Bike Repair & Maintenance For Dummies®

by Dennis Bailey

  2. Place a ruler against the bottom of the shifter lever and align it with the curved part of the handlebars.

  This is a good starting point. From here, you can raise them slightly higher for a more casual and comfortable riding position.

  3. Repeat steps 1 and 2 for other shifter.

  4. To make sure the shifters are level, set the ruler across the top of both and adjust their position as needed.

  5. When you’ve found the proper position for the shifters, tighten the mounting bolts.

  6. With the shifters in place, thread both the derailleur and brake cables through the shifters and continue the cable installation according to the instructions in this chapter for derailleur cables and Chapter 8 for brake cables.

  7. Tape the handlebars according to the instructions in Chapter 15.

  Chapter 15

  Turning on a Dime: The Steering System

  In This Chapter

  Looking at the different types of handlebars

  Taping your handlebars

  Inspecting your headset

  Adjusting and overhauling your headset

  In this chapter, we take a look at your bike’s steering system and this system’s most important component, the headset. The steering system includes the handlebars, which are held in place by a stem. The stem connects to the top of the fork, which sits inside the head tube. On the inside of the top and bottom of the head tube are the bearings. When these parts are in good working order, they provide you with a steering experience that is smooth and effortless.

  At the center of the steering system is the headset, the group of parts (including the bearings) that are connected to the head tube and allow the handlebars, stem, and fork to turn. Although you may think that the headset plays a small role in the biking experience, it has to work hard to give you smooth, responsive turning, especially because the bearings it contains can take a serious beating when you ride. The constant bumps, jarring, and impacts are absorbed by the front wheel and transferred up the fork and into the bearings — and that’s what causes them to wear out over time. When your bearings start to wear out, what at one point felt like automatic steering on a luxury vehicle will start acting like rack-and-pinion steering on an old beater. So do yourself a favor and inspect your headset on a regular basis and overhaul it as a part of your annual maintenance — we tell you how in this chapter.

  We also give you information on handlebars including the different types available for most bikes. Finally, we give you information on wrapping your handlebars with new tape, which can not only add a touch of color and a fresh look to your bike, but increase your comfort — for little cost and effort.

  Gimme a Hand: Types of Handlebars

  Without the handlebars, you wouldn’t be able to steer your bike. The handlebars are one of the three points where your body comes in contact with the bike, so you need to find handlebars that fit you well. The best fit handlebars can give you a great ride and even make up for a frame that doesn’t fit you perfectly. Poorly chosen handlebars can force you into an awkward position when you ride, making you uncomfortable, giving you numb hands and a stiff back, or worse.

  If you’re shopping for handlebars, we recommend that you find ones that are designed to fit the type of bike you have, match the style of riding you plan on doing, and work well with the proportions of your body.

  Here are the three main types of handlebars (see Figure 15-1):

  Figure 15-1: The three types of handlebars: drop bars, flat bars, and riser bars.

  Drop bars: Drop bars are popular on road bikes. Because of their design, they offer more hand positions, which is a luxury on long rides. They also provide a more aerodynamic position when you put your hands on the drops, or the curved part of the bars, which is helpful if you’re facing a headwind and want to get as low as possible.

  One drawback of drop bars is that, if you rest your hands close together on the tops (the flat part on either side of the clamp), your hands won’t be close to the brakes if you need to brake suddenly — although they do make a second set of brake levers that are accessible for your hands on the flat part of the bars.

  There are many different styles, shapes, and sizes of drop bars. Some have a flattened area in the curve of the drop section for greater support of your hands. Others have an expanded flat platform section on the upper flat part for more surface contact area for your palms.

  Flat bars: Flat bars are popular on mountain and hybrid bikes. Their design provides more control and leverage in low-speed maneuvering, which is helpful if you’re maneuvering around obstacles on an off-road trail. Flat bars are nice for the recreational rider, because you’re sitting more upright and able to look around and enjoy the scenery.

  The downside of flat bars is that they offer fewer positions in which to rest your hands. However, this isn’t usually a problem, because most riders are seated in a more upright position with less pressure on the arms and hands in the first place.

  If you feel numbness in your hands, which can happen with any type of handlebar, check to make sure that you aren’t leaning too far over the handlebars. If you are, you may need to adjust your saddle forward, install a shorter stem, or consider buying a riser bar (on which both ends of the handlebar rise up slightly). Another option is to buy cycling gloves, which help reduce the impact and vibration of the ride.

  Riser bars: On mountain bikes you sometimes need lift (the ability to raise your front wheel over obstacles). For road bikes, this isn’t an issue because your center of gravity is normally low and you’re riding on flat surfaces.

  Handlebars designed with a rise improve the lift of a bike. Rise is the amount that the ends of the bars are higher than the clamp. With greater rise, the rider can move her weight back over the rear tire and increase lift, which is important for downhill biking competitions. This also allows the bars to be rolled or moved closer or farther away from you for your comfort and control.

  Delving Deeper: Handlebar Options

  There are a number of options when it comes to handlebars, and which ones you need to pay attention to depend on the kind of riding you’ll be doing and what style matches the physical proportions of your body. Here are the main options to consider:

  Width: One measure for handlebars is their size from end to end. Narrow handlebars give you less turning power but more precise steering, sensitivity to slight movements. Wider handlebars give you leverage; they may not be as responsive to steering, but they give you a more stable, controlled ride, especially on rough terrain.

  You normally want handlebars that are as wide as your shoulder bones. Handlebars that are narrower than your shoulders will constrict your breathing, because your arms are holding your chest inward. If your arms spread out too much wider than your shoulders, you actually begin to lose leverage.

  Material: Most handlebars are made of either steel, chromoly (a steel alloy), aluminum, or carbon fiber. Aluminum and carbon are lighter and more comfortable than steel and chromoly. You’ll save weight with carbon, but you’ll end up paying more for it.

  On flat bars made of steel, aluminum, or chromoly, you can shorten the width by cutting the ends.

  Sweep: Handlebars may also have a certain amount of sweep (the angle that the handlebars bend either forward or backward from the stem clamp). The benefit of greater sweep is that it allows your wrists to be in a more natural and comfortable bent position. It also brings the bars back closer to you for easier control.

  Taper: Some handlebars are narrower toward the ends. This saves weight and keeps the handlebars strong where they need to be.

  Flare: On flared handlebars, the handlebar ends flare out rather than dropping straight down. They’re used in off-road racing.

  Butting: Butting takes material out of the center section of the tube, while leaving the ends of the tube thicker where it’s needed for joint strength. Butting is used to increase the strength of the handlebars without adding weight. Butting is most often found toward the center
of the handlebars. This design is used on specialized handlebars particularly risers used for downhill mountain-bike racing.

  Bar ends: Bar ends are extensions added to the end of flat handlebars. They give you an increased number of positions for your hands and provide leverage when you’re climbing, by helping you move your weight back and lower your center of gravity.

  If you’re shopping for new handlebars, make sure you check the clamp size for your stem. The most popular clamp size with road and mountain bikes is 25.4mm. In recent years, an oversize 31.8mm clamp size has been becoming popular on some mountain and road bikes. If you’re unsure of what size you have on your bike, check the owner’s manual or visit your local bike shop.

  Taping Your Handlebars

  Nothing makes a bike look more worn than ragged and tattered tape on the handlebars. Replacing old tape is a relatively simple and cheap procedure, and it’s a great way to add a little color and a fresh look to your bike while improving your comfort and grip.

  To begin, you’ll need to remove the plugs from the end of the handlebars using a screwdriver to unscrew them or pry them off. If your brake levers have rubber or gum hoods, roll the back away from the handlebars — you don’t need to remove these hoods. Also, peel off the old tape, cleaning any sticky residue from the bars.

  Here are some tips you should keep in mind when wrapping your handlebars with tape:

  Some tape comes with gel patches for added comfort. If you’re using this kind of tape, place it on the handlebars in the positions described in the packaging instructions.

  The tape will stay in place longer if you start at the bottom and work your way to the center of the bars.

  When you start wrapping, leave about an inch of tape off the end of the handlebars. You’ll tuck these ends in with the plugs when you’re finished and they’ll help keep the bar end plugs in place.

  Most tapes come with two small pieces that are used to cover the back of the clamps which hold the brakes in place. You don’t have to use these, but it gives you a much cleaner and finished look.

  Overlap the tape by about a quarter to a half of the previous wrap. Pull it tightly but not so tightly that it’ll break.

  When you reach the center of the handlebars, you should be out of tape. If you have additional length, you can continue wrapping in the opposite direction or cut off the excess.

  When you’re finished, use electrical tape to secure the edge of the wrapping to the center of the handlebars. Wrap the electrical tape around the bars three to four times, pulling snuggly until the last time around. Cut the electrical tape with scissors and then secure the electrical tape without stretching it. If you pull and stretch the electrical tape, because of the elasticity of the tape, it’ll pull back halfway through your first ride.

  To tape your handlebars, follow these steps:

  1. Begin by wrapping the tape from the end of the handlebar, overlapping at least a quarter of the tape with each wrap (see Figure 15-2).

  2. Continue wrapping the tape until you come to the bottom of the shifters.

  When you purchase handlebar tape, it should come with a small piece that covers the part of the handlebar where the shifter is connected. Make sure you attach this piece (as shown in Figure 15-3).

  Figure 15-2: Start at the end of the handlebar.

  3. Pull the tape up and under the handlebar in preparation to pull the tape back down and around the shifters (see Figure 15-4).

  4. Pull the tape upward so that there is no slack (see Figure 15-5).

  5. Pull the tape downward and away from the shifters (see Figure 15-6).

  6. Pull the tape downward, around the handlebar, and toward the shifters (see Figure 15-7).

  7. Wrap the tape around the handlebar, away from the shifters and overlapping with some of the tape from a previous wrap (see Figure 15-8).

  Figure 15-3: Continue until the bottom of the shifters.

  Figure 15-4: Wrap the tape up and under the handlebar.

  Figure 15-5: Pull the tape upward.

  Figure 15-6: Pull the tape down and away from the shifters.

  Figure 15-7: Pull the tape down and toward the shifters.

  Figure 15-8: Wrap the tape back around the handlebars.

  8. Pull the tape upward and begin wrapping the part of the bar above the shifters.

  Continue wrapping until you reach the middle of the bar (see Figure 15-9).

  9. Insert the plug for the end of the handlebar (see Figure 15-10).

  10. Repeat the procedure for the other side of the handlebar.

  Figure 15-9: Pull tape upward to wrap the top of the handlebars.

  Figure 15-10: Plug the handlebar end.

  Getting Your Head around This: The Headset

  The headset is the part of the bike that connects the stem and the fork to the frame and provides the mechanism that allows you to steer the bike.

  There are two major styles of headsets:

  Threaded: The threaded headset screws onto the threads at the top of the column attached to the fork steering tube. This is the traditional type of headset found on a majority of older bikes.

  Threadless: The threadless headset is not threaded onto the column on top of the fork. Instead, it’s held together by the compression of an internal bolt that runs through the top cap into a wedge in the fork steering tube. Depending on the style, it’s either pressed into the head tube or sits on top of the fork steering tube and is held in place by a top cap. The threadless headset is found on almost all midrange to high-end bikes these days.

  Inspecting the headset

  Headsets are designed to last a long time, but even the best headsets can wear out, especially if they aren’t cared for. One way to check whether your headset has issues is to test it for looseness. Here are three checks you can try:

  Straddle the frame of your bike with your hands firmly clenching the brakes. Try rocking the bike back and forth.

  Stand astride the front wheel facing your bike with the wheel pinched between your legs and your hands on the handlebars. Try wiggling the handlebars back and forth.

  Lift the front wheel off the ground and strike the tire with your hand, while listening for vibrations.

  With the bike in a stand, grasp the fork and the frame and try to flex the fork to see if there is any play in the headset. Lift the front wheel off the ground and turn the handlebars back and forth. If they feel tight and don’t move smoothly, you may have tightened the headset too much. With the wheels off the ground and the back wheel higher than the front, the front wheel should swing like a pendulum freely back and forth.

  If, with any of these procedures, you feel play in the stem, it could mean that you need to either adjust or replace the headset.

  Here are some other signs of headset problems:

  The handlebars and fork rattle when you ride.

  The handlebars don’t turn smoothly.

  You have trouble riding in a straight line.

  Adjusting your headset

  Although headsets don’t need to be adjusted very often, over time all the turning you do on your bike and all the bumps and jolts the headset receives from the road may cause the headset to loosen. If you inspect the headset following the steps in the preceding section and find looseness, follow these steps to adjust it.

  Threadless headsets

  Threadless headsets usually don’t require adjustment very often, especially when compared to threaded headsets, but you may need to make an adjustment occasionally. Here’s how:

  1. Loosen the stem clamp bolt or the bolts holding the stem in place.

  2. Tighten (clockwise) or loosen (counterclockwise) the bolt in the center of the top cap.

  3. After you’ve made the adjustment, retighten the stem clamp bolt or bolts.

  Do not over-tighten the top cap. It isn’t designed to hold the fork in place — it’s designed only to keep a slight load on the bearings for the adjustment procedure until the stem clamp bolts are tightened, holding everything in pl
ace.

  4. Check the adjustment using the procedures from the preceding section, “Inspecting the headset.”

  Threaded headsets

  To adjust a threaded headset, you generally need two specialized headset wrenches that fit your bike.

  If you have a large, adjustable wrench for the top lock nut, you can get by with one headset wrench for the adjusting nut or cone.

  The headset sizes are almost always 32 or 26. Some adjustable cones use round surfaced edges, which you can use your hands or lock jaw pliers to adjust.

  To adjust a threaded headset, follow these steps:

  1. Loosen the locknut on the top of the headset by turning it counterclockwise about one turn.

  2. Below the locknut, locate the adjustable cup or cone.

  3. If you are tightening the headset, turn the adjustable cup or cone clockwise in 20-degree increments. Turn it counterclockwise to loosen it.

  After each turn, secure the locknut and check the headset adjustment (see “Inspecting the headset,” earlier in this chapter).

  It may take several adjustments until you get it right. Continue until there is no looseness and the bearings are not being pressed against too tightly. If you aren’t sure, err on the side of being a little tighter.

  Overhauling your headset

  If adjustments don’t alleviate looseness or other issues with the headset, you may need to overhaul it. Headsets can take a lot of abuse, especially if you ride on challenging terrain or in bad weather, so an overhaul that replaces bearings and packs them in fresh grease can go a long way toward improving and extending the life of your bike’s steering system.