Bum Steer AKA Its Too Tight, Or Its Too Slack..

 I had a model cancel a shoot, which is annoying but comes with the territory. This presented an ideal opportunity to investigate some issues with my fixed gear winter/trainer’s recently replaced Aheadset.  

I’d pensioned off the long serving FSA, which had served faithfully for five fairly hard years. The lower race employed a cartridge bearing, the upper traditional balls, which keeps costs down, but I fancied something a little more refined, hence the Stronglight.  

However, despite having everything correctly aligned, it wouldn’t adjust properly. Removing slop meant tightening bearings to the point the bars would barely turn. Something was clearly very wrong, and I wondered if this was indicative of a more serious fork steerer issue.   

A full strip and diagnostic session followed. I dismissed the Gusset Uni-Lock Headlock, inspected the fork steerer, paying particular attention to the crown area and went the SFN (Star Fangled Nut) route.  

I then dismantled the headset and found while new, it was a “Franksenset”. One cobbled together from two superficially identical but ultimately, incompatible models (which in retrospect, explains the issues and why it was so cheap). The compression ring being a case in point. Given it was boxed and sealed, I had no reason to think anything was "off".  

Decision made. No sense attempting silk purse from sow’s ear. Might as well start again...The cartridge bearings would be useful but otherwise, I put it down to experience. Thankfully, I found a complete, sealed Olite I’d bought a while back. This also proved an ideal opportunity to use a tube of Park PPL grease that was splitting along the seams.  

Lashings of the tenacious green goo delivered to the cups and races-buttery smooth. New stem bolts, (since the Redshift Sports Shockstop Suspension Stem TEST & REVIEW REDSHIFT SPORTS SHOCKSTOP SUSPENSION STEM (sevendaycyclist.com)’s  were getting a little chewed) some fresh thread lock on the disc caliper mount hardware, some spacer-switching... 

Time consuming but formative checks confirmed things were broadly right, so I fine-tuned the preload and snugged the stem bolts to 5nms. Cane Creek SC5 CANE CREEK V BRAKE DROP BAR LEVERS | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com)lever engaged and several, neurotic rockings later, I couldn’t trace any slop, so tethered the K-Lite dynamo K LITE BIKEPACKER ULTRA DYNAMO LIGHT | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) cable to the Kinesis fork leg.  

Of course, I wasn't done there!  

Tyres inflated; pedals switched in favour of the Shimano XT, chain tension tweaked and finally, Motoverde PTFE Chain LubeMotoverde PTFE Chain Lube | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) stripped in favour of this Momum Mic Dry Lube. I finished by giving the frameset a light waxing, buffing with a micro fibre cloth, then popped it away.  

There’s a fine line between staying with something until you’ve got it sussed (and sorted) and quitting while ahead.  Sure enough, the following morning’s shakedown ride confirmed the bearings were a little too snug.  

 

Slackening the stem bolts, I loosened the pre-load by 16th turn, did the rocking back and forth test, then tightened the stem bolts to 5nms.  Cue loud (internal) cheer-it was 5.50am and I didn’t think my neighbours would be so appreciative, dare I say empathetic.  When it comes to bearings, headset and bottom brackets, I preside durability and weather sealing above weight and indeed price. Needle bearing models that displace loads were particular favourites.  

The Teenage Dream was originally built, (back in ‘91) with a Primax unit featuring these, which might seem strange given needle roller bearing models were a tourists’ choice and said machine was a sunny days, pared to the essential's plaything...I’ve run them up to very high mileages on traditional touring lorries but they’re also a good bet for bikes that regularly lug trailers and indeed, tag-alongs.  

Decent waterproof greases, including the Park, or White Lightning Crystal TESTED : WHITE LIGHTNING CRYSTAL GREASE (sevendaycyclist.com) certainly help extend service intervals, without shortening component life. Mudguards (Fenders) also make a big difference but if this isn’t an option for you, make a boot from old inner tube to protect the lower race.  

Obviously, being butyl go for a synthetic grease, rather than the old school lithium, or PTFE infused blends, since these will rot rubber-another consideration if headsets employ rubber seals.  Green Oil Eco Grease TWELVE MONTH TEST: GREEN OIL ECO GREASE (sevendaycyclist.com) is a surprisingly stoical alternative, albeit not rivalling the Park, or White Lightning blends discussed.  

Front Loaded

 I was hoping to find the other Schwalbe 365 and whip that on the new dyno hub wheel but no sign of it in the rafters. I was in the throes of switching to a Schwalbe Marathon Mondial but discovered the casing was rather weathered, permitting flints and other sharps inside. 26-inch mountain bike wheels have now lost their dominance, meaning supply is less plentiful. I was still seeking something rugged, so got quite excited by Schwalbe Land Cruiser (26x2.0)  

Being an active line model, it’s a wire bead and puncture resistance isn’t on par with the Marathon range, but we’ll see. Better a slightly lower spec than top drawer rubber past its puncture repelling prime. The other options were   Continental Ride Tour (26x1.75), which on paper offers a similar tread pattern but superior puncture resistance. Then of course, there’s Kenda Kwick Journey KS Plus KENDA KWICK JOURNEY TYRES | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com), which also comes in a 26x1.95 and in my experience, super dependable. One of these might replace the rear Schwalbe Marathon Mondial Dual Defense TEST & REVIEW: SCHWALBE MARATHON MONDIAL TYRES (sevendaycyclist.com) 

Several months down the line, I’m seriously impressed with how well the Peaty’s Speed Grease has stood up to the wet, greasy, and sometimes freezing conditions. I’d still stick with its Assembly Grease counterpart, when it comes to contact points, bottom bracket and pedal threads, hubs, and headsets-at least on winter, or working bikes. 

Nonetheless, a few months and a few thousand miles down the line, there’s plenty clinging to the Deore crankset’s splines and it’s also proving a great option for cantilever posts and of course, hybrid sprung/elastomer seat posts, including the Kinekt 2.1KINEKT 2.1 SUSPENSION SEAT POST | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com), which I retain a very soft spot for.  

Other than Cane Creek Thud Buster ST 3.0 TESTED: CANE CREEK THUDBUSTER ST SEATPOST (sevendaycyclist.com), it’s one of the only serious performance options for an older mountain bike frameset. Back to the grease, it hasn’t been dissolved by sudsy bucket washes and citrus type cleaners and degreasers, which I’ve used to strip caked-on slurry from the bottom bracket shell, strip chains.  

Bearings are another component easily overlooked.   

I am particularly fond of headsets with needle roller, or annular/cartridge bearings. Thus far, with regular regreasing and full-length guards, Ursula’s Stronglight O’Light LX Aheadset is still in good health, over six years later. However, these parts can often fail at the least convenient times and lead times are longer courtesy of a pandemic and Brexit. Therefore, I’ve acquired its steel stablemate, which is slightly heavier but theoretically, even more durable. It was also offered at a price I couldn’t resist.  

Easier than registering for a COVID booster shot online, too, although perseverance paid off and I’ve been booked in. The implications for skilled clinicians and related professions already overworked before the pandemic now stretched beyond breaking point is chilling. An unresponsive, indifferent government (One seemingly unable to manage a drinking session in a brewery, let alone a national crisis) is simply exacerbating the situation.    

By contrast, the Purple Extreme is doing its thing and no less than I’d expect from a lube of its genre. 100 miles in, and it's staying put, much like a wet lube in characteristics.  

In common with some other favourites, including Finish Line Cross Country, Bike Medicine also recommends it for cleats, seat post and handlebar hardware, brake and derailleur pivots, spoke nipples when wheel building, and cable housings. Not sure it’d be my first choice for derailleurs or brakes for that matter- a touch too thick by my reckoning but we’ll see. A trace on recessed Allen heads/similar fasteners would be a good bet, though.      

It’s good practice to strip drivetrains surgically clean before introducing any new lube but Purple Extreme is one of those with a solvent content that will cause any residual lube and contaminant to rise to the surface, rather than floating away, or consuming them. Will be interesting to see whether the Purple Extreme will extend the chain’s life, longer than the 1100miles I get from a typical 10speed KMC.