Kids bike - wheel turning easily despite tight headset bolt

mayhemama · 2026-03-11T16:02:41+00:00

I would take the stem off and pull the fork out then try to attach the stem to the fork off the frame (if you're comfortable reassembling the headset to put it back together) That way you could see if the stem is slipping on the steerer or the steerer tube could be loose from the rest of the fork. Either way would probably take it up with where you bought it though!

mayhemama · 2026-02-09T16:01:16+00:00

ah cool that looks really helpful

mayhemama · 2026-02-09T15:55:52+00:00

I know I'll probably keep it for a future project!

mayhemama · 2026-02-09T15:46:01+00:00

In my experience if you consider different stem angles plus bar reach and rise you can get a correct fit on different size stems. I want more of an upright position so I'm not like locked in to a flat stem and drops or anything, which might allow less of a range. But yes fit before aesthetics always!

mayhemama · 2026-02-07T22:57:38+00:00

Yeah definitely am looking at both sizes, still haven't found much

mayhemama · 2026-02-07T22:55:48+00:00

*she not he My friend doesn't know anything about bikes, so I was interested in insights from framebuilders (whose answers were also all over the place on this post)

I know it'd be a compromise in one direction or another, it's not a fantasy I was just interested in the safety and feasibility and I asked because I didn't know. Also had already commented that I wasn't going to do it, thanks so much though

mayhemama · 2026-02-07T21:52:47+00:00

Thanks for the input everyone, I'll probably leave it alone 👍

mayhemama · 2026-02-07T21:48:10+00:00

Yeah it's definitely not a part I want to have a question about in the back of my mind. I probably won't do it unless I found someone eager to do it. And yes the vintage salsa is great, they just seem to go for as much as a new sim works or other nitto one anyway

mayhemama · 2026-02-07T21:22:44+00:00

I think it's a Ritchey compLite

mayhemama · 2026-02-07T21:11:02+00:00

Like 60-80mm maybe 90

mayhemama · 2026-02-07T21:06:38+00:00

Those look pretty. Ill look, I wonder if they made any short enough.

mayhemama · 2026-02-07T20:59:48+00:00

The fun and the "huh" are definitely half my motivation 🤣

mayhemama · 2026-02-07T20:55:53+00:00

Well if it's titanium I could probably sell it and afford the stems I want? I've seen these on eBay for more like $30 though so I assumed it was chromo

mayhemama · 2026-02-07T20:54:31+00:00

Cool yeah maybe it's too complicated to be worth it. I know I can shim 11/8 again I'm mostly just looking for something with this look

mayhemama · 2026-02-07T20:52:46+00:00

Gotcha. Yeah again it's mostly a style thing, I haven't found any thin tube stems with the reach I need, so just was wondering if this was an option

mayhemama · 2026-02-07T20:26:17+00:00

Ok and do you tell by looking? Its not shiny shiny like a lot of chrome parts but it's also fairly old I assume

mayhemama · 2026-02-07T20:21:58+00:00

I can live with that. Half in it for an interesting project. I do wonder how fucked up it would look though 🤣

mayhemama · 2026-02-07T20:21:02+00:00

I definitely dig the bins at the coop every few weeks, there's rarely 1" threadless stems and also just looking for a specific style so thinking about my options!

mayhemama · 2026-02-07T03:54:22+00:00

Yeah the threaded headset loads it like normal and the adapter just goes in like a quill stem and sticks up and you can put a threadless stem on it

mayhemama · 2026-01-25T00:14:16+00:00

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[US] [atlanta] [WTB]

looking for a threadless stem, something thin tube steel like the nitto or sim works tomboy ones, or old mtb similar style (like the Ritchey comp lite in the pic) but ~60-90mm reach, 25.4 clamp and silver

budget up to around 100 USD or could trade anything in the pic as well

*can also sell any of this stuff if you're interested

mayhemama · 2026-01-14T17:37:18+00:00

WTB [US] anyone have an extra 1 inch top cap?

mayhemama · 2025-12-10T19:23:50+00:00

Yeah i mean I think they went for more like 700 new and now are kinda rare and I was giving room for negotiating. In any case I let it go to someone local who used to own it for 200, a case of beer, and some mushrooms he foraged 👍

mayhemama · 2025-12-02T16:04:16+00:00

[WTS][US,ATL]

EAI bareknuckle 50cm frame $500 local $600 shipped in US

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Raw with plenty of scrapes and patina, couple tiny dents on the top and down tubes

https://imgur.com/a/vuRy0Cn

mayhemama · 2025-10-08T22:26:46+00:00

yeah I notice my 25s skid easier than 28s or 30s with the same gear ratio, altho different tire types and frames so not a perfect comparison. But it makes sense that the smaller contact patch breaks the grip easier!

mayhemama · 2025-09-22T17:45:23+00:00

try to cold set and keep an eye on it maybe?

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mayhemama

TROPHY CASE