Ride with a loose headset: risk of some dangerous?
Moderator: robbosmans
Hi,
I rode some km (maybe 10-15) with a loose headset / with a play in the headset which I now fixed correctly.
Now, I have fear that I damaged in this way something, for example: the carbon-fork or the headtube because of the play.
What do you think about this? Do I have now to change the carbon-fork with a new one?
Thank you and sorry for my english.
I rode some km (maybe 10-15) with a loose headset / with a play in the headset which I now fixed correctly.
Now, I have fear that I damaged in this way something, for example: the carbon-fork or the headtube because of the play.
What do you think about this? Do I have now to change the carbon-fork with a new one?
Thank you and sorry for my english.
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No way for me to know for sure, but unless the whole steerer/headset assembly was super loose, the amount of travel and vibration was unlikely to cause significant damage in the distance covered.
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Thank you for this reply – which helps me.TobinHatesYou wrote: ↑Mon Aug 13, 2018 6:56 amNo way for me to know for sure, but unless the whole steerer/headset assembly was super loose, the amount of travel and vibration was unlikely to cause significant damage in the distance covered.
The headset was just a very little loose in direction front/back. For this reason I did not noticed it before.
Just have a quick squizz at the fork. Unlikely to be an issue,
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Unless it's very loose and you've been doing huge jumps to flat the absolute worst case scenario is that you might possibly need a new bottom bearing.
If it's massively loose, how the hell didn't you notice as soon as you touched the bike. and adjust it?
I doubt canyon will be interested, IIRC checking headset adjustment is part of the normal pre ride/assembly check.
If it's massively loose, how the hell didn't you notice as soon as you touched the bike. and adjust it?
I doubt canyon will be interested, IIRC checking headset adjustment is part of the normal pre ride/assembly check.
It seems to me ok!
It was not so loose, that's because I did not noticed it before.mattr wrote: ↑Mon Aug 13, 2018 12:42 pmUnless it's very loose and you've been doing huge jumps to flat the absolute worst case scenario is that you might possibly need a new bottom bearing.
If it's massively loose, how the hell didn't you notice as soon as you touched the bike. and adjust it?
I doubt canyon will be interested, IIRC checking headset adjustment is part of the normal pre ride/assembly check.
So, you mean that in the "absolute worst case", namely in the case that the headseat has much play / was very loose the carbon-fork frame would not have been damaged, right?
It's note great as you can damage the side of your headtube or put a score on your fork. As it gets loose, it'll feel notchy.
If goes full loose (lets say you break a spacer), I don't think it'll bind, as it doesn't have enough room. I think the worst cases are scoring your fork stem (which could eventually break, but I doubt it), breaking spacers, you hammer the bottom bearing into the fork, and destroying your bearings.
If goes full loose (lets say you break a spacer), I don't think it'll bind, as it doesn't have enough room. I think the worst cases are scoring your fork stem (which could eventually break, but I doubt it), breaking spacers, you hammer the bottom bearing into the fork, and destroying your bearings.
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If you could ride the bike then you would not have damaged anything. Very loose headset means the bike is unrideable. You simply wont make it round a bend. I have had steerer/stem combinations that have refused to be without play and no damage has ever occurred. My single speed MTB always has a small amount of headset play so that fork is going in the bin but again no issues. If a carbon steerer headset bearings on an MTB that is ridden fast off road can survive I don't think your steerer is going to be under too much stress.
Hi,
thank you everyone for the reply. This helps me much!
Anyway, I forgot to say that the headset is *without* fork crown race (https://imgur.com/a/RvcH4Bq): is this a relevant information for to answer my question? Is the answer the same?
thank you everyone for the reply. This helps me much!
Anyway, I forgot to say that the headset is *without* fork crown race (https://imgur.com/a/RvcH4Bq): is this a relevant information for to answer my question? Is the answer the same?
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