How to adjust a headset

Watch the video for a quick way to identify and adjust play from a standard aheadset.

The main points you need to know are:

• Hold the headset cap with your finger and thumb whilst holding the front brake and rocking the bike gently back and forth to determine if there is play or not, this can sometimes be very minor and hard to notice. It can also help to push the front wheel into a wall to eliminate any movement in the brake pads from what you’re feeling.

• Undo the rear stem bolts before tightening the top cap bolt.

• When tightening the top cap bolt, go carefully until you start to feel resistance, then turn 1/8-1/4 of a turn at a time, checking for play after each turn, this should avoid over tightening.

• If you tighten the play out of the headset and the headset gets very stiff to turn you may need new bearings.

• If when the top cap bolt is tightened it suddenly stops and feels like it bottoms out before the play is removed then you will most likely need another small headset spacer to give you enough space to remove the play from the headset.

• Don’t forget to straighten the bars and re-tighten the stem bolts when you have removed the play.

Hopefully the video and points are helpful, let me know if they were and if you’ve got any tips of your own by dropping me an email on: rpbiketech@gmail.com

Watch out for more Tech Tuesday post’s coming soon!