Click-clack in Flaming June

A disturbing clicky-clack on the bike as I wheeled it off the drive. Online research led me to suspect a worn steering head bearing.
From the way I typed that, you’d think I know something about bikes. I really don’t.
There are many, many videos out there on how to fix such problems. They all start with encouraging observations like ”servicing your steering head bearings is really not a difficult job, although it does take a little time”.
And they then continue to list a wide rage of tools required for the job, including paddock stands, torque wrenches, torque screwdrivers and feeler gauges.
Although I know what some of these things are, I don’t have any of them, and buying them would almost certainly cost more than employing a mechanic.
However, this is Spain and in general I worry less about things here.
I took the bike to the local workshop and said ”it’s got a kind of clicking noise, maybe the steering head bearings?”.
The mechanic took a good look at it, rotated the handlebars back and forth, spun the wheel, pulled it sideways onto the centre stand and rotated some more. ”No, it’s not serious. I can hear it, but it’s very faint. You might grease it. If it gets worse bring it back, but I wouldn’t worry about it.”

The bike, like everything, is about perspective. There are many, many things in my life which make a slight clickety-clack noise if you listen closely, but they’re not serious. Don’t listen too closely, probably the best thing.

Last updated November 12, 2016