GO CHECK YOURS!!!
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34 Comments
Thanks for this! Basic maintenance is definitely good to know, especially if you travel with your bike.
Wonderful tip, Katie…would never think to check the forks regularly. Generally, I trust the local shop's tuneup crew, just assuming they'll fix anything that's gone wrong. Which is the wrong way to think.
Harley (Durian Rider) talks about this at least once every month, haha
This is a good reason to check every bolt, thru-axle, and QR before the very first ride, no matter where you purchased the bike. Bike mechanics are human and make mistakes or miss something every now and then. Then check everything periodically, especially if you ride rough roads, paths, or singletrack for you mtbers.
Wow. Didn’t realize that. Thanks. 🙏
Never had that problem touch wood. But what happened to me this morning on my ride was a spoke in my rear wheel snapped/ broke. At about 20 km’s from home. I had to walk from where I it happened to get to some suburban roads, then call for help, took me 2.5 hours to get home after the call to go with probably a 30 minute walk, in road cycling shoes. Now in the coming week I will have to swap out wheels( I have a set of cheap alloy wheels) see what can be done and maybe buy some new wheels. But I really hate the alloy wheels because the bike just feels slow and is slow…..
lesson learnt and we can avoid this mistake again~
Thank you, i had no idea!
Thanks for the warning Katie, very glad you found the potential danger before you had a stack.
There is a recall on the Tarmac SL7 for this exact issue. Mine had it. Worn steerer. They issue a new insert and also steerer bung thing which interests past the wear. Had it repaired by carbon repair. New fork costs a fortune in comparison. Same happened on my SL5. Definitely need to make sure headset is compressing correctly. Costly and potentially dangerous mistake. Well reported 👍
Well done, as you can't inspect the issue in a hidden spot like that, the fork could last decades or it could break tomorrow, carbon is fantastic but it's also sneaky, a superficial etching might trigger unpredictable splitting. But it can still be used without probelms on a Zwift-dedicated bike for instance.
Pays to check your stem preload regularly. If your steerer plug is assembled with paste and properly tensioned then top cap preload
is set and then the stem bolts you should not really have a lose them. Carbon assembly paste if worth it it does reduce slippage.
My bicycle is heavy steel. While diy servicing I noticed that fork's damaged caged bearing had been eating into steerer tube. Steerer tube now has a deep circle gouged out
If you value your safety & your life, use steel fork & quill stem that will last you a lifetime or 2 even, & past it down to your children or even your grand children. If your not paid to ride & risk your life & limb, then CFRP(carbon fiber reinforced PLASTIC) bike is just a money grab marketing hype that can kill you without warning.
It brings that philosopher, Yogi Berra’s observation (“If you come to a fork in the road, take it”) but with the additional suggestion that you check the nearby bushes for the rest of the bike and the rider.
I get really nerdy about any rattles or squeaks on any of my bikes as it is always a sign that something is not adjusted correctly or is worn. After 40 plus years of riding, checking and maintenence is my mantra, particularly after rides in harsh or extreme conditions.
That's also a great tip on headset adjustment from the Trek mechanic. Always learning…
Looks like a design weakness. I wonder, is this an unfortunate consequence of the obsession to cut a few grams wherever possible.
Suggestion: put a 3mm thick 26mm I.D. (1/8"x1") o-ring between your bottom spacer and top bearing, tighten the top cap so the o-ring compresses about 1mm , and tighten the stem to spec torque. This will allow the bearing to flex a bit on rough roads or gravel, while maintaining tension on the headset, preventing wear on the steer-tube. It will make your headset bearings last 10 times as long, and you'll never have to tighten your headset again. Extralight makes their headsets like this, all headset manufacturers should!
it's a simple check and fix. also alloy. i don't trust carbon
Nice one, well done for passing on the message.
Ah, another bike part that sound never be made of carbon fibre!
Great vid KK.
The scary part is how hard it is to drop a fork out on the latest tarmacs. Absolutely disgraceful designs that hinder easy safety checks.
I thought the pic you sent me was your tarmac fork?
that's what scares me the most of carbon bikes, aside from the prices, are those little cracks that can get worse. Even if I had the money to buy a carbon bike I'd rather go with titanium or alloy
Not the ring of death that I’m thinking of 😂
What is the brand waste of space!!
Real Cyclist dont ride with play in their headsets….
Love the Trek Team! This week we're getting 10 brand new crash pads thanks to Trek! 🙂
And that's why i ride a steel fork. If i really absolutely need to get to my destination a few minutes faster, i will take the car.
Just say no to disposable Tupperware bikes! When ya gonna learn custom steel is where it's at and no pesky Ring of Death. Plastic bikes are about as interesting as a new Walmart toaster.
Carbon parts are OK for team riders which are pampered by team mechanics. Or be prepared to check your bike yourself unless you are extraordinary lucky to have a decent bike shop around. Everything has a price, eh.
Carbon fork with carbon steerer tube. On a carbon fork with a steel steerer unlikely that will break. Just saying. Thank your for sharing.😊👍👌
Thanks for tye PSA. I think I'll stick with Aluminum & Steel bikes, thanks 😅
Let's help to keep MAMILS safe.
The check of the headset is so easy if you have rim brakes. As the shop mechanic explained, hold the front brake tight, then try to rock the bike fore & aft. You'll feel some rattle/looseness if the headset is loose, but disc brakes can have some confounding 'clunking', if you will, making this technique not so reliable. Regardless, tightening up the headset is a very simple DIY task, and as this video points out, can prevent some serious damage to the steerer tube and risk of injury. I saw a guy in a crit race completely snap the bars off the steerer tube…probably because of the 'ring of death' he was unaware of. No injury (it happened in a tight corner moving slow), but a cycling buddy of mine was riding on a fast descent with a loose headset, lost control. 3 days in the ICU with concussion, cracked pelvis, broken ribs, and a very complex collarbone fracture that required risky surgery. He's OK now, and back to riding well, but learned the hard way about checking for headset integrity.