LOVE these bike repair step-by-step videos!!! You present very clearly how to make all of these repairs, making it possible for people like me to do all my repairs at a fraction of the cost of a bike shop! That said, shoutout to our local bike shops and all the repair services they provide! Not all of us can do this stuff!
Glad you're liking them, Michael. And yes, agreed, shout out to the LBS. They're enjoying a bit of a resurgence nowadays, what with the increased business from e-bikes. Long may it continue.
Awesome video. Covered everything in a straight forward, pedagogical manner. Loved that you cover the basics, but also the small stuff. The best vid on TH-cam about this operation 👏
Perfect video. Guided me step by step through servicing my headset. Turns out I need new bearings, but as a short term fix I was able to clean out and re-grease the old ones, they'll do until replacements arrive at which point i'll probably reload this vid to make sure I don't forget anything! Thanks Jon - liked and subscribed :)
Hi Neill, great to hear you found it useful 👍 The good thing with headset bearings is that they move neither fast nor far, so you can get away with doing exactly what you’ve done. Thanks Jon.
I like the detail you gave, such as the red and black bearing seals. None of the other videos mention that. I like your mannerism, too. I'm a Londoner but have been gone from the UK for forty-six years, and seldom hear a 'Limey' accent. It was great to listen to you. In 2016 I bought a new Specialized Fatboy. I do all my own wrenching since I fell out with a bike shop from whom I had bought three new bikes, and seven botch jobs. I decided to check the headset bearings and found some rust on the lower bearing, even though it had not been ridden in the rain, nor washed. I replaced both bearings and did a good job even though I say it, myself. What I'm looking for is information on swapping caged bearings for sealed bearings. I bought a new Izip bike last autumn and don't know what kind of bearings it has. I know the wheel bearings are individual balls. I think I'll bring the bike indoors to drop the fork. Florida is way too hot for working in the porch.
Great video Jon and you now have another Sub. I found this because I am going to replace my headset on a 2005 Bianchi ML3. Its still got the old HS which has retained ball bearings etc so can I as do I just need to buy cartridge bearings to replace them. My understanding is it is a integrated HS. Like you I am a big fan of Hambini and something he says among many things that has stayed with me is don't use to much grease on a bearing because it can impede the ball bearings from rolling. Love your tip about determining the chamfer you need on your bearing as well. Thanks again.
Hi 2 Wheels. Welcome onboard! Yep, that funny little fella from Grimsby sure knows his bearings!! I think the most important thing with headsets, is to let the water get out. Bianchi ML3..... Nice frame that 👍
Thank you for your good and detailed explanations. I really love watching your work, hearing your pleasant voice! I follow your channel although I consider myself to be a rather experienced bicycle craftsman. Nonetheless very often your tips and tricks are very useful. So thank you for that. Keep the good quality of your channel and ride safely!😊
Hi Matthias, Thank you for your kind words. I think we can always learn from each other. I enjoy watching other TH-camrs, and learn new stuff all the time. Thanks, Jon
I have the park grease that I used for changing BB on my Ribble. Was a doddle. On a totally different subject, I used this grease on a bath shower glass screen hinges that started to squeak, like I mean SQUEAK. Fixed it a treat. Like this video as it explains some does and don’ts on this particular bike maintenance. Well done that man. 👍
Hi Ribble valley, I have a Ribble R872 road bike. Having undone the top cap screw, I found another bolt round headed that the top cap screw screws into? and information saying torque to 8 n/M. I’ve got fresh bearings but decided not to go ahead before getting more information. Can you shed a light on this please.
That is just the steerer bung, it stays put, don’t touch it. Remove the top cap, and then loosen off the hex bolts on each side of your stem. Then just wiggle the stem upwards, and it’ll come off.
Hey - Just found your channel. Thanks so much for the very 'common man' information! Just brilliant. Well delivered info, and the links to the reasonable-quality, lower-priced tools you've found are an added bonus! Ride well!
I've been trying to find out the size of a bearing recently before actually taking it out to measure it. I emailed GT and had no response. Anytime I ever email GT I get no response or a useless answer after about 3 months. The card angle tip is a belter! It should have been so obvious but I'd never have thought of it! Cheers!
Nice to see you again mate, could of done with you a few months back had to get mine changed. My Orbea was like the pin, had a orange seal at bottom only 18 months and I’ve had them changed as knackard 😊
Good to hear from you mate. Yeah, bearings is one of the things most manufacturers scrimp on. You're welcome to bring your bike down to me at any time, we could do a video on it!!!!
@@ribblevalleycyclist I will do next time if that’s ok, but will warn you because all my cables are intergraded the hydraulic breaks runs right throw bearing so bit more work than a normal change. 👌😊
Should you be using a different grease for the top cap, something like Slickoleum? I thought a regular petroleum based assembly grease could potentially damage rubber seals.
Learned a lot in this video! Big thank you for sharing. Here's a quick question about the correct position for each bearing, which face of the bearing should rest on the frame if one of the sides has a chamfer?
Hi, glad you liked it. The chamfer faces away from the frame. To be honest, as long as the bearings are the correct size, you can’t really get it wrong, because it won’t fit together properly if they’re the wrong way round
25:40 I recommend to feel at the headset cap not at the hoods, as with disc brakes you might feel the pads moving.Other wise a great guide. Some brakes have massive play, some don't. If done correct as I mentioned it won't need to be readjusted. Also I recommend using Loctite 243 on the bolts to keep them secure as logn as possible. it keeps it secure, but possible to undo it. It's crucial in rapid temp changes. But some stems are useless even with that. But the particular stem in question was an MTB stem (Race Face Atlas) not road bike stem. ten mins in -10C and bar spun. For MTB I recommend Renthal Apex, it passed my test, it held on for many months, despite me taking it in and out between -10C and room temp. I've tested without, and it will come lose. I haven't tried the combo in this video so I don't know how well it works.
Agreed, brake movement can feel like a loose headset. I recall noticing this many years ago, when I did my first disc built. One of the best identifiers is movement between the headset tube and the top cap...... That'll confirm where the movement is coming from.
Excellent video. I do many of these tricks myself (especially photographing pats of the bike as I go.) I didn’t agree with everything, but only minor differences of opinion rather than anything major. Just 2 question. 5:03 Have you seen his headset service video on his channel? Do you consider it “a good job.” All the best and keep up the very informative videos. 👍🏻
Eyup, Reg, Good to hear from you. Yes, I have seen it. It’s not how I would’ve done it personally. The way I do it is as shown. May not be text-book, but I consider it good advice. Yes, I have seen it. Do I consider it a ‘Good job’?………… No. But then again, I suspect Hambini doesn’t either. I will however stick to what I said in my video, Hambini is passionate about quality bearings, and does make exceptionally good BB’s. And because of that, I feel his other ‘Off the shelf’ products will more than likely be of good quality, and therefore he can be trusted as a good supplier. I’m glad you enjoyed the video. You should watch some of my other content. I recently did a video on D.I.Y bearing hacks, that you may enjoy. I see you’re a Content Creator too…… I’ll go give you a binge-watch!! Thanks for watching, Jon
This is exactly the sort of video i was looking for. It's very well presented and informative. My only question, is how different all this will be on my 1980s DAWES racer?
Very very well covered thank you very much. Would you recommend replacing the compression ring as well when changing out the bearings? Any advice on doing all one can to avoid the ring of death? Carbon anti slip between the area where compression ring sits against the steerer tube?
Don't use any carbon anti-slip anywhere on this job. All parts need to be able to move freely. Just make sure everything is very clean, and then apply grease as suggested in the video. No need to replace the ring. Good luck with it.
Thanks for the great video with plenty of useful advices. I'm unable to remove the upper bearings from the headset insert. Some knocking from the inside on the bearings just split the 2 bearings parts apart, I can remove the bearings balls but not the inner part with seal which is remains stuck inside. Interesting is this is nearly brand new bike, problem seems to be caused by water which entered inside. Most of the bearings balls arent't shiny anymore, covered by rust. Some pick might be an option but I'm afraid it would require too excessive force. Maybe WD40 or something to disolve the rust might help.
Hi Jakub, That sounds really bad. I'll assume that the frame isn't carbon, so the inner cuo has bonded to the headset tube? Agreed, something like WD40 will be your best bet. Maybe soak kitchen towel in WD40, stuff it in the area, and leave to soak overnight.
This is a topic that has been debated for years. Some say petroleum based greases can cause issue, some say its a myth. I watched a Park tutorial once, and they said it causes damage and swelling. So my advice is to not take the risk, and just wipe it off.
This is fantastic. I was always told to pack the bearing with grease, this explains why I've been having problems. Have you ever tried one of the @Hambini bottom brackets?
Great vid! One question regarding your suggestion that the top bearing can be more heavily greased than the bottom....but isnt the bottom more liable to water ingress from below (spray from the front wheel) and also needs an equal amount of grease?
Good question, and a bit of an urban myth to be honest. Very little water, if any at all will actually make it's way to the bearing. The small amount that may make it to the outside of the bearing won't go any further. The small amount of grease, the bearing seal and our old friend gravity will stop it going any further and protect the bearing body from corrosion.
Nicely done video. Could you please provide more detail information about the difference between the upper and lower hambini bearing seals regard full seal and less than full contact seal. Prehaps I missed it when checking out the hambini website but I did not see any information in that regard. Some close up video shots or photos would be helpful. In your video you never mentioned anything in regard to raceway design. My tadpole trike uses Neco headsets. These headsets have angular contact bearings, which give both radial and axial support. This makes a lot of sense, but looking at the hambini bearings, it appears they are only designed for axial support?
Very good video informative. I Would like to say you, mentioned about not getting grease on the steer tube as you showed in your video you cleaned it very well but if that's the case why are you putting grease in the frame Where you put the bearings is that not carbon fibre also. I don't KNOW if your frame has alloy inserts pressed into the carbon,if thats the case then i can understand putting the grease there. So my point is that I've watched many videos and a few of them say not to put grease on the carbon because it can cause it to swell up. So who is correct? What do the manufactures say. I have a Cinelli Superstar,frame I'm building and would like too know.
Good point, well made Arno. First off, no, the frame doesn't have alloy inserts. It's all about damage limitation. If the bearing were to fail/seize, then it would rub against the frame, and cause irreparable damage, so I apply grease. However, I have been told by a few mechanics in the past that some of the additives in grease can, in theory, cause delamination between the epoxy and the carbon. Research shows arguments both for and against this. So, the way I see it, use a quality grease by a trusted manufacturer, and wipe if off where its not needed. Good luck with that build. 👍 Thanks again, Arno Jon
Any additional info on the seals that let water pass through? I'm having a hard time imagining water passing through the inside of the bearing and, as a result, washing out some of the grease which will result in a dead bearing anyway. The way I imagine packing the bottom bearing with grease is that water not mixing with grease and being lighter than water, can be just poured out with the inside of the bearing intact, should you ride in wet conditions/rain. Also, went to hambini's website you linked and couldn't find any mention about the seals they're using
There is now foolproof way of setting a headset up for foul weather, just good practice. My advice is to go with a full seal for the top bearing, and over-grease it. This will go some way to protect the whole headset, and prevent water ingress. For the bottom, use a non-contact seal bearing, so that if any water does get in, it’ll get out. But, yes, I agree, water will struggle to pass through the bearing, because of the grease within it. Because of this, apply just enough grease to aid installation, and prevent frame wear, should the bearing seize. This is done in the hope that any water that does get in, will pass around the bearing. This website offers some good advice: www.scribecycling.com/en-eu/blogs/journal/bearings-explained
Just pinch it up. No torque required. Too tight and you’ll damage the bearings. Just enough to get rid of the play, and then maybe another 1/8th to 1/4 turn.
Were there any AHEADSETS without topcap? Have about 20 yers old bike - no topcap, compression ring is just under the shims, open bearings inside, cane creek set.
Enjoy your energetic instruction. I'm about to build a bike frame using 1 5/8 tube. I'm thinking of using the same tube for the head/steering tube since it seems it would pair best with the rest of the frame. However, I doubt the make a bearing set for this size tube? Also, I'm wondering about the best way to set up an empty tube to accept a bearing set. I'm sure some method of keeping the bearings at the top and bottom will be required. Maybe a sleeve or some sort of bearing cup? Any advice on simple and cost effective ways to fabricate a steering tube bearing setup from scratch? Thanks. Subscribed. Robert
Glad you enjoyed it. Yes, the fork without the wheel only weights a few hundred grams, so it'll be fine. Just be careful not to pull it. If the hose fails, then there was a problem with the hose. Hope that helps. Jon
@@ribblevalleycyclist it makes sense for the carbon fork. I am changing headset bearings on my trekking bike with suspension fork, there I removed the brake from the fork. But the tip for greasing lower bearing is great!
Hi Geoff...... Welcome aboard! I don't really tell people about my channel, but a few have stumbled across it. Hope you're keeping well, mate. Thanks, Jon
@@dannyli5946 no, it’s too mild for the bearing in this video. If it’s a modern headset race like in this video, you’ll need a degreaser. But if it’s older individual bearings in a cup race, then you can use your Muc Off cleaner.
I have a trek session 9.9 frame and I'm searching for a 27.5 dual crown tapered fork which are apparently rare to find... Have you any experience with using a straight 1 1/8 on a tapered frame with headset conversion/adapters made by cane Creek etc?
Sadly my Lapierre eSensium with hydraulic brakes has the internal brake and gear cabling routed through the top of the headset. I understand therefore that, to replace the top bearings, the cables need to be removed and the front brakes bled. A far from straightforward job and beyond my capabilities I'm afraid. I can't decide whether to just replace the bottom bearings myself (they are well and truly cooked and the steering's grinding horribly, top bearings look OK from the outside) or pack the bike off to my LBS for the full (and presumably expensive) monty.
Trouble is my headset bearings are actually ballbearings held together by a ring , they’re not the modern type of bearing as shown headset I should say so how do I measure for that?
This is why I strip all my bikes back to the frame every week. Have done sine I was 6. I have 30 mint Mk1 Raleigh burners 2 Raleigh Eclipses, A Gran Sport. Plus many others Several have never been ridden.
13:58 I guess unless you ride with loose headset, I've seen people do it. no mud guard, blasting trough a puddle I see how that's feasible. So loose I would notice it while riding, unbearable, yet some don't notice anything is wrong, so in that case stuff might come in. But as I take care of my bikes it's not an issue I will lever have. Some headsets are pure junk, Like the Cane Creek branded cheap loose ball bearing headsets made by VP components, no proper cover just a weak plastic cover that bends, lets water in. makes the head tube look like someone took a poo on it. No amounts of grease helps on that one.all grease comes out, and it rusts. I'm glad I have proper headset and proper bike now.
16:28 I guess since Italians don't park bicycles outside (for fear of having them stolen) they do not worry to make things 100% water proof (or water discharging ...)
Bungie cord. Its so obvious now. Cheers, I always take something away from the Top Tips you dish out. The other one being the enjoyment of my power washer and Bilt Hamber Surfex (look it up) leads to premature destruction of my precious. Thanks again!
Hi Pigeon Poo. Glad you found it useful. Bilt Hamber Surfex....... Now that looks very interesting indeed 🤔🤔🤔. As I suggest in this latest video, I'm starting to rethink my workshop product supplier. I may give this a closer look. Thanks for the suggestion. Jon
They're not. It's just me being frustrated that I've gone to the bike with Hex, and it's got 'Stupid' Torx!! To be honest, it's a better system, less chance of rounding them off.
Hambini doesn't design bearings, he sells bearings for a living at a bearing dealer and has seen the opportunity to repack NKS bearings as his own at a overprice, easy to find all this online PS. Another great video
I wouldn't know to be honest, I don't know the man. As I said in the video, he makes bottom brackets, and these bearings he's supplied were just simple headset bearings....... which I think are a fair price, when compared to the rest of the retail market. I would however say that the website does suggest this product is exclusive to Hambini Engineering, of which I would have no knowledge either way. Glad you liked the video. 👍
Where do you get the idea that Hambini "sells bearings for a living at a bearing dealer"? He claims to be a licensed engineer working at Airbus, and given the penalties associated with falsely claiming to be a licensed engineer, I really doubt he would be lying. He started an online retail business selling bicycle bearings on the side, but it's not his day job and he is completely transparent about where he sources the bearings (primarily NTN, IIRC).
Really as that so? Working at Airbus? 🤣 well… if you call a bearing dealer in the midlands there’s a persons that answer the phones and sounds like hambine, don’t be sold by BS on the internet
4:50 Too bad Hambini refuses to admit when he's wrong about a bearing pullers not being able to remove bearings on a hub. It was a scandal. Of course they can pull out bearings, he claimed the puller can't do it as the bearing does not have a chamfer at the inside race, absurd claim. They all have to allow a puller to do it's job.
I bet you've never round off a Torx bolt, nor ever heard of someone else doing so. These are designed to handle more torque and be far less susceptible to rounding than hex bolts. I agree it's stupid to mix and match hex with Torx on a bike... but I'd prefer if they were all Torx.
Hi G, No, I haven't personally, but I know many that have, by either undoing them when there is mud/dirt in them, so the tool doesn't go in properly, or by attempting to undo them with a hex key.
Dealt with plenty of rounded torx bolts as a working mechanic, e-bike motor mounting bolts and rotor bolts especially. I don’t mind hex or torx but don’t pretend torx are perfect.
Thank you for your valued input. I'm also grateful to you that this was the first message I read this morning. My day will be better, now that I've been given your grammatical guidance. We are truly blessed to have people like yourself.
Fair point. The secondary close up film is known as B-Roll, which is something I do in most of my videos. However, in this one, I thought it wasn’t necessary. I stand corrected 👍
Hi, Top - Plenty of grease, to stop the water getting in. Bottom - A small amount rubbed into the bearing body to aid installation, and prevent rust. Headset bearings like shown in the video are not an interference fit (tight fit), they just slot into place. No specialist tools needed to remove/replace them. Hope that helps, and good luck with it 👍 Jon
@@davemoss6976 So you found my video useful, but instead of saying that, you chose to insult me by questioning my use of the English language......... Good luck with that bearing.
Finally someone that can make sense of things
Glad you liked it, it's always great to hear someone has found my content useful.
Thanks for watching.
Jon
LOVE these bike repair step-by-step videos!!! You present very clearly how to make all of these repairs, making it possible for people like me to do all my repairs at a fraction of the cost of a bike shop! That said, shoutout to our local bike shops and all the repair services they provide! Not all of us can do this stuff!
Glad you're liking them, Michael. And yes, agreed, shout out to the LBS. They're enjoying a bit of a resurgence nowadays, what with the increased business from e-bikes. Long may it continue.
Awesome video. Covered everything in a straight forward, pedagogical manner. Loved that you cover the basics, but also the small stuff. The best vid on TH-cam about this operation 👏
Glad you found it useful, Stuart. I really enjoyed doing that one 👍
By far the best video on stem maintenance I've seen. Brilliant!
Thanks for that, David, really appreciate it 👍
NOT a roadie but I loved this clip, Sir! Thank you for taking the time to explain just how simple the process is :D
You’re welcome 👍
7 minutes in, and I've subscribed. Great information, thank you!
Welcome onboard 👍👍
Perfect video. Guided me step by step through servicing my headset. Turns out I need new bearings, but as a short term fix I was able to clean out and re-grease the old ones, they'll do until replacements arrive at which point i'll probably reload this vid to make sure I don't forget anything! Thanks Jon - liked and subscribed :)
Hi Neill, great to hear you found it useful 👍 The good thing with headset bearings is that they move neither fast nor far, so you can get away with doing exactly what you’ve done. Thanks
Jon.
Watching you do stuff is almost therapeutic
Thanks 👍
I like the detail you gave, such as the red and black bearing seals. None of the other videos mention that. I like your mannerism, too. I'm a Londoner but have been gone from the UK for forty-six years, and seldom hear a 'Limey' accent. It was great to listen to you.
In 2016 I bought a new Specialized Fatboy. I do all my own wrenching since I fell out with a bike shop from whom I had bought three new bikes, and seven botch jobs. I decided to check the headset bearings and found some rust on the lower bearing, even though it had not been ridden in the rain, nor washed. I replaced both bearings and did a good job even though I say it, myself.
What I'm looking for is information on swapping caged bearings for sealed bearings. I bought a new Izip bike last autumn and don't know what kind of bearings it has. I know the wheel bearings are individual balls. I think I'll bring the bike indoors to drop the fork. Florida is way too hot for working in the porch.
I've looked at a few videos on this job.
Yours is easily the best.
Thanks
Wow, thanks! Glad it helped 👍
Great video Jon and you now have another Sub. I found this because I am going to replace my headset on a 2005 Bianchi ML3. Its still got the old HS which has retained ball bearings etc so can I as do I just need to buy cartridge bearings to replace them. My understanding is it is a integrated HS. Like you I am a big fan of Hambini and something he says among many things that has stayed with me is don't use to much grease on a bearing because it can impede the ball bearings from rolling. Love your tip about determining the chamfer you need on your bearing as well. Thanks again.
Hi 2 Wheels. Welcome onboard! Yep, that funny little fella from Grimsby sure knows his bearings!! I think the most important thing with headsets, is to let the water get out. Bianchi ML3..... Nice frame that 👍
Headset doesn’t turn that much so wouldn’t worry too much about overdoing the grease in this application.
Great tip on determining the angle of the bearing
The perfect instructional video, you’ve saved me many hours my friend. Thank you!
You’re welcome 👍
My friend, what an excellent explanation on bottom bearing!👍👍👍
Hi Tadej,
Glad you liked it! Thanks for watching.
Jon
Thank you for your good and detailed explanations. I really love watching your work, hearing your pleasant voice! I follow your channel although I consider myself to be a rather experienced bicycle craftsman. Nonetheless very often your tips and tricks are very useful. So thank you for that.
Keep the good quality of your channel and ride safely!😊
Hi Matthias,
Thank you for your kind words.
I think we can always learn from each other. I enjoy watching other TH-camrs, and learn new stuff all the time.
Thanks,
Jon
I have the park grease that I used for changing BB on my Ribble. Was a doddle. On a totally different subject, I used this grease on a bath shower glass screen hinges that started to squeak, like I mean SQUEAK. Fixed it a treat. Like this video as it explains some does and don’ts on this particular bike maintenance. Well done that man. 👍
I can report that it's also great for squeaky front gates 🤣. Glad you found it useful. 👍
Hi Ribble valley, I have a Ribble R872 road bike. Having undone the top cap screw, I found another bolt round headed that the top cap screw screws into? and information saying torque to 8 n/M. I’ve got fresh bearings but decided not to go ahead before getting more information. Can you shed a light on this please.
It’s like a bung that fits into the carbon headset. One of my Road club mates has shown me what it is does on his bike👍
That is just the steerer bung, it stays put, don’t touch it. Remove the top cap, and then loosen off the hex bolts on each side of your stem. Then just wiggle the stem upwards, and it’ll come off.
@@ribblevalleycyclist thank you for the confirmation .Yea that’s basically what my Road club mate has said. I always say ask if in doubt. 👍
Easily the best video I have found on this topic - thank you!
Hi Thomas, Glad you found it useful.
Thanks,
Jon
Hey - Just found your channel. Thanks so much for the very 'common man' information! Just brilliant. Well delivered info, and the links to the reasonable-quality, lower-priced tools you've found are an added bonus! Ride well!
Jon, this video gave me the knowledge and ability to change my headset bearing this week!!! Cheers
Hi Xxplosive. Great news. Not as hard as you thought I'd guess????
@@ribblevalleycyclist nowhere near as hard mate. The only difficult part was sizing the bearings as they weren't labelled
Loved that one, cheers. I'm heavy on headsets and very ham fisted so this was valuable advice.
Glad it helped 👍
Awesome. You simply nailed this repair guide. Thanks for all the tips and details.
No problem 👍
Very nicely explained. Happy to Hambini's logos on those bags!
Glad you enjoyed it. They're good bearings at a fair price.
I've been trying to find out the size of a bearing recently before actually taking it out to measure it. I emailed GT and had no response. Anytime I ever email GT I get no response or a useless answer after about 3 months. The card angle tip is a belter! It should have been so obvious but I'd never have thought of it! Cheers!
You're welcome 👍
Great video. My bearings are stuck on the bike and need some proper tool to take them out. So the video is for some special or super expensive bike
Excellent presentation, there’s a job going on the One Show apparently 😂
Crikey, can you imagine me doing that😂😂. Don’t think I’ve ever watched it
Nice to see you again mate, could of done with you a few months back had to get mine changed. My Orbea was like the pin, had a orange seal at bottom only 18 months and I’ve had them changed as knackard 😊
Good to hear from you mate. Yeah, bearings is one of the things most manufacturers scrimp on. You're welcome to bring your bike down to me at any time, we could do a video on it!!!!
@@ribblevalleycyclist I will do next time if that’s ok, but will warn you because all my cables are intergraded the hydraulic breaks runs right throw bearing so bit more work than a normal change. 👌😊
Should you be using a different grease for the top cap, something like Slickoleum? I thought a regular petroleum based assembly grease could potentially damage rubber seals.
Well explained as always…love your videos gives me confidence to do these jobs myself. 🙏🏻
Glad it gives you that confidence, that why I do them 👍
Learned a lot in this video! Big thank you for sharing.
Here's a quick question about the correct position for each bearing, which face of the bearing should rest on the frame if one of the sides has a chamfer?
Hi, glad you liked it. The chamfer faces away from the frame. To be honest, as long as the bearings are the correct size, you can’t really get it wrong, because it won’t fit together properly if they’re the wrong way round
I found your channel by chance and glad I did. Excellent, very informative and helpful video. I've subscribed.
Welcome aboard, Damien! 👍
25:40 I recommend to feel at the headset cap not at the hoods, as with disc brakes you might feel the pads moving.Other wise a great guide. Some brakes have massive play, some don't. If done correct as I mentioned it won't need to be readjusted. Also I recommend using Loctite 243 on the bolts to keep them secure as logn as possible. it keeps it secure, but possible to undo it. It's crucial in rapid temp changes. But some stems are useless even with that. But the particular stem in question was an MTB stem (Race Face Atlas) not road bike stem. ten mins in -10C and bar spun. For MTB I recommend Renthal Apex, it passed my test, it held on for many months, despite me taking it in and out between -10C and room temp. I've tested without, and it will come lose. I haven't tried the combo in this video so I don't know how well it works.
Agreed, brake movement can feel like a loose headset. I recall noticing this many years ago, when I did my first disc built. One of the best identifiers is movement between the headset tube and the top cap...... That'll confirm where the movement is coming from.
Excellent video. I do many of these tricks myself (especially photographing pats of the bike as I go.) I didn’t agree with everything, but only minor differences of opinion rather than anything major.
Just 2 question. 5:03
Have you seen his headset service video on his channel?
Do you consider it “a good job.”
All the best and keep up the very informative videos. 👍🏻
Eyup, Reg,
Good to hear from you.
Yes, I have seen it. It’s not how I would’ve done it personally. The way I do it is as shown. May not be text-book, but I consider it good advice.
Yes, I have seen it. Do I consider it a ‘Good job’?………… No. But then again, I suspect Hambini doesn’t either. I will however stick to what I said in my video, Hambini is passionate about quality bearings, and does make exceptionally good BB’s. And because of that, I feel his other ‘Off the shelf’ products will more than likely be of good quality, and therefore he can be trusted as a good supplier.
I’m glad you enjoyed the video. You should watch some of my other content. I recently did a video on D.I.Y bearing hacks, that you may enjoy.
I see you’re a Content Creator too…… I’ll go give you a binge-watch!!
Thanks for watching,
Jon
@@ribblevalleycyclist Thanks, I have and will continue to check out your content. 🙂👍🏻
@reginaldscot165 Cheers, Reg. will continue to watch your stuff too, like the way you call it out 👍
Some very useful information and assembly tips. Great video
Glad it was helpful!
This is exactly the sort of video i was looking for. It's very well presented and informative. My only question, is how different all this will be on my 1980s DAWES racer?
Glad you liked it. Chances are, the bearings will be either in a cage, or loose.
Very very well covered thank you very much. Would you recommend replacing the compression ring as well when changing out the bearings? Any advice on doing all one can to avoid the ring of death? Carbon anti slip between the area where compression ring sits against the steerer tube?
Don't use any carbon anti-slip anywhere on this job. All parts need to be able to move freely. Just make sure everything is very clean, and then apply grease as suggested in the video. No need to replace the ring. Good luck with it.
Awesome video. Can you please make a video of how to replace headseat bearings, if all cables are integrated in headset (with disc brakes)...
Good video, just curious why the front brake was on the right side?
That's a UK thing..... It's not just our cars we have on the wrong side 🤣
Thanks for the great video with plenty of useful advices.
I'm unable to remove the upper bearings from the headset insert. Some knocking from the inside on the bearings just split the 2 bearings parts apart, I can remove the bearings balls but not the inner part with seal which is remains stuck inside. Interesting is this is nearly brand new bike, problem seems to be caused by water which entered inside. Most of the bearings balls arent't shiny anymore, covered by rust.
Some pick might be an option but I'm afraid it would require too excessive force.
Maybe WD40 or something to disolve the rust might help.
Hi Jakub, That sounds really bad. I'll assume that the frame isn't carbon, so the inner cuo has bonded to the headset tube? Agreed, something like WD40 will be your best bet. Maybe soak kitchen towel in WD40, stuff it in the area, and leave to soak overnight.
22:30 I'm curious which ingrediens cause the carbo not swell, which greases are carbon safe? which are not?
This is a topic that has been debated for years. Some say petroleum based greases can cause issue, some say its a myth. I watched a Park tutorial once, and they said it causes damage and swelling. So my advice is to not take the risk, and just wipe it off.
This is fantastic. I was always told to pack the bearing with grease, this explains why I've been having problems. Have you ever tried one of the @Hambini bottom brackets?
Hi, Yeah, I was told the same thing in the early days. No, still waiting for #hambini @Hambini to send me one........ think I'll be waiting a while 😂😟
I packed the frame with grease. I'm pretty sure the cups were rotating in the frame for a while until they stuck
great video, nice and clear. I'm off to buy some of those wipes !
Enjoy the wipes 🤣
Great vid! One question regarding your suggestion that the top bearing can be more heavily greased than the bottom....but isnt the bottom more liable to water ingress from below (spray from the front wheel) and also needs an equal amount of grease?
Good question, and a bit of an urban myth to be honest. Very little water, if any at all will actually make it's way to the bearing. The small amount that may make it to the outside of the bearing won't go any further. The small amount of grease, the bearing seal and our old friend gravity will stop it going any further and protect the bearing body from corrosion.
Nicely done video. Could you please provide more detail information about the difference between the upper and lower hambini bearing seals regard full seal and less than full contact seal. Prehaps I missed it when checking out the hambini website but I did not see any information in that regard. Some close up video shots or photos would be helpful. In your video you never mentioned anything in regard to raceway design. My tadpole trike uses Neco headsets. These headsets have angular contact bearings, which give both radial and axial support. This makes a lot of sense, but looking at the hambini bearings, it appears they are only designed for axial support?
Very well explained informative video. Thank you. You've got a new subscriber.👍👌
Hi Chris. Glad you enjoyed it. Welcome onboard 👍
Very good video informative. I Would like to say you, mentioned about not getting grease on the steer tube as you showed in your video you cleaned it very well but if that's the case why are you putting grease in the frame Where you put the bearings is that not carbon fibre also.
I don't KNOW if your frame has alloy inserts pressed into the carbon,if thats the case then i can understand putting the grease there.
So my point is that I've watched many videos and a few of them say not to put grease on the carbon because it can cause it to swell up. So who is correct?
What do the manufactures say.
I have a Cinelli Superstar,frame I'm building and would like too know.
Good point, well made Arno. First off, no, the frame doesn't have alloy inserts. It's all about damage limitation. If the bearing were to fail/seize, then it would rub against the frame, and cause irreparable damage, so I apply grease. However, I have been told by a few mechanics in the past that some of the additives in grease can, in theory, cause delamination between the epoxy and the carbon. Research shows arguments both for and against this. So, the way I see it, use a quality grease by a trusted manufacturer, and wipe if off where its not needed.
Good luck with that build. 👍
Thanks again, Arno
Jon
Any additional info on the seals that let water pass through? I'm having a hard time imagining water passing through the inside of the bearing and, as a result, washing out some of the grease which will result in a dead bearing anyway. The way I imagine packing the bottom bearing with grease is that water not mixing with grease and being lighter than water, can be just poured out with the inside of the bearing intact, should you ride in wet conditions/rain. Also, went to hambini's website you linked and couldn't find any mention about the seals they're using
There is now foolproof way of setting a headset up for foul weather, just good practice. My advice is to go with a full seal for the top bearing, and over-grease it. This will go some way to protect the whole headset, and prevent water ingress. For the bottom, use a non-contact seal bearing, so that if any water does get in, it’ll get out. But, yes, I agree, water will struggle to pass through the bearing, because of the grease within it. Because of this, apply just enough grease to aid installation, and prevent frame wear, should the bearing seize. This is done in the hope that any water that does get in, will pass around the bearing.
This website offers some good advice:
www.scribecycling.com/en-eu/blogs/journal/bearings-explained
is there a kind of ballpark value for the max torque when fitting the top cap screw?
Just pinch it up. No torque required. Too tight and you’ll damage the bearings. Just enough to get rid of the play, and then maybe another 1/8th to 1/4 turn.
Were there any AHEADSETS without topcap? Have about 20 yers old bike - no topcap, compression ring is just under the shims, open bearings inside, cane creek set.
Enjoy your energetic instruction. I'm about to build a bike frame using 1 5/8 tube. I'm thinking of using the same tube for the head/steering tube since it seems it would pair best with the rest of the frame. However, I doubt the make a bearing set for this size tube? Also, I'm wondering about the best way to set up an empty tube to accept a bearing set. I'm sure some method of keeping the bearings at the top and bottom will be required. Maybe a sleeve or some sort of bearing cup? Any advice on simple and cost effective ways to fabricate a steering tube bearing setup from scratch? Thanks. Subscribed. Robert
Great video! Do you think it's healthy to suspend fork just on hydraulic cable and let it dangling around?
Glad you enjoyed it. Yes, the fork without the wheel only weights a few hundred grams, so it'll be fine. Just be careful not to pull it. If the hose fails, then there was a problem with the hose. Hope that helps.
Jon
@@ribblevalleycyclist it makes sense for the carbon fork. I am changing headset bearings on my trekking bike with suspension fork, there I removed the brake from the fork. But the tip for greasing lower bearing is great!
SUPERB VIDEO EXPLANATION!!!!
Thanks, Bernardo2363 . Glad you liked it! 👍
Great video Jon, very informative. Just found your channel and subscribed.
Hi Geoff...... Welcome aboard! I don't really tell people about my channel, but a few have stumbled across it. Hope you're keeping well, mate.
Thanks,
Jon
Awesome detailed instructions
Thanks, Julian, Glad you liked it 👍
At what point do you loosen the pinch bolts and retighten them?
Hello, should I use grease or oil base lube for head tube bearing ball inside. Thank you for your answer
Hi, you need to use grease, as water will eventually wash away lighter oils.
@@ribblevalleycyclist how I should clean it properly, can I use mud off cleaner ?
@@dannyli5946 Ideally, you need to use a degreaser. Muc Off degreaser, or any other spirit or alcohol based cleaner will do.
@@ribblevalleycyclist normal muc off wash cleaner is not good enough?
@@dannyli5946 no, it’s too mild for the bearing in this video. If it’s a modern headset race like in this video, you’ll need a degreaser. But if it’s older individual bearings in a cup race, then you can use your Muc Off cleaner.
You know your bikes well mate
Cheers, Steve. It’s only taken me 53 years 😂😂
when did we see you put the block back in the stem?
Pretty basic process, specific to that type of stem only.
Thanks Jon, I've been using a synthetic grease on my bearings and other bike parts,do you think this would be ok for the frame?
Agreed. I like an old-fashioned petroleum based grease, but synthetic is better in many ways
I have a trek session 9.9 frame and I'm searching for a 27.5 dual crown tapered fork which are apparently rare to find... Have you any experience with using a straight 1 1/8 on a tapered frame with headset conversion/adapters made by cane Creek etc?
That was very helpful, thanks mate!
You’re welcome. Glad you found it useful 👍
Sadly my Lapierre eSensium with hydraulic brakes has the internal brake and gear cabling routed through the top of the headset. I understand therefore that, to replace the top bearings, the cables need to be removed and the front brakes bled. A far from straightforward job and beyond my capabilities I'm afraid. I can't decide whether to just replace the bottom bearings myself (they are well and truly cooked and the steering's grinding horribly, top bearings look OK from the outside) or pack the bike off to my LBS for the full (and presumably expensive) monty.
The park tool grease gun can also put alot of grease if you want
Trouble is my headset bearings are actually ballbearings held together by a ring , they’re not the modern type of bearing as shown headset I should say so how do I measure for that?
“Oversize” 5/32” 22 ball retainer is the most common size
unreal video, learnt a shit ton
Good stuff, glad you found it useful 👍
This is why I strip all my bikes back to the frame every week. Have done sine I was 6. I have 30 mint Mk1 Raleigh burners 2 Raleigh Eclipses, A Gran Sport. Plus many others Several have never been ridden.
Amazing way to explain and break everything down.. Thank you! 🫵🏼💯👍🏼🫡
You're welcome!
Subscribed
Fantastic , great tips .
Glad it was helpful!
Great video. New subscriber.
Thanks for the sub!
13:58 I guess unless you ride with loose headset, I've seen people do it. no mud guard, blasting trough a puddle I see how that's feasible. So loose I would notice it while riding, unbearable, yet some don't notice anything is wrong, so in that case stuff might come in. But as I take care of my bikes it's not an issue I will lever have.
Some headsets are pure junk, Like the Cane Creek branded cheap loose ball bearing headsets made by VP components, no proper cover just a weak plastic cover that bends, lets water in. makes the head tube look like someone took a poo on it. No amounts of grease helps on that one.all grease comes out, and it rusts. I'm glad I have proper headset and proper bike now.
And this is why bikes should come with semi or fully external cabling / hoses, regardless of whether they've got di2 👍
It's a good point. Personally, I prefer external..... Looks more traditional.
Excellent
Thanks
16:28 I guess since Italians don't park bicycles outside (for fear of having them stolen) they do not worry to make things 100% water proof (or water discharging ...)
Brilliant 👍
Brilliant video, +1 sub
3:43 not a vernier if its digital
Bungie cord. Its so obvious now. Cheers, I always take something away from the Top Tips you dish out. The other one being the enjoyment of my power washer and Bilt Hamber Surfex (look it up) leads to premature destruction of my precious. Thanks again!
Hi Pigeon Poo.
Glad you found it useful.
Bilt Hamber Surfex....... Now that looks very interesting indeed 🤔🤔🤔. As I suggest in this latest video, I'm starting to rethink my workshop product supplier. I may give this a closer look.
Thanks for the suggestion.
Jon
Oh this is good. Very good
Thank you 👍
❤ me some Hambini
"The bike was invented way before the torque wrench" 🙂👍
Technically, I was wrong there. According to Google, it's only about 40 years between the two 🤣🤣🤣🤣
4:05 Why are Torx stupid?
They're not. It's just me being frustrated that I've gone to the bike with Hex, and it's got 'Stupid' Torx!! To be honest, it's a better system, less chance of rounding them off.
Its the hardest bearing to replace for me. I have to reroute the cable and bleed the brakes because of one piece bar and stem shit.
Internally routed then...... they're a nightmare. You should try building them 🙁
@@ribblevalleycyclist I built mine. Its horrible.
Crown race doesn't usually have a split in it.
A lot of headsets have split crown races, easier to fit and remove. Hope, cane creek etc.
Why have you got the camera a mile away when inserting the bearings etc?
Because it’s a simple affair that isn’t worth filming
Awesome
Thanks 👍
Hambini doesn't design bearings, he sells bearings for a living at a bearing dealer and has seen the opportunity to repack NKS bearings as his own at a overprice, easy to find all this online PS. Another great video
I wouldn't know to be honest, I don't know the man. As I said in the video, he makes bottom brackets, and these bearings he's supplied were just simple headset bearings....... which I think are a fair price, when compared to the rest of the retail market. I would however say that the website does suggest this product is exclusive to Hambini Engineering, of which I would have no knowledge either way. Glad you liked the video. 👍
Where do you get the idea that Hambini "sells bearings for a living at a bearing dealer"? He claims to be a licensed engineer working at Airbus, and given the penalties associated with falsely claiming to be a licensed engineer, I really doubt he would be lying. He started an online retail business selling bicycle bearings on the side, but it's not his day job and he is completely transparent about where he sources the bearings (primarily NTN, IIRC).
Really as that so? Working at Airbus? 🤣 well… if you call a bearing dealer in the midlands there’s a persons that answer the phones and sounds like hambine, don’t be sold by BS on the internet
@@Frostbikerhe was an aerospace engineer in the past afaik. Don’t know if it was at Airbus.
4:50 Too bad Hambini refuses to admit when he's wrong about a bearing pullers not being able to remove bearings on a hub. It was a scandal. Of course they can pull out bearings, he claimed the puller can't do it as the bearing does not have a chamfer at the inside race, absurd claim. They all have to allow a puller to do it's job.
I use one in this video:
th-cam.com/video/nji1dw2UWTI/w-d-xo.html
Muy loco....no enseña la marca del producto
I bet you've never round off a Torx bolt, nor ever heard of someone else doing so. These are designed to handle more torque and be far less susceptible to rounding than hex bolts. I agree it's stupid to mix and match hex with Torx on a bike... but I'd prefer if they were all Torx.
Hi G,
No, I haven't personally, but I know many that have, by either undoing them when there is mud/dirt in them, so the tool doesn't go in properly, or by attempting to undo them with a hex key.
Dealt with plenty of rounded torx bolts as a working mechanic, e-bike motor mounting bolts and rotor bolts especially. I don’t mind hex or torx but don’t pretend torx are perfect.
@AnotherMrLizard Agreed Adam. There is some kind of miscommunication that Torx is infallible
I think the old design of headset was better and I suspect many would agree.
It’s a Fork. Singular for Christ Sake!! 😂 do you eat with a Knife and Forks??
Thank you for your valued input. I'm also grateful to you that this was the first message I read this morning. My day will be better, now that I've been given your grammatical guidance. We are truly blessed to have people like yourself.
Why would you film this from the other side of the room. You don't actually see the headset at all. Just an improvement idea for future videos.
Fair point. The secondary close up film is known as B-Roll, which is something I do in most of my videos. However, in this one, I thought it wasn’t necessary. I stand corrected 👍
So you want to pack grease on the top and not on the bottom.
Don't you need to use a headset press to press it in place again
Hi,
Top - Plenty of grease, to stop the water getting in.
Bottom - A small amount rubbed into the bearing body to aid installation, and prevent rust.
Headset bearings like shown in the video are not an interference fit (tight fit), they just slot into place. No specialist tools needed to remove/replace them.
Hope that helps, and good luck with it 👍
Jon
@@ribblevalleycyclist yes it does
That bearing ffffffor the bin lll
Depends on the bike…….
Nobody knows their spacers? I know I have 70mm to account for. Whatever my stem stack height is, subtract from 70 and that's my spacers. 😂
Has Hambini stopped sexually harassing female cycling presenters? After what he did to Michell Arthur-Brennans, I would not use his product if free.
Yeah, I remember that.....AWKWARD!!! Not the best day for him. Think he deleted that one in the end.
stop adding of when you say off
Not sure what you mean
@@ribblevalleycyclist you take the bearing off the fork, not off of the fork
Did you find the video useful, or informative?
@@ribblevalleycyclist yes, but the outer race of my lower bearing is stuck in the frame and I cannot budge it.😞
@@davemoss6976 So you found my video useful, but instead of saying that, you chose to insult me by questioning my use of the English language......... Good luck with that bearing.
Such bull. Forks didn't only not fall, they held, must be nice his bikes come apart so easily.
Not sure what you're actually saying.
Все отлично показано но погоня за деньгами в виде рекламы это ужасно сейчас всем нужны деньги так что лучше давай по ДЕЛУ у тебя лучше выходит .