Bike steering feels wrong?
Your answers (0)
Your answers
What do you notice?
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?
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
Steering that sticks can make you fall.
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 headset bearings are probably worn or over-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 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
The bolts need tightening to the right setting, so it isn’t a quick fix to do yourself.
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 knocked out of line, often in a fall, or the bolts have loosened.
- 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 until it’s been checked: a bent fork can fail.
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 fork or frame knocked out of line, sometimes a wheel not centred in the frame or a soft tyre.
- How sure we are
- Needs a look
We can’t tell from here. Someone needs to see the bike.
- What it needs
We recommend taking your bike to a bike shop to be inspected.
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 shake at speed can come from a loose headset, a loose or bent wheel, the load you’re carrying, or a bent fork or frame.
- 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.
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What usually causes it
- Probably knocked out of line, often in a fall, or the bolts have loosened.
- Most often a loose headset (the bearings the fork turns in); sometimes the front brake’s mounting or a suspension fork.
- The headset bearings are probably worn or over-tight.
- A shake at speed can come from a loose headset, a loose or bent wheel, the load you’re carrying, or a bent fork or frame.
- Most often a fork or frame knocked out of line, sometimes a wheel not centred in the frame or a soft tyre.
- A knock at the front is usually the headset, the front brake’s mounting or the front wheel.
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.