What causes 'notchy' turning?

Question

I've recently noticed that the steering on my Jamis hardtail has begun feeling 'notchy' with slow turning (with the front wheel off the ground). How do I remedy this?

Answer 1

Grease your headset bearings.

Answer 2

Yep......if you're feeling gritty or notchy rotation, chances are that  (at the least) your bearings are getting toasty.  It's possible that they're just dry and a repacking with grease will fix it, but usually if you can feel grittiness it means that the bearings are pitted or the bearing races are pitted....it can also mean that the bearing retainer (if yours uses those) is damaged from abuse or improper adjustment.   Races are usually very durable and most of the time you can just replace the bearings, but sometimes you need to replace the whole headset.  Most are between $20 and $50 and do a fine job.  The bike shop will probably charge you about $25 to intstall it.  

Headsets are important if you like smooth steering....many people ignore theirs until damage reaches a critical point and then they need to replace it.   To help them last the longest, be sure that the top cap isn't overtightened and that the stem is properly clamped, and if they're serviceable bearings you need to repack them at least once a year (more often if you get in water, rain, soupy mud, etc).   Water is the second largest reason for pitting and rough action, because it stays trapped in the grease.  It slowly rusts the bearings and sometimes the races, too....and that rust turns into pits and streaks in the metal, which you feel when you turn the bars.

Don't feel bad....I just opened up the headset on my urban rig today and discovered that the top bearing was obliterated.  I had a spare set of bearings for that headset because that bike gets a lot of horrible jumping abuse, so it's fixed.  But headsets die and give you a good reason to see your friends at the bike shop.   :o)

Answer 3

Your headset is in trouble and this is the first sign that it needs an overhaul or replacement. What is happening is that the bearings are being forced into the "race" which the bearings usually run easily on. The grease could have be all frozen up from age or your headset adjustment could be off which has caused this.

For the most part, the easy way out is to take pressure off of the bearings by loosening the stem and the loosening the top cap bolt (on an aheadset) or loosening the the nut on the top and second from the top nut slightly on an old headset system. If this relieves the notching, you should be ok for a little while but there may be permanent damage that will cause a need for complete replacement.

Headsets run around $24.99 to $49.99 for entry level ones but go upwards of $150 for high end ones. Go to a Bike Shop if the above suggestion doesn't help and prepare for the worst, sorry...

Answer 4

Aaron is correct, but I think your headset is probably in the more advanced stages of deterioration and needs replacement.

Answer 5

Keep the front wheel on the ground