Headsets again...

[Proto]

...........to adjust (and even lube) your headset .........

Do you mean lubricate?

 

[theclaud]

I recently put one on my better half's mtb, I was impressed, half the price of the Hope, but seems to be working well.

I'm a doofus. The Cane Creek I bought was indeed very nice, but I can't use it - it's called an IS and only fits frames specially designed to take it. There are no cups that press into the frame, which makes it (in a way) my second headset in a row that's got something missing! Anyway, that's gone back to be swapped for summat else, and in the meantime I am consoled by the fact that I just got a good-as-new Thomson Elite seatpost in shiny silver from Ebay for £30, so if I ever get my headset act together I should now have the makings of a whole bicycle .

I've got one of these expander plugs now. It seems like there's only one bolt to tighten - I imagined the means to expand it and the means to adjust the compression would be different. If you keep tightening the top cap bolt doesn't it just keep expanding laterally and knacker your steerer rather than pulling everything together vertically? Or am I being thick again? Anyway, if it works, I'll have a spare bear-trap adjuster thingy in case anyone wants to give one of those a try...

 

[youngoldbloke]

I've got one of these expander plugs now. It seems like there's only one bolt to tighten - I imagined the means to expand it and the means to adjust the compression would be different. If you keep tightening the top cap bolt doesn't it just keep expanding laterally and knacker your steerer rather than pulling everything together vertically? Or am I being thick again? Anyway, if it works, I'll have a spare bear-trap adjuster thingy in case anyone wants to give one of those a try...

Many of them do have 2 bolts - if you undo the the top cap bolt, you may well find that it screws into a larger hollow hex headed bolt which is used to initially expand and tighten the plug into the steerer. Only after doing this should you use the top cap bolt to compress the headset. Depends on the make of plug of course, but it is worth investigating before trying to fit the plug because if it is this type simply tightening the top cap bolt will not work very well. (If at all!)
edit: If you do have one like this the hollow bolt is probably alloy, and easily snapped - grease the bolts and innards of the plug before expanding the plug, but keep grease well away from the mating surfaces, of course

 

[theclaud]

Many of them do have 2 bolts - if you undo the the top cap bolt, you may well find that it screws into a larger hollow hex headed bolt which is used to initially expand and tighten the plug into the steerer. Only after doing this should you use the top cap bolt to compress the headset. Depends on the make of plug of course, but it is worth investigating before trying to fit the plug because if it is this type simply tightening the top cap bolt will not work very well. (If at all!)
edit: If you do have one like this the hollow bolt is probably alloy, and easily snapped - grease the bolts and innards of the plug before expanding the plug, but keep grease well away from the mating surfaces, of course

Thanks Y.O.B! Off home to examine it in greater detail...

 

[GilesM]

I'm a doofus. The Cane Creek I bought was indeed very nice, but I can't use it - it's called an IS and only fits frames specially designed to take it. There are no cups that press into the frame, which makes it (in a way) my second headset in a row that's got something missing! Anyway, that's gone back to be swapped for summat else, and in the meantime I am consoled by the fact that I just got a good-as-new Thomson Elite seatpost in shiny silver from Ebay for £30, so if I ever get my headset act together I should now have the makings of a whole bicycle .

A long time ago my whole life was cycling, I rode Road Races, TTs, Track League, in the summer and even a couple of seasons of Cyclocross in the winter, I worked in a bike shop part time when I was at school, I thought I (and probably did) knew virtually everything about bikes, when I stopped racing I just kept my training bike and bought a rigid mtb, this kept me happy for many years, then about 4 years ago some eejit sold me a new style mtb with suspension forks and all sorts of new fangled stuff, it was like working on a bike for the first time. The first thing I had to replace was the headset, took me ages just to work out what I actually needed, so the above is just a long winded way of saying I think that making a mistake when buying a headset for a bike these days is very easy, as I am now lusting after mtbs with tapered head tubes, it is obvious the "which headset problem" will be with us for a long time.

I have a Thompson Elite Seat post on my Orange Five, lovely bit of kit.

I've got one of these expander plugs now. It seems like there's only one bolt to tighten - I imagined the means to expand it and the means to adjust the compression would be different. If you keep tightening the top cap bolt doesn't it just keep expanding laterally and knacker your steerer rather than pulling everything together vertically? Or am I being thick again? Anyway, if it works, I'll have a spare bear-trap adjuster thingy in case anyone wants to give one of those a try...

As Youngoldbloke writes, I would expect that there would one bolt to tighten it in the steerer tube and one for the top cap bolt, the Hope head doctor has an 8 or 10mm allen key bolt built into the unit to tighten it, then the top cap bolt goes down through the middle of the tightening bolt, the expander really needs to be locked in place before you fit the stem and top cap. Try taking a few pics of it if it is not obvious.

 

[theclaud]

A long time ago my whole life was cycling, I rode Road Races, TTs, Track League, in the summer and even a couple of seasons of Cyclocross in the winter, I worked in a bike shop part time when I was at school, I thought I (and probably did) knew virtually everything about bikes, when I stopped racing I just kept my training bike and bought a rigid mtb, this kept me happy for many years, then about 4 years ago some eejit sold me a new style mtb with suspension forks and all sorts of new fangled stuff, it was like working on a bike for the first time. The first thing I had to replace was the headset, took me ages just to work out what I actually needed, so the above is just a long winded way of saying I think that making a mistake when buying a headset for a bike these days is very easy, as I am now lusting after mtbs with tapered head tubes, it is obvious the "which headset problem" will be with us for a long time.

I have a Thompson Elite Seat post on my Orange Five, lovely bit of kit.


As Youngoldbloke writes, I would expect that there would one bolt to tighten it in the steerer tube and one for the top cap bolt, the Hope head doctor has an 8 or 10mm allen key bolt built into the unit to tighten it, then the top cap bolt goes down through the middle of the tightening bolt, the expander really needs to be locked in place before you fit the stem and top cap. Try taking a few pics of it if it is not obvious.

Tapered head tubes, you say! Good Lord, whatever will these whippersnappers come up with next?

He's right - there is another bolt inside. It seems to work OK, and the only remaining problem is the lateral play that I think is due to the Ritchey headset being a shite design. I'll wait for the new one and report back...

 

[Crackle]

We wait with baited breath.....

 

[theclaud]

We wait with baited breath.....

Well, alright, I admit it's not terribly riveting , but people might be gratified to know that their advice has been useful. And I believe it's 'bated' .

 

[Crackle]

Well, alright, I admit it's not terribly riveting , but people might be gratified to know that their advice has been useful. And I believe it's 'bated' .

Sorry, couldn't resist a small tease.

Bated, right, I wasn't sure and was too lazy to Google it.

Oh and it's all right, by the way

 

[theclaud]

Sorry, couldn't resist a small tease.

Bated, right, I wasn't sure and was too lazy to Google it.

Oh and it's all right, by the way

I dispute that! And I will retaliate by boring you senseless with headset news in due course .

 

[Christopher]

Are you going to post pics of this wonder machine when it's done, tc? After all the bike pratically belongs to the forum...

 

[theclaud]

Are you going to post pics of this wonder machine when it's done, tc? After all the bike pratically belongs to the forum...

If that's the case I daren't take it on the FNRttC...

 

[MacB]

I dispute that! And I will retaliate by boring you senseless with headset news in due course .

sometimes I can find self deprecating references to being boring....boring....but you won't let that worry you

Believe it or not, as it's a bike forum, bike stuff tends to be useful rather than boring

 

[Crackle]

If that's the case I daren't take it on the FNRttC...

It'll be OK, there's good mechanics on the ride I here

 

[theclaud]

Believe it or not, as it's a bike forum, bike stuff tends to be useful rather than boring

Keep telling yourself that as you embark upon your next lengthy disquisition on the virtues of butterfly bars...