Fork. rotating too easily

[Cowsham]

Especially if the forks are in back to front (which I find hard to believe)

Who mentioned that ? Who would do that ?

About 1 in every 3 people who buy a bike from Halfords and have it delivered in a box then assemble it themselves at home. It's *astonishingly* common.
I find it hard to believe that the OP could have done that but then we're talking about someone who rode his bike for 6hrs with a flat tyre so who knows?!

He's not your usual fish but knows enough about bicycles not to put the forks in back to front

[peetee]

So. Where are we with this?
Lots of us have put effort into answering this as well as suggesting photos are taken.
Without them I don’t think an answer will be found and I suspect a lot of us will loose interest in helping.

[gbnz]

So. Where are we with this?
Lots of us have put effort into answering this as well as suggesting photos are taken.
Without them I don’t think an answer will be found and I suspect a lot of us will loose interest in helping.

Sorry, photos aren't possible, spending more money on a camera to photograph the Spa, isn't viable.

Have read posts in detail, Spa's dismantled on bathroom floor. Myself and/or two bicycle mechanics spent two months trying to fix it now, will be trying to fix it, if the cost / benefits are worth it. Will be checking through each & every post in detail

Have had to focus on having a bicycle that works, took an hour to swap the rack/lights/pedals onto the 22yr Giant. Spa will have to wait.

[peetee]

Fair enough.
Good luck with that and do let us know the outcome.
These threads can be a very valuable resource for others.

[Brucey]

I understand photos might be difficult (btw can you not borrow a camera?) but the front centres measurement ought not to be.

[Cowsham]

So. Where are we with this?
Lots of us have put effort into answering this as well as suggesting photos are taken.
Without them I don’t think an answer will be found and I suspect a lot of us will loose interest in helping.

Sorry, photos aren't possible, spending more money on a camera to photograph the Spa, isn't viable.

Have read posts in detail, Spa's dismantled on bathroom floor. Myself and/or two bicycle mechanics spent two months trying to fix it now, will be trying to fix it, if the cost / benefits are worth it. Will be checking through each & every post in detail

Have had to focus on having a bicycle that works, took an hour to swap the rack/lights/pedals onto the 22yr Giant. Spa will have to wait.

How are you putting posts on forum -- phone or pc?

[gbnz]

How are you putting posts on forum -- phone or pc?

Laptop. My Nokia's have had a calculator for some years now, a decent radio and can send text messages (Nb. Latest one has some snakes/ladders type game or something, but haven't looked at that yet)

[Brucey]

any update on this?

[gbnz]

any update on this?

Thanks, no. Giant further sorted out this afternoon, need the transport

Spa, bolted bits together end afternoon - in total, too many faults/work needed on bike, it'll have to wait (£120+ spent on it past 2.5 months, at worst it'll be a case of keeping any new bits for use elsewhere)

[fastpedaller]

OP - Was the original headset (or indeed any replacements) a taper-bearing headset? I initially fitted a Tange taper bearing headset (supplied with the Spa steel touer frame, but I fitted it myself) and couldn't get on with it. It was either rattling loose or too tight. It seemed the taper bearing at the top race was slipping on the conical bearing surface and just wouldn't stay in the correct position. I passed the headset on to another forum contributor for his tandem and I don't think he had joy with it either. After I fitted a replacement loose ball headset the steering was fine and as expected......... loose and flops to one side it I tilt the bike! It hasn't changed in 10 years.

[gbnz]

OP - Was the original headset (or indeed any replacements) a taper-bearing headset? I initially fitted a Tange taper bearing headset (supplied with the Spa steel touer frame, but I fitted it myself) and couldn't get on with it. It was either rattling loose or too tight. It seemed the taper bearing at the top race was slipping on the conical bearing surface and just wouldn't stay in the correct position. I passed the headset on to another forum contributor for his tandem and I don't think he had joy with it either. After I fitted a replacement loose ball headset the steering was fine and as expected......... loose and flops to one side it I tilt the bike! It hasn't changed in 10 years.

Thanks, don't know. Original, was a generic headset, fitted by Spa Cycles themselves. Both replacement headsets have been a generic headset, fitted by a bicycle "mechanic" (Nb. As with welding, replacing headsets is not something I've ever had to bother with and with exceptionally limited indoors space & a neighbour below who could be bothered by hammering, headset issues are the only work I've ever passed to a 3rd party)

It'd been absolutely OK on the initial headset they fitted, '22 or '21, issues only arose after a lengthy, emergency ride home on a flat tyre (Nb. @ 5mph, just above fast walking speed)

Have fitted it all back together, will try and spend the time the next couple of weeks, to follow advice in all the posts. Will ask the cycle shop if they'd fitted loose bearings/taper bearings

[jb]

The slightest misalignment between the two tapered races will cause problems on a taper roller bearing and forks are probably not the best thing for precision accuracy.
Having said that I fitted a 1" taper roller set on my Dawes Galaxy many years ago and have never had any problems since. So if you do get a well aligned one they can be good.

[fastpedaller]

This is really weird - Myself (and others) have stated a free-turning headset is normal. The alloy particles noted by the OP is also a mystery. One thing I wonder - Are there caged bearings in the headset which have been inserted incorrectly? I know it doesn't explain the 'issue after riding on a flat tyre' but it could go some way to explaining a 'stiffer' headset previously.

[Cyclothesist]

This is really weird - Myself (and others) have stated a free-turning headset is normal. The alloy particles noted by the OP is also a mystery. One thing I wonder - Are there caged bearings in the headset which have been inserted incorrectly? I know it doesn't explain the 'issue after riding on a flat tyre' but it could go some way to explaining a 'stiffer' headset previously.

A good question! There's so much about this thread that doesn't make sense and which may be helped by some photos. An upside down caged bearing in the headset would feel horrible and bind when tightened so you'd think it'd become immediately obvious. However with what's gone before it's not an unreasonable suggestion

[Brucey]

IME when running with a flat tyre, the usual source of Al debris is the rim making contact with the road. This would be my assumption unless proven without doubt otherwise.