Something loose on your bike?
Your answers (0)
Your answers
What feels loose?
Hold the front wheel between your knees and try to turn the handlebars. Then push down hard on the ends of the bars.
Does anything move?
Squeeze the front brake hard and gently rock the bike forwards and back, with the fingers of your other hand round the joint where the fork meets the front of the frame, just below the handlebars.
Do you feel or hear a clunk there?
Look where the wheel fixes to the frame.
Is its lever folded flat against the frame (or, with no lever, do the axle nuts sit flat against it), and is the gap the same on each side of the tyre?
With the bike standing still, hold a pedal arm near the pedal and push it firmly sideways, towards the bike and away. Do the same with the pedal itself, then both again on the other side.
Does anything move or clunk?
Don’t ride it
You could lose control.
This is based only on your answers. Nobody has seen your bike. If you’re not sure it’s safe, don’t ride it.
- What might be wrong
The bolts that clamp the handlebars, or hold them to the fork, have probably worked loose.
- How sure we are
- Most likely
This is the usual cause of what you’ve described.
- What it needs
The job: Stem or handlebar swap
This is a high-risk job, so Spokes don’t offer it yet. Until they do, we recommend taking your bike to a bike shop.
It could also need: headset service or replacement (not on spoked yet).
Don’t ride it
It gets worse, and affects steering and braking.
This is based only on your answers. Nobody has seen your bike. If you’re not sure it’s safe, don’t ride it.
- What might be wrong
Most often a loose headset (the bearings the fork turns in); sometimes the front brake’s mounting or a suspension fork.
- How sure we are
- One of a few causes
This fits what you’ve described, but so do other things. A Spoke will check before starting.
- What it needs
The job: Headset service or replacement
This is a high-risk job, so Spokes don’t offer it yet. Until they do, we recommend taking your bike to a bike shop.
Don’t ride it until it’s been checked.
This is based only on your answers. Nobody has seen your bike. If you’re not sure it’s safe, don’t ride it.
- What might be wrong
A knock at the front is usually the headset, the front brake’s mounting or the front wheel.
- How sure we are
- Needs a look
We can’t tell from here. Someone needs to see the bike.
- What it needs
The job: Headset service or replacement
This is a high-risk job, so Spokes don’t offer it yet. Until they do, we recommend taking your bike to a bike shop.
It could also need: brake adjustment (not on spoked yet).
Don’t ride it until it’s been checked.
This is based only on your answers. Nobody has seen your bike. If you’re not sure it’s safe, don’t ride it.
- What might be wrong
Nothing obvious from here, but handlebars that feel loose need a proper look.
- How sure we are
- Needs a look
We can’t tell from here. Someone needs to see the bike.
- What it needs
The job: Stem or handlebar swap
This is a high-risk job, so Spokes don’t offer it yet. Until they do, we recommend taking your bike to a bike shop.
It could also need: headset service or replacement (not on spoked yet).
Don’t ride it
A saddle that drops or tips suddenly can throw you off.
This is based only on your answers. Nobody has seen your bike. If you’re not sure it’s safe, don’t ride it.
- What might be wrong
The saddle clamp has probably worked loose, or the seatpost is slipping.
- How sure we are
- Most likely
This is the usual cause of what you’ve described.
- What to ask for
Saddle or seatpost fitting
Don’t ride it
A wheel that isn’t secure can come out. Walk it.
This is based only on your answers. Nobody has seen your bike. If you’re not sure it’s safe, don’t ride it.
- What might be wrong
The wheel may not be fully in the frame, or its lever or axle nuts may not be tight.
- How sure we are
- One of a few causes
This fits what you’ve described, but so do other things. A Spoke will check before starting.
- What to ask for
Diagnosis: what’s wrong and what to order
Don’t ride it
A wheel that moves sideways in the frame isn’t safe until someone has looked at it.
This is based only on your answers. Nobody has seen your bike. If you’re not sure it’s safe, don’t ride it.
- What might be wrong
The bearings in the middle of the wheel (the hub) may be loose or worn, or the axle broken.
- How sure we are
- Needs a look
We can’t tell from here. Someone needs to see the bike.
- What to ask for
Diagnosis: what’s wrong and what to order
It could also need: hub service.
Don’t ride it
A loose pedal arm quickly damages what it fits onto, and one that fails can throw you.
This is based only on your answers. Nobody has seen your bike. If you’re not sure it’s safe, don’t ride it.
- What might be wrong
A loose pedal arm, or worn bearings where the pedal arms turn (the bottom bracket).
- How sure we are
- Needs a look
We can’t tell from here. Someone needs to see the bike.
- What to ask for
Diagnosis: what’s wrong and what to order
It could also need: bottom bracket service or replacement.
Don’t ride it
A pedal working loose can strip the arm’s thread or come off. If the thread is already damaged, a new pedal arm isn’t on spoked yet.
This is based only on your answers. Nobody has seen your bike. If you’re not sure it’s safe, don’t ride it.
- What might be wrong
The pedal is probably loose in the arm, or its own bearings are worn.
- How sure we are
- Most likely
This is the usual cause of what you’ve described.
- What to ask for
Pedal fitting or replacement
It could also need: diagnosis: what’s wrong and what to order.
Don’t ride it until it’s found.
This is based only on your answers. Nobody has seen your bike. If you’re not sure it’s safe, don’t ride it.
- What might be wrong
Something has worked loose.
- How sure we are
- Needs a look
We can’t tell from here. Someone needs to see the bike.
- What to ask for
Diagnosis: what’s wrong and what to order
This is based only on your answers. Nobody has seen your bike. If you’re not sure it’s safe, don’t ride it.
- What might be wrong
Probably a loose fitting on the mudguard, rack, light or lock mount.
Get it fixed soon. Until then, ride only if it feels right, and stop if it gets worse. If a mudguard or its stays are loose near the spokes, don’t ride it until it’s fixed.
- How sure we are
- Most likely
This is the usual cause of what you’ve described.
- What to ask for
Lights, mudguards, rack or kickstand fitting
Don’t ride it
A brake that sticks on or won’t come on is dangerous.
This is based only on your answers. Nobody has seen your bike. If you’re not sure it’s safe, don’t ride it.
- What might be wrong
The brake cable may be rusty or frayed, or the lever or brake loose or needing a service.
- How sure we are
- One of a few causes
This fits what you’ve described, but so do other things. A Spoke will check before starting.
- What it needs
The job: Brake cable & outer replacement
This is a high-risk job, so Spokes don’t offer it yet. Until they do, we recommend taking your bike to a bike shop.
It could also need: brake adjustment (not on spoked yet).
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What usually causes it
- The pedal is probably loose in the arm, or its own bearings are worn.
- Probably a loose fitting on the mudguard, rack, light or lock mount.
- The saddle clamp has probably worked loose, or the seatpost is slipping.
- The bolts that clamp the handlebars, or hold them to the fork, have probably worked loose.
- The brake cable may be rusty or frayed, or the lever or brake loose or needing a service.
- A loose pedal arm, or worn bearings where the pedal arms turn (the bottom bracket).
The checker gives general information from your answers. It isn’t an inspection and doesn’t tell you a bike is safe. Nothing here limits liability the law doesn’t let us limit, including for death or personal injury caused by negligence.