I've posted about headsets before but I'm starting to get into doing my own maintainence and somewhat lacking in confidence so thought I'd double check. Learning from books/DVDs is okay but however good they are, it can't be the same as having someone who knows what they're doing actually tell you that you've done it right!
I've tended to be a tad nervous about headset adjustment (standard 1 1/8th threadless type) as I picked up the notion somewhere that a loose headset might cause headtube ovalisation and I'm a bit worried that I might not get things 100% right. A bit of question asking and research suggests that this probably isn't the case (although a loose headset might make ovalisation easier in instances of hard frontal impact) so I'm a bit more comfortable about having a go. I just wanted to check that I needn't worry about headset ovalisation (and I can't imagine that I could get things too badly wrong) and whether it really is as simple as removing all detectable play and tightening up the stem.
Sorry if this is basic stuff but it's good to be sure.
and whether it really is as simple as removing all detectable play and tightening up the stem.
That's about the size of it.... you'll know its not right *way* before you do damage to the frame, IME. (but what do I know? - I learnt to fettle my bike purely by experiment !)
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Sorry if this is basic stuff but it's good to be sure.
Indeed; but if you get it wrong the first time, you can very easily take another shot at it.
I just wanted to check that I needn't worry about headset ovalisation (and I can't imagine that I could get things too badly wrong)
That's never something I worry about anyway.
Quoted message said:
and whether it really is as simple as removing all detectable play and tightening up the stem.
That is all there is to it except it's tricky or impossible to get perfect adjustment when there's something wrong with frame or headset, which is quite common. Best of luck.
Note: Headset (threadless type) can't be tested properly for play before stem is tightened, so a repetitive process is needed.
