Inspection of the Bearings, Head Tube Bearings

Inspection of the Bearings

Maintenance

Frequently check the bearings of the bicycle. Have a bicycle service shop lubricate the bearings once a year or any time they do not pass the following tests:

Head Tube Bearings

The fork should turn freely and smoothly at all times. With the front wheel off the ground, you should not be able to move the fork up, down, or side-to-side in the head tube.

Crank Bearings

The crank should turn freely and smoothly at all times and the front sprockets should not be loose on the crank. You should not be able to move the pedal end of the crank from side-to-side.

Wheel Bearings

Lift each end of the bicycle off the ground and slowly spin the raised wheel by hand. The bearings are correctly adjusted if:

-The wheel spins freely and easily

-The weight of the spoke reflector, when you put it toward the front or rear of the bicycle, causes the wheel to spin back and forth several times

-There is no side-to-side movement at the wheel rim when you push it to the side with light force.

Suspension Fork

The fork should slide freely up and down through its travel. If it is sticking, lift up the rubber boot over the fork legs and dab a small amount of grease on the each leg just above the plastic bushing.

There should not be excessive looseness in the fork leg bushings. Stand beside the bike and gently apply the front brake. Rock the bike back and forth to check for excessive looseness in the fork bushings. Take the bike immediately to a dealer for inspection if excessive looseness is apparent.