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  1. #1
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    Trying to buy a bike... play in the headset, what's the deal

    I went and looked at a bike at lunchtime to keep around as a loaner. Far from anything special it's a 2009 GT Marathon. If there were better budget choices nearby I'd look at something else but I want to get some friends into riding this year and the price is right. Bike is generally in good condition but headset and/or fork steerer is loose. I tried adjusting the preload on the headset and was able to make it too tight to the point that the handlebars would barely turn, but the knocking and movement (fore and aft) remained. The top cover (below the stem) visible slides forwards and backwards as the bike is rocked around. Hopefully I'm describing this well enough. The bike uses an FSA Integrated headset, I believe with 36/45' angular contact bearings. Is there anything else I can check quickly if I go look at the bike again? Any adjustments to make? What's the potential repair cost (in parts, I do my own wrenching)? Or is this not worth the trouble and I should just walk away?

  2. #2
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    a new headset should be under $50 installed. But also check that the crown of the fork is not broken/loose, and its not the wheel.


  3. #3
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    Definitely not the wheel. Well, ok, maybe that's not true but I rock the bike back and forth with the front brake applied, I can see and feel the upper bearing cover (and fork steerer, etc) slide fore and aft as well.

    Seller is a college kid who tried riding around campus on this thing, wants a road bike instead of a mtb. For a bike with an integrated headset that has probably seen little off-road use, what are the chances of the integrated cups being damaged to the point where a replacement headset would not solve the issue?

  4. #4
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    I assume that the seller is not the first owner given the vintage, so we have to assume it had the shit ridden out of it prior to the current owner. If there isn't a crack at the headset (I'd check the lower headtube near where it meets the downtube), it is possible that the headtube had ovalized due to being ridden with a loose compression adjustment.

    I'd have the kid meet you at your local LBS to have a mechanic check it out, with the agreement that if it is salvagable you will buy it, and hand the mechanic the work. If the bike is fine, everyone is happy.

  5. #5
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    Fuckin integrated headsets.....

    Like zombie said, it might me ovalized. It also might be roached bearings or just a bad fit. If it got ridden loose, the deformation occurs in the frame.....in which case yeah, it's over. I could be any of these things. The easiest to check would be just to throw some new bearings in there and see if that fixes it. If not, something bigger is up.
    Besides the comet that killed the dinosaurs nothing has destroyed a species faster than entitled white people.-ajp

  6. #6
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    Looks like FSA integrated headsets are a dime a dozen on ebay (almost literally), so I may give that a try assuming the kid will come down in price a little more. Not gonna drag the bike to the local shop because they're f'ing expensive and they're always doing things to piss me off. Like when I went in last summer to buy a helmet. They only had two (not my size), but they did have half a dozen wetsuits. wtf.

  7. #7
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    Alternately.. anyone want to unload a sub <$1K trail bike? The more different from my Reign the better so I can have a reason to ride it myself.

  8. #8
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    If worse case scenario is an ovalized headset - there may be room to have it machined.

    I did this with a very old steel frame. I turned that bike into a commuter and was happy with it for another 10 years. I am not sure I would trust it off-road after that though.

  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by LHutz Esq View Post
    If worse case scenario is an ovalized headset - there may be room to have it machined.

    I did this with a very old steel frame. I turned that bike into a commuter and was happy with it for another 10 years. I am not sure I would trust it off-road after that though.
    For an integrated headtube? I didn't know that was a thing. That's awesome if so.
    Besides the comet that killed the dinosaurs nothing has destroyed a species faster than entitled white people.-ajp

  10. #10
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    If the seller will go cheaper or if the bike was worth putting any real amount of effort into, I would be more interested. But especially for a bike meant to loan to newbies, I'm not going to put them on something that can't be trusted period or can't be trusted to stay in adjustment. I can't really on a newbie to tell me that the headset is slightly out of adjustment.

  11. #11
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    Quote Originally Posted by kidwoo View Post
    For an integrated headtube? I didn't know that was a thing. That's awesome if so.
    Missed that part (I drink a lot)

  12. #12
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    Make sure there's enough spacers under the stem to tension the headset. Seriously.
    There's nothing better than sliding down snow, and flying through the air

  13. #13
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    Quote Originally Posted by beaterdit View Post
    Make sure there's enough spacers under the stem to tension the headset. Seriously.


    yes, very good point.


  14. #14
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    Quote Originally Posted by mntlion View Post
    yes, very good point.
    I can't imagine he'd be able to tighten up the top cap to the point where the headset would bind if he needed another spacer.

  15. #15
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    it could be binding onto the head tube (frame) when tight but the headset is still loose...

  16. #16
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    Quote Originally Posted by YourMomJustCalled View Post
    I can't imagine he'd be able to tighten up the top cap to the point where the headset would bind if he needed another spacer.
    Yeah I think you're right, prolly it.
    There's nothing better than sliding down snow, and flying through the air

  17. #17
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    I find it easier to properly adj or scope head set problems if I take the front wheel off
    Lee Lau - xxx-er is the laziest Asian canuck I know

  18. #18
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    id first check if it needs another spacer...i might have a pretty well speced but slightly hardtail available for sale...but its a small - got it for the lady friend but shes ridden it about three times and were going to be moving into a city. Let me know if you're interested. Could probably work out some sort of pickup near albany or in the catskills or something.
    I wear crocs for the style, not the comfort.

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