Synack42

So my winter project has been fixing up a 2007ish Diamondback Outlook. It was a curbside find, basically just frame fork and crank.

I've got it put together again with odds and I'm liking it quite a bit honestly. Just got back into cycling since being a kid last year and I racked up around 850 miles on a $30 Magna from Craigslist; This definitely feels like an upgrade from that anyways...

I am questioning the headset a bit though. When it's below freezing out it's definitely a bit stiffer than say the Magna it's replacing (also threaded). Also feels just a bit rougher. Probably a sign it's ready for an overhaul? Do you usually just replace the bearings/retainer as well as the races while you're at it or just clean up and regrease? I'm tempted to just take it to my LBS instead of hunting down the right bearings and having to remove and press new races if it comes down to that.

What would be the normal rate to have something like that completely overhauled at a LBS? Pricing it out online seems like $20 to $30 labor and another $20 in parts?

-Thanks

hokiefyd 

It's not uncommon for headsets to be too tight...it may just be that -- an adjustment may smooth it out. That could account for both the stiff and rough feeling. You could loosen the upper lock nut and back the adjustable cone out a little bit. Basically, you want just enough preload to remove the slack. It's pretty easy to test with the bike in the ground. Hold the front brake and rock the bike forwards and backwards. If the steer tube moves a little bit inside the head tube, the headset is too loose. Keep tightening a bit at a time until this play is gone. If that fixes it, and smooths it out, then you know it's probably still serviceable, and you could then take it all the way down and spend the time to clean and repack the bearings if you wanted to (or just leave it alone).

If you can't get it smooth even with a good adjustment, it's possible that the bearings or races are no longer as good as they once were. You could consider replacing the whole set. Threaded headsets are usually not too expensive. A 2007 model mountain bike might have either a 1" or a 1-1/8" threaded headset. Measure your quill stem to be sure. A 22.2mm or 7/8" diameter stem shaft means you have a 1" headset. A 25.4mm or 1" diameter stem shaft means you have a 1-1/8" headset. The stem will be 1/8" narrower than the headset, so it slides inside easily (and then fastens to the steer tube inside by means of the threaded wedge).

Andrew R Stewart 

The rolling elements (the actual balls) don't usually get as worn as the rolling surfaces (the cup/cone) do. So it's pretty common to find on disassembly that the balls are still shinny but the cone (first then the cup second) can be pitted. Replacing shiny balls doesn't get you much of any improvement, but costs so little that many do so as a practice anyway.

If the cup or cone are pitted then the only fix is replacement (unless you're a gifted machinist/grinder and can regrind the ball tracks). For a headset given the lack of much rotational movement and the amount of leverage that the bars have over the bearing minor pitting is not a big deal. Unless the headset can't be adjusted to not have a notched movement that effects steering most will just reassemble with fresh grease.

The cold weather stiffness could be the grease getting thicker with the cold. Do know that while thinner grease might get less stiff in the cold it will likely wash out faster in the rain.

The cost of replacement by a shop is fairly typical, depending oc the area's cost of living and the shop's labor rate. Although a $20 shop sourced headset is a pretty cheap one. Andy

Synack42

Thanks for the info -- Honestly didn't even think about the cold temps and the viscosity. I'll probably hold off until it gets a bit warmer and see if it that alone helps; I've been stuck on the exercise bike lately anyways.

If it still seems a bit rough I'll ride it over to the LBS and see what they think. (It's a great little shop and I'd like to give them them the business, I've been self sufficient until this.) Hopefully it does just boil down to adjustment or skating by with fresh grease.

If anyone stumbles across the thread in the future... Looks like the 2008 Diamondback Outlook definitely has a 1" quill stem with a 1 1/8" headset. I don't think they switched that model to threadless until 2012.

madpogue 

^^^^^ "Peanut butter", as a friend who used to work at an LBS here would call it; almost the same color/consistency, and just what you'd expect at 10-12 years. Marine bearing grease is waterproof, cheap, and easily had at any hardware store / man-mall. That's where I'd start, esp. if it only feels a little stiff, and not gritty or notchy.

Do you have a bike co-op where you live? If you don't want to invest in tools just yet, but want to get your DIY feet wet, this would be a good starting point. Co-op / "kitchen" should have a nice stand you can use, the right wrenches for the upper race and lock ring, and someone willing to walk you through it.

fietsbob

What is the repair labor cost in an unknown shop in Michigan you ask of people who don't live there .. never have ..

Synack42

Thanks -- Honestly not too sure, I'd be interested in finding a place around me though. I'm north of Detroit and the only co-op I've found online seems to be more downtown (it's a bit of a hike). I do have a headset wrench and cheap stand in mind; I might just bite the bullet.
Sorry, didn't think it was an overly complex question -- asking if anyone had a rough idea of what something like that might cost at a shop? Not exactly looking for a formal estimate in writing with MI sales tax included...

Andrew R Stewart 

As I mentioned the cost you have found on line is pretty typical. Anything more exact requires you seek an actual shop's quote. Andy

madpogue 

That must be Back Alley Bikes. I used to live in that neighborhood, decades ago, before they existed. Are you in Oakland or Macomb County? If you're in Oakland County, there's Common Cycle in Ann Arbor https://commoncycle.org/ ; also a hike, but may be worth it.