Check your headset. No grease in mine....

[nickfrog]

Just a "heads" up. I got a slight front end creak on my new base Decoy 2020. Dropped the forks and there was absolutely no grease in the head set, top or bottom.
A good application of Finish Line's finest and the creak is gone.

 

[Zero]

They dont build them very well I have found. I'd check everything

 

[nickfrog]

Tbh, the rest of the build was fine.

 

[dobbyhasfriends]

not limited to YT, I had this on both my Levo's

 

[urastus]

this is an age old common phenomenon in bicycles and motorcycles. I'm guessing it could be an ancient safety thing that has never been reviewed?

 

[nickfrog]

I didn't know it was widespread. I have been self building my mountain bikes since the 1990s and that's the first full bike I have bought since then. Seems like a false economy.

 

[Beekeeper]

What’s the best type of grease to use in a headset?

 

[nickfrog]

I used Finish Line Premium grease which is a quality cycling grease.

 

[Beekeeper]

I used Finish Line Premium grease which is a quality cycling grease.

just looked it up. Looks quality stuff

 

[urastus]

What’s the best type of grease to use in a headset?

I use high temperature bearing grease. This is grease that is designed not to melt or run. The headset is the only vertical (or near vertical) set of bearings. Gravity as well as seasonal heat will be working to slide that grease down. I always thought that must be why manufacturers never use much grease there, being right above the front tyre.

 

[HORSPWR]

I use high temperature bearing grease. This is grease that is designed not to melt or run. The headset is the only vertical (or near vertical) set of bearings. Gravity as well as seasonal heat will be working to slide that grease down. I always thought that must be why manufacturers never use much grease there, being right above the front tyre.

I would have thought that a good waterproof grease would be better than high temp?

 

[TheRealPoMo]

Apparently only cheap bikes have headset bearings that need grease....
Anyway, I used marine grease on my cheap bike - because that's what I had in the gun.
Funnily enough the headset works the same as a much more expensive bike now, after $0.05 worth of grease.

 

[Sapientiea]

Just a "heads" up. I got a slight front end creak on my new base Decoy 2020. Dropped the forks and there was absolutely no grease in the head set, top or bottom.
A good application of Finish Line's finest and the creak is gone.

You mean no grease in the bearings? What did you exactly grease in your headset....? You sure it was not the tension that was wrong, because the fork turns on the bearings...

 

[nickfrog]

You mean no grease in the bearings? What did you exactly grease in your headset....? You sure it was not the tension that was wrong, because the fork turns on the bearings...

They're cartridge bearings so you can't put grease inside them. It's good practice to pack the contact points of a headset with grease. It reduces friction wear by preventing dust/grit/sand to find its way between the races and the bearings and it prevents water ingress and therefore corrosion / pitting. I normally strip mine twice a year and they last many years.

 

[Sapientiea]

They're cartridge bearings so you can't put grease inside them. It's good practice to pack the contact points of a headset with grease. It reduces friction wear by preventing dust/grit/sand to find its way between the races and the bearings and it prevents water ingress and therefore corrosion / pitting. I normally strip mine twice a year and they last many years.

I understand that, do it myself also. BW you can open and put grease inside the headset bearings no problem.

 

[nickfrog]

I didn't know that, cheers. On the Decoy's ones the seals look very tight. I will probably FUBAR them if I try to open it.

 

[rb.]

Anyone replace this headset cover that looks like a volcano? I want to drop my bars when I add a larger fork to the bike, but not sure what top covers will be compatible.

Thanks,