I taught I could find all the answers to bikes' problems by watching partool clips mainly. I loved every little bit of your teaching technique; the diagram was great and so were your demos; I am a cheap bastard too and might be able to now fix my loose headset on my costum build bike, thank you so much.
7 months after that it's just helped me a ton. I'm building a Pro Performer 26 and never messed with a threadless set up as all of my bikes are mid 80's. Thanks this was very helpful
@@WheeliePete Watching in 2019. I have also benefited from your expertise and timeless relevance! I'm building an ebike with zero experience with bicycle parts and maintenance. Thank you for your excellent info, man. 👌
Thank you sir for having the best instructional/explanation video on threadless headsets. I work on cars primarily and just began my bicycle journey and currently learning everything about bikes. This video filled all the gaps in my knowledge about headsets.
I don't know squat about bikes, but noticed this issue on my wife's bike and headed to the net for an answer. Your video showed exactly what I needed and now her ride is back in business, thanks to you!
When I bought my bike a year ago, the guys in the shop baffled me with instructions about how to move the spacers above and below my stem and what order I needed to tighten stuff. I didn't understand it, so I didn't remember it. Your video however explained it well, so I now understand what on earth they were attempting to explain. Thanks!
Like you I "like to understand how something works before I mess with it". It's a great goal and has served me well over the years. Also got me into bits and bobs of trouble too!
The only video that I could really understand and has helped me to fix my headset. Very well explained and I now know how the different components works as well as how to adjust it. Thanks a lot!
Nice one WheeliePete. Great having that overview at the beginning especially - I've been running two 531 bikes since the late eighties, threaded headsets of course - really good to fill in the gaps in my knowledge now I'm updating. Thanks.
I worked in bike shops for years, and during the most recent time was when threadless sets came out. I never actually had to do anything with any of them, as they were seemingly always properly lubed & adjusted right out of the crate. Now I'm semi-retired & have a threadless set acting up on a fatty that showed up in my home shop about a week ago. Thanks for giving all the necessary info in an easy format! Great video!
Great video. This is the first video that goes to great lengths to explain why a threadless fork doesn't fall out of the head tube. It all makes perfect sense now!
This is wonderful. I was completely stuck and looking for ages for how to stop my headset from rattling. Such a brilliant simple video and now my bike is perfect :). Thank you!
Thanks for the information. I rode in the late '70's & early '80's, and still have one of my bikes from then. I've watched the technology change from afar and think some of it is really great. Brake lever shifters are awesome. You need to have your hands near the brakes at all times, how cool to have them also function as shifters. The worst part of the old fork/stem system was you had to loosen a brake cable to remove the handlebar. Making a stem w/ a removable clamp plate is awesome.
Excellent video!!! I spent an 60 minutes on my own trying to figure this out..then took it to a bike shop and paid $11.00 for what was an easy 2:00 minute job. Thank you for the information!!
I am building my own bike and have been looking for information like this. Your video is one of the best because you explain how it works, which I agree with you on, is as important as how to. Well done and many thanx,
Love your videos. I am a old guy that is a newbie to long distance touring, I have learned more about bikes in the last few weeks watching your videos than I have learned in the last 50 years. Much appreciated.
Being somewhat new to bike mechanics and DIY, you probably just saved my bike from being damaged and surely saved me a ton of frustration on something that turned out to be really simple. Thank you for this video!
Very many thanks. I'm in the process of building a bike for the first time. You have unravelled the mystery of the simple mechanism brilliantly. It was like being hit by a belt of lightning.
I just bought a specialized bike on Craigslist and didn't notice the loose neck until I got home. I'm new to bikes but love fixing cars and figured there had to be a youtube video for this. Thanks for the info, I was able to fix it and feel much better about my purchase.
Very helpful. Just tackled my first bike with threadless headset, a '93 Trek 5900 with 1" steerer tube. Needed to replace the original 140mm Ibis titanium stem with a shorter contemporary stem (FSA 90mm), step-up shim, new compact drops, etc. The video helped clarify some text based tutorials I'd read about preload, the function of the star nut, etc.
Thanks, Wheelie Pete...your vid "Wheelie" helped a lot ! The introduction on how the headset works was a great help. The vital details concerning "compression" led to the resolution of my problem...these detals were lacking in some of the other "intructional " vids !
After getting back into cycling after a 20+ year layoff, I find these videos very helpful. My TREK 7300FX is just a tad more advanced then the old Norco Montery SL I rode back in 1987! The new stuff is so easy for me to work on myself "I'm a motorcycle mechanic as well" but it's good to have videos like these as a reference as I'm not a fan of hidden surprises.
I watched several other videos prior to viewing this one. I learned little from those vids and struggled with my first headset/fork replacement. Two minutes and thirty seconds into this video, I knew enough about how the damn system works to go and figure it out! Thank you a million times over for drawing the diagram and making and sharing this video and for explaining how to adjust the bearing preload.
Excellent video! The intro diagram and explanation of the mechanics makes sense of the whole process. Most jump right to the "how to" section which provides no basis for understanding the fundamentals. Now I will be more hands on with all my bikes.
Excellent video. I like how you explain how the threadless headset system mechanically works on the whiteboard before adjusting the actual thing. Thank you very much, very useful!
Good video. I tried to adjust the spacers on my stem some weeks ago and was noticing a wiggle in there yesterday. This video helped me fix that. I admit I'm a bike maintenance noob but I'm learning. Thank you.
Best headset adjustment video I've come across so far, extremely informative. Now I can adjust my wife's loose headset like I know what I know what I'm doing, many thanks!
Thanks for posting this video.I was having problems with the preload adjustment on my mountain bike headset so I thought I'd look on here.As soon as you explained how to adjust the headset I realised I was missing a spacer. Thanks!
I gotta say, really excellent video. Well-explained, in depth, well thought-out. I wish more 'instructional' videos actually instructed, as this one does. Thanks WilliePete!
Really like the exposition of the Plug type pre-load device, over the Star-fangled nut type. Got a fork, and found that it's already fitted with a Plug-type, made by "T.H. Industries" Great video!
Thanks, this was incredibly helpful. I've read the headset sections in several books, but it didn't really make sense until I saw your video. Thanks for taking the time to make this!
thanks, that was my problem. Mine was loose but i tightened the bars first, after watching your video I went back and adjusted it properly and its good as new, thanks a bunch :)
Very helpful; thanks. It's clear now that I had been pre-loading my steerer tube a little too much by torquing the cap down to 5Nm, like the stem itself. Following your instructions and tightening the cap only a little until everything was snug, I see more (good) play in the steerer. Perhaps I'll be able to cycle no-handed a little more easily now ;-)
Thanks for your video it helped me.for me as a noob with bikes and bought a scott genius 740 2013 I'm so happy to find this video that showed me on easy way to fix my headset after it was loose. I had just changed headset cap and spacer then had the lose part when I took the front brake and shakes the bike front and back and now it's fixed. sorry my English. I'm from Denmark :)
Thanks so much for this vid. I just spent hours trying to adjust a new head set, thought i´d done it wrong cos it was loose, couldn´t get it tight, and i just couldn´t work out why, then found this vid and it all became clear. I´d always thought the top cap was just that, a cap! Now it´s sorted, Thankyou!!
Thank you, your video helped me tremendously! After I replaced stem last year, headset was loose no matter how much i tightened it. I didn't know what to do... When you explained how it suppose to compress headset I immediately realized that top cap was too high (not touching stem). I got 5mm spacer and it did it!!!
great video, lots of videos on here don't show the anchor etc and how it compresses the spacers - i had to learn all this the hard way a few years back on my new bike, thanks!
thank you so much. i was intimidated by the idea of adjusting my headset (i'm definitely hearing that creaking noise!) but after watching this video i feel pretty confident that i can do this now. thanks so much!
Great video! I was about to skip your first part like you described, but so glad I didn't. Your diagram took all the blackmagic out of thread less headset! Thanks!
I wish all instructional videos were like this and gave a thorough explanation of how things work.
"Understand how something works before you go and fix it." Truer words have never been spoken
I taught I could find all the answers to bikes' problems by watching partool clips mainly. I loved every little bit of your teaching technique; the diagram was great and so were your demos; I am a cheap bastard too and might be able to now fix my loose headset on my costum build bike, thank you so much.
Excellent video WheeliePete. You were ahead of your time considering this video was made 12 years ago.
7 years after this video came out and its still helping folks out - thanks!
That's been my basic focus on my channel and videos I make. I've tried to make videos that will continue to be relevant for a long time. :-)
7 months after that it's just helped me a ton. I'm building a Pro Performer 26 and never messed with a threadless set up as all of my bikes are mid 80's. Thanks this was very helpful
@@WheeliePete Watching in 2019. I have also benefited from your expertise and timeless relevance! I'm building an ebike with zero experience with bicycle parts and maintenance. Thank you for your excellent info, man. 👌
@@WheeliePete Thank you. After ten years it's still helping people ☺️
Thank you sir for having the best instructional/explanation video on threadless headsets. I work on cars primarily and just began my bicycle journey and currently learning everything about bikes. This video filled all the gaps in my knowledge about headsets.
Thank you especially for the break down of how the parts work at the end of the video.
I don't know squat about bikes, but noticed this issue on my wife's bike and headed to the net for an answer. Your video showed exactly what I needed and now her ride is back in business, thanks to you!
9 years and still a brilliantly explained and complete tutorial. A much watch for the home mechanic.
Subscribed and like!👍
Thank you, I've been all over the net trying to find out what you just made clear.
When I bought my bike a year ago, the guys in the shop baffled me with instructions about how to move the spacers above and below my stem and what order I needed to tighten stuff. I didn't understand it, so I didn't remember it. Your video however explained it well, so I now understand what on earth they were attempting to explain. Thanks!
Nine years now and still relevant to doing the headset dance of fear. Thanks Wheelie Pete your a cool dude.
Fantastic video! You're a hero for doing this, everything I needed to know and more, thank you!
Like you I "like to understand how something works before I mess with it". It's a great goal and has served me well over the years. Also got me into bits and bobs of trouble too!
Thank you, helped me 8 yrs after you posted. Cheers
Three minutes of your video completely solved my issues. Thanks a ton for the thorough lesson!
The only video that I could really understand and has helped me to fix my headset. Very well explained and I now know how the different components works as well as how to adjust it. Thanks a lot!
Nice one WheeliePete. Great having that overview at the beginning especially - I've been running two 531 bikes since the late eighties, threaded headsets of course - really good to fill in the gaps in my knowledge now I'm updating. Thanks.
I worked in bike shops for years, and during the most recent time was when threadless sets came out. I never actually had to do anything with any of them, as they were seemingly always properly lubed & adjusted right out of the crate. Now I'm semi-retired & have a threadless set acting up on a fatty that showed up in my home shop about a week ago. Thanks for giving all the necessary info in an easy format! Great video!
This is one of the best headset adjustment tutorials video. Well done!
Great video. This is the first video that goes to great lengths to explain why a threadless fork doesn't fall out of the head tube. It all makes perfect sense now!
Your explanation (detail) sets a new standard for Yotube (and probably beyond). Well done.
This is wonderful. I was completely stuck and looking for ages for how to stop my headset from rattling. Such a brilliant simple video and now my bike is perfect :). Thank you!
Thanks for the information. I rode in the late '70's & early '80's, and still have one of my bikes from then. I've watched the technology change from afar and think some of it is really great. Brake lever shifters are awesome. You need to have your hands near the brakes at all times, how cool to have them also function as shifters. The worst part of the old fork/stem system was you had to loosen a brake cable to remove the handlebar. Making a stem w/ a removable clamp plate is awesome.
This was the best video I have seen on thread less headsets. Thank you for including an explanation on the anchor bolt and how it works!!! Awesome!!!
Excellent video!!! I spent an 60 minutes on my own trying to figure this out..then took it to a bike shop and paid $11.00 for what was an easy 2:00 minute job. Thank you for the information!!
Thank you very much for sharing this information. Your are a fantastic teacher! Your instruction and information has helped me so much.
one of the best videos out there. So much explanation and detail. Extremely helpful
You helped me A LOT , I changed the riser and didn't realize the spacers were that important for cassette adjustment.
Thank you
This is a very informative and helpful video. Now I know much more about the headset and how to adjust with confidence.
I am building my own bike and have been looking for information like this. Your video is one of the best because you explain how it works, which I agree with you on, is as important as how to. Well done and many thanx,
Love your videos. I am a old guy that is a newbie to long distance touring, I have learned more about bikes in the last few weeks watching your videos than I have learned in the last 50 years. Much appreciated.
Being somewhat new to bike mechanics and DIY, you probably just saved my bike from being damaged and surely saved me a ton of frustration on something that turned out to be really simple. Thank you for this video!
Very many thanks. I'm in the process of building a bike for the first time. You have unravelled the mystery of the simple mechanism brilliantly. It was like being hit by a belt of lightning.
thats the best video ive seen on the correct way to tighten the stem,easy to understand and very very helpfull.Thank you.
This is fantastic. Clearest, most informative video on the subject. Thank you.
I just bought a specialized bike on Craigslist and didn't notice the loose neck until I got home. I'm new to bikes but love fixing cars and figured there had to be a youtube video for this. Thanks for the info, I was able to fix it and feel much better about my purchase.
one of the best how-to videos there is. thanks man, saved me a 10 mile trip to a LBS. Two thumbs up!
Very helpful. Just tackled my first bike with threadless headset, a '93 Trek 5900 with 1" steerer tube. Needed to replace the original 140mm Ibis titanium stem with a shorter contemporary stem (FSA 90mm), step-up shim, new compact drops, etc. The video helped clarify some text based tutorials I'd read about preload, the function of the star nut, etc.
Thanks, Wheelie Pete...your vid "Wheelie" helped a lot ! The introduction on how the headset works was a great help. The vital details concerning "compression" led to the resolution of my problem...these detals were lacking in some of the other "intructional " vids !
After getting back into cycling after a 20+ year layoff, I find these videos very helpful. My TREK 7300FX is just a tad more advanced then the old Norco Montery SL I rode back in 1987!
The new stuff is so easy for me to work on myself "I'm a motorcycle mechanic as well" but it's good to have videos like these as a reference as I'm not a fan of hidden surprises.
I watched several other videos prior to viewing this one. I learned little from those vids and struggled with my first headset/fork replacement. Two minutes and thirty seconds into this video, I knew enough about how the damn system works to go and figure it out! Thank you a million times over for drawing the diagram and making and sharing this video and for explaining how to adjust the bearing preload.
Excellent video! The intro diagram and explanation of the mechanics makes sense of the whole process. Most jump right to the "how to" section which provides no basis for understanding the fundamentals. Now I will be more hands on with all my bikes.
Pete, you're not cheap, but being diligent! Love this educational video without annoying noise...
One of the most informative and understandable videos I've seen on RUclips. Well-done.
Excelent video, I expected a bunch of fluff due to the length but ended up learned a LOT of useful stuff. Thank you!
Excellent video. I like how you explain how the threadless headset system mechanically works on the whiteboard before adjusting the actual thing. Thank you very much, very useful!
Thanks! Just got my headset worked out with your help.
Good video. I tried to adjust the spacers on my stem some weeks ago and was noticing a wiggle in there yesterday. This video helped me fix that. I admit I'm a bike maintenance noob but I'm learning. Thank you.
Thanks for the video. Just bought my first bike with a threadless headset and this is exactly the primer I needed!
Thanks for making this. I like the beginning part where you explained how the headset is put together.
Great video and great explanation. Help me 10 years after your release.
Very nice video wheeliePete. You do an amazing job of explaining things with some depth but keeping it easy to follow and not long winded.
Great information and came in very handy as my Son and I were heading out for a bike ride when we encountered this problem on his bike...Thank you!
Your video just saved me a visit to my local bike shop. Thank you so much!
Finally.. someone who really knows the subject.. Thanks.
Best headset adjustment video I've come across so far, extremely informative. Now I can adjust my wife's loose headset like I know what I know what I'm doing, many thanks!
Greeat information for people like me, that want to know how the headset works and how to do the adjustment.
Thanks for posting.
I bought a bicycle in pieces and it’s daunting figuring out how to put it all together. I feel like I understand the headset now, thanks for the help.
Thanks for posting this video.I was having problems with the preload adjustment on my mountain bike headset so I thought I'd look on here.As soon as you explained how to adjust the headset I realised I was missing a spacer.
Thanks!
I gotta say, really excellent video. Well-explained, in depth, well thought-out. I wish more 'instructional' videos actually instructed, as this one does. Thanks WilliePete!
Really like the exposition of the Plug type pre-load device, over the Star-fangled nut type. Got a fork, and found that it's already fitted with a Plug-type, made by "T.H. Industries" Great video!
Great video, detailed and clear, I never fully understood the whole system before. Thank you, sir!
By far the best video ive seen on tightening the headset! Thank you! Bravo!!
Thanks, this was incredibly helpful. I've read the headset sections in several books, but it didn't really make sense until I saw your video. Thanks for taking the time to make this!
Thanks for the explanation of adjusting the headset! Very helpful.
Very nice, thanks. Clear language, very educational, nice footnotes and corrections.
Really great video indeed, especially as to how it works. Headset stripped, cleaned and FINALLY correctly tightened
thanks, that was my problem. Mine was loose but i tightened the bars first, after watching your video I went back and adjusted it properly and its good as new, thanks a bunch :)
Excellent video. Thanks for sharing. I never knew what to tighten in what order.
Great vid. You saved me a trip to the lbs and probably $$. Just getting into buy, repair, sell and this was really helpful!
Excellent explanation! I feel confident now of maintaining my head...set!
liked and subscribed.
one of the best how to/how it works vid on youtube.
not too fast, not too slow.
great video. I now understand how to adjust these! Also like the testing tips you included.
Man I was looking for about 30mins before I found your video ! Thank you for finally having the info I needed. Great video.
Best video I've seen on headsets. Thank you. (I've done threaded headsets loads of times: I think they might be better because adjustable.)
Outstanding video, great in detail. Finded out why my headset wont adjust properly after replacement of stem. Thanks.
Very helpful; thanks. It's clear now that I had been pre-loading my steerer tube a little too much by torquing the cap down to 5Nm, like the stem itself. Following your instructions and tightening the cap only a little until everything was snug, I see more (good) play in the steerer.
Perhaps I'll be able to cycle no-handed a little more easily now ;-)
Thanks for your video it helped me.for me as a noob with bikes and bought a scott genius 740 2013 I'm so happy to find this video that showed me on easy way to fix my headset after it was loose. I had just changed headset cap and spacer then had the lose part when I took the front brake and shakes the bike front and back and now it's fixed.
sorry my English. I'm from Denmark :)
A video is never long if the content is worthy.
Subscribed.
great video, I like to know the mechanics behind the parts I'm adjusting. This covers it really well. Thanks.
excellent tutiorial , stright to the point and brilliantly editored .. thanks !!
I really appreciated this video. I was able to fix that annoying movement in about 12 seconds flat.
Great video !!!!! Very informative! It helped me grasp a good understanding on the headset.
Thanks so much for this vid. I just spent hours trying to adjust a new head set, thought i´d done it wrong cos it was loose, couldn´t get it tight, and i just couldn´t work out why, then found this vid and it all became clear. I´d always thought the top cap was just that, a cap! Now it´s sorted, Thankyou!!
outstanding video on this subject! The best on You Tube. The sketch was an excellent addition.
Subscribed to your channel based on the awesomeness of this vid. Looking forward to checking out the rest of your stuff. Cheers mate.
Thank you, your video helped me tremendously! After I replaced stem last year, headset was loose no matter how much i tightened it. I didn't know what to do... When you explained how it suppose to compress headset I immediately realized that top cap was too high (not touching stem). I got 5mm spacer and it did it!!!
Perfectly clear and concise video. Thanks!!
Your explanation was excellent. I understood very easily. And, thank you, it has been a great help!
Thanks Pete.
I watched your video and I'm back on the road.
Very well explained. Thanks
Great video..im new to threadless headsets and mine was loose...now its good as new ..thanks for the knowledge :)
Great video! Knowing how this system works makes adjusting the headset a cinch!
great video, lots of videos on here don't show the anchor etc and how it compresses the spacers - i had to learn all this the hard way a few years back on my new bike, thanks!
You're a legend!
Best video about this.I spent hours trying to do this one simple thing..It's easy when you know how.
Thanks you for this.
Great video. Thank you for the explanation. This is what I wanted to know without having to tear my bike apart.
thank you so much. i was intimidated by the idea of adjusting my headset (i'm definitely hearing that creaking noise!) but after watching this video i feel pretty confident that i can do this now. thanks so much!
Great video! I was about to skip your first part like you described, but so glad I didn't. Your diagram took all the blackmagic out of thread less headset! Thanks!
Just what I needed. You;ve solved my problem - I had the top of the steerer tube the same level at my top spacer.
Thanks - very good detailed vid !
Thanks Pete. I thought I ruined a bearing when I raised the handlebars on my Trek 820. Your advice helped a lot!