

If you just need to adjust yours, read this: https://parktool.com/repair_help/howf...t.shtml#adjust

That would be https://www.parktool.com/repair_help/...t.shtml#adjust

My own pattened system is like this:

• Loosen the locknut
• Thread down the top race to the point that you just start to hear or feel the bearings when turning the fork.
• Back off maybe 1/8 or 1/16 of a turn.
• Hold that spot while you crank the locknut down. Be careful not to strip the locknut, especially if this is an alu headset.

At this point the fork should turn freely. If you give the bars a little push while your bike is on the stand, it should rotate easily to the other side with no indication over bearing over-tightness (binding).

If you push up and down or back and forth on the fork there should be no play. To really test this, I like to take it down and use the handlebars to pull up on the fork and use the brake (assuming you have one) to lock the wheel and push it back and forth with my whole body.

If it looks good, grab your headset wrenches and go outside and take a quick lap around the block or whatever. Do a few brake checks to again test for play. Hit a few bumps for same.

If it's all good, take your wrenches back home and go for a ride.

It sounds complicated but really the complicated part is just the pre-flight check. The bearing adjustment is pretty straightforward and should get you where you need to be.

i beg to differ

Lately, I have been seeing a lot of posts just like these and its really starting to piss me off. Listen, this guy is looking for advice and your stupid comments are not beneficial to him or the forum.

If you think he solved the case then tell him how to fix it.
If you beg to differ then tell him why and what can happen if the problem isn't fixed.

If you don't know the answer or can't offer constructive advice(which you are probably inacapable of either) then keep it to yourself. It's attitudes like yours that discourage people from asking questions in the first place.

End rant.

POTUS, I would be concerned about that. I had the same issue with a race on a fork. My LBS told me that that it would be dangerous to ride with a loose race. Just a heads up. You might try using a shim of some kind like a beer can or jb weld or locktight. Although it would be hard to get the race centered so it wouldn't bind in one place.

A loose headset in general is dangerous and unpleasant. I had a headset on my commuter/tourer go loose, and it made it nearly impossible to brake. When I pressed on the brake lever, the fork would flex and start to vibrate rapidly, making it difficult to maintain control and also reducing the braking power drastically. That's rather extreme, but you'll have the same problems to a lesser degree unless you get that headset adjusted right.

Well I'm going to drop some anecdotal evidence right now so brace yourselves. My previous headset was really messed up and super loose and I put a few hundred miles on it with no repercussions. It would get really loose and I'd hand tighten it. Then again it is a treaded headset, I'm not sure how much more dangerous it would be dealing with a threadless system.

maybe you haven't heard, but Danger is my middle name. here’s why I’m not worried about it... my headset has cartridge bearings, they're not going anywhere, the race isn't going anywhere, 99% of the time this problem isn't noticeable, just the occastional 'thunk' when I bump something. I could see maybe if I had loose bearings there might be some concern with them popping out and the steering locking up.

name that tune...

YOU MAKE THE RIGHT MOVES, I BEG TO DIFFER
RATHER BE A FOOL AND SEE THINGS CLEARER.
YOU FOUND A QUICK WAY TO FILL YOUR POCKET.
THAT'S THE WAY IN A WORLD THAT'S LOST IT
TO FALL IN LINE
ITS MEANINGLESS, MINDLESSNESS.
I BEG TO DIFFER
DISHARMONY AMONGST ALL OUR BROTHERS.
THAT'S OKAY, BE TRUE TO OUR GRUDGES.
NO DESIRE TO WALK BESIDE YOU.
NOTHING POSITIVE WHEN FORCED UPON YOU.
(SO FALL IN LINE) JUST FALL IN LINE
ITS MEANINGLESS, MINDLESSNESS, I BEG TO DIFFER

I was just passing along info that someone passed my way. The only real issue I can imagine would be damage to the head tube from klunking back and forth and at worst it would ovalize the head tube.

really? I think the headset is the easiest part of a bike to overhaul, for me at least.
Threadless headsets are much easier to overhaul/adjust than threaded headsets, IMO.

Hell yes they are. The only reason I have a threaded headset is because quill stems are sexy.

Agreed... but all my bikes have threaded headsets cause they're old

Yes, the headset is the easiest part to overhaul, but not the easiest part to adjust which is what the message was about. It can be a little tricky at first just getting the right feel. That's true of any adjustable bearing.