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The Un-Official Guide To Fixing Headset Play - Please Add Your Advice Here Hey Everyone, I wanted to create a guide to help troubleshoot headset play regardless of bike brand. By no means am I an expert, and I hope others can add to this thread. Please understand this guide/thread isn't intended for airing our bike brand grievances or calling out user errors. Ultimately we all just want our bikes to work as intended. Common Reasons For Headset Play 1. Steerer/Fork isn't cut low enough, or an extra spacer is required above the stem to properly compress the top cap. When initially cutting the steer tube, an extra 2-4mm below the cut line needs to be accounted for in order for the top cap to recess properly. 2. The headset bearing (upper or lower) doesn't sit inside the head tube cup snug enough (laterally, front to back). Velobuild, for example, provides 52mm diameter headset bearings. Other headsets sold online or for other bike brands may only be 51.8mm diameter. That 0.2mm is the difference between a snug fit or loose headset. If your bearings are loose this will always cause play. You can add a couple layers of tape inside the bearing cup to prevent the bearing from moving around. Or just buy a new 52mm headset. 3. The top headset bearing is recessed too far into the head tube cup, causing the headset cover to rub on the frame, preventing the complete headset stack to properly compress. If this is the case you will need a thicker headset bearing (7mm, 7.5mm or 8mm thick) or a thicker c-ring so that it sits flush with the top of the headset opening on the frame, thus preventing the headset cover from rubbing the frame. EDIT: Another resolution is adding some micro spacers between the c-ring and top cap. 4. The upper and lower headset bearings are installed in reverse. Some bikes (like Yoeleo's recent G21 gravel bike) provide a set of headset bearings, with one of the two bearings being slightly thicker than the other. The thicker of the two bearings needs to be installed on top of the head tube, and the thinner bearing on the bottom. If these two bearings are installed in reverse order then...see Common Issue #3 It is critical to do a dry run of installing the crown race, headset bearings, c-ring, headset cap, stem/cockpit, and any additional spacers before actually proceeding to building up the bike. Also be sure to compare and inspect the two headset bearings to confirm they are in fact the same size and thickness. August 02, 2022, 02:23:09 PM	1
Sensah Phi review - great shifters for repurposing old Shimano parts Some impressions here on Sensah Phi. Nothing on the forum here yet (and nothing much on the internet generally) so some thoughts below. I've been rebuilding my spare/trainer bike so it's been a good opportunity to try some Aliexpress parts. I had a Shimano 5600 RD and a couple of different FDs about so I thought I'd try Sensah Phi to bring it all together with a variety of other budget 10 speed parts. As a small-handed rider, I was looking forward to repurposing Shimano's 10 speed parts without having to resort to their shifters. I've always hated the ergonomics of both the 7800/6600/5600 levers (cable out the side) and the 7900/6700/5700 so the idea of having modern ergonomic shifters that worked with older parts was appealing. The TL;DR is that these shifters pretty much do what they say on the tin. It's a version of the Sensah shifters that works with the Shimano 1.4 actuation ratio (basically everything 8/9/10 speed except Tiagra 4700 / GRX 400) I had two different front derailleurs on hand to try - 5800 (11-speed 105) and 3500 (9-speed Sora). First I tried the 5800 but it didn't feel quite right to begin with. Noting that the Sensah Phi shifter seems to be a very similar design to the 7900/6700/5700 FD (see below), I decided to try the 9 speed Sora FD - this had a better feeling right from the get-go. I'm not sure if the FD cable pull is the same as other Sensah levers. Thoughts: Rear shifting Excellent - works nicely, easy enough to good feel to make sure you're not shifting the wrong way, action is light, no issues at all. Feels at least as good as mechanical SRAM used to. Front shifting Meh to reasonable. The actual shifting performance is okay, but it's just a weird design. The front shifter has 4 spots (so 3 clicks) - assuming it's meant to be like Shimano, there should be two spots for each ring. The difference with Shimano is, particularly for going from big ring back to small ring - you can either to the light press just to trim (one position), or do a normal press to go down to the inner ring. With the Sensah shifter you can only move down one position at a time, so you basically have to do two small taps to drop down to the inner ring. It works fine, but it's just weird. Is there any documentation or guide to what the positions of the FD are meant to be - is it meant to be like Shimano? Shifter ergonomics Great, basically the same as current Shimano mechanical. Heaps better than old Shimano levers. Adjustable brake reach is nice for me with small hands. Hoods fit nice and tight. End result Chinese parts on this build: Sensah Phi shifters - as above Senicx PR3 cranks - needed a 1mm spacer on the NDS (not supplied) when used with a Shimano BBR-60 BSA threaded BB. Seller sent a 165mm instead of the 170mm I ordered. Shifting on the chainrings seems nice though and it's always good to have cranks that are easy to put a power meter on. YBN 10 speed chain - seems to work just fine - put it through the ultrasonic cleaner and am using Squirt drip wax on it. Sensah 10 speed cassette, 11-28 - would like to go more but that's the max the 5600 derailleur will allow. Works just fine. OG-Evkin bar tape - basically a copy of Lizard Skins, not quite as good as the real deal but not far off. The key test will be longevity though. West Biking SPD-SL pedals - surprisingly good given the price ($14 USD). Haven't tried the included cleats but action with genuine Shimano cleats feels much like Shimano. Had to disassemble to grease the axle (was totally dry) and as a result movement was very slow on unboxing but now it's greased (and the grease has had a chance to move itself around) it's been fine. Velobuild VBR-016 - bought this back in 2014 and it was my main bike from 2014-2020. Obviously it's been surpassed by many other Chinese frames since but it's still a nice bike, well constructed and easy to work with (threaded BB, easy to find headset bearings). Tyre clearance is typical of the time, 25mm at the rear is the absolute maximum. The pictured version on the site are the original finished pics of my frame. May 19, 2024, 06:29:08 AM	1

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The Un-Official Guide To Fixing Headset Play - Please Add Your Advice Here Hey Everyone,

I wanted to create a guide to help troubleshoot headset play regardless of bike brand. By no means am I an expert, and I hope others can add to this thread. Please understand this guide/thread isn't intended for airing our bike brand grievances or calling out user errors. Ultimately we all just want our bikes to work as intended.

Common Reasons For Headset Play

1. Steerer/Fork isn't cut low enough, or an extra spacer is required above the stem to properly compress the top cap. When initially cutting the steer tube, an extra 2-4mm below the cut line needs to be accounted for in order for the top cap to recess properly.

2. The headset bearing (upper or lower) doesn't sit inside the head tube cup snug enough (laterally, front to back). Velobuild, for example, provides 52mm diameter headset bearings. Other headsets sold online or for other bike brands may only be 51.8mm diameter. That 0.2mm is the difference between a snug fit or loose headset. If your bearings are loose this will always cause play. You can add a couple layers of tape inside the bearing cup to prevent the bearing from moving around. Or just buy a new 52mm headset.

3. The top headset bearing is recessed too far into the head tube cup, causing the headset cover to rub on the frame, preventing the complete headset stack to properly compress. If this is the case you will need a thicker headset bearing (7mm, 7.5mm or 8mm thick) or a thicker c-ring so that it sits flush with the top of the headset opening on the frame, thus preventing the headset cover from rubbing the frame. EDIT: Another resolution is adding some micro spacers between the c-ring and top cap.

4. The upper and lower headset bearings are installed in reverse. Some bikes (like Yoeleo's recent G21 gravel bike) provide a set of headset bearings, with one of the two bearings being slightly thicker than the other. The thicker of the two bearings needs to be installed on top of the head tube, and the thinner bearing on the bottom. If these two bearings are installed in reverse order then...see Common Issue #3

It is critical to do a dry run of installing the crown race, headset bearings, c-ring, headset cap, stem/cockpit, and any additional spacers before actually proceeding to building up the bike. Also be sure to compare and inspect the two headset bearings to confirm they are in fact the same size and thickness.

August 02, 2022, 02:23:09 PM

Sensah Phi review - great shifters for repurposing old Shimano parts Some impressions here on Sensah Phi. Nothing on the forum here yet (and nothing much on the internet generally) so some thoughts below. I've been rebuilding my spare/trainer bike so it's been a good opportunity to try some Aliexpress parts. I had a Shimano 5600 RD and a couple of different FDs about so I thought I'd try Sensah Phi to bring it all together with a variety of other budget 10 speed parts.

As a small-handed rider, I was looking forward to repurposing Shimano's 10 speed parts without having to resort to their shifters. I've always hated the ergonomics of both the 7800/6600/5600 levers (cable out the side) and the 7900/6700/5700 so the idea of having modern ergonomic shifters that worked with older parts was appealing.

The TL;DR is that these shifters pretty much do what they say on the tin. It's a version of the Sensah shifters that works with the Shimano 1.4 actuation ratio (basically everything 8/9/10 speed except Tiagra 4700 / GRX 400)

I had two different front derailleurs on hand to try - 5800 (11-speed 105) and 3500 (9-speed Sora). First I tried the 5800 but it didn't feel quite right to begin with. Noting that the Sensah Phi shifter seems to be a very similar design to the 7900/6700/5700 FD (see below), I decided to try the 9 speed Sora FD - this had a better feeling right from the get-go. I'm not sure if the FD cable pull is the same as other Sensah levers.

Thoughts:

Rear shifting
Excellent - works nicely, easy enough to good feel to make sure you're not shifting the wrong way, action is light, no issues at all. Feels at least as good as mechanical SRAM used to.

Front shifting
Meh to reasonable. The actual shifting performance is okay, but it's just a weird design. The front shifter has 4 spots (so 3 clicks) - assuming it's meant to be like Shimano, there should be two spots for each ring. The difference with Shimano is, particularly for going from big ring back to small ring - you can either to the light press just to trim (one position), or do a normal press to go down to the inner ring. With the Sensah shifter you can only move down one position at a time, so you basically have to do two small taps to drop down to the inner ring. It works fine, but it's just weird. Is there any documentation or guide to what the positions of the FD are meant to be - is it meant to be like Shimano?

Shifter ergonomics
Great, basically the same as current Shimano mechanical. Heaps better than old Shimano levers. Adjustable brake reach is nice for me with small hands. Hoods fit nice and tight.

End result

Chinese parts on this build:
Sensah Phi shifters - as above
Senicx PR3 cranks - needed a 1mm spacer on the NDS (not supplied) when used with a Shimano BBR-60 BSA threaded BB. Seller sent a 165mm instead of the 170mm I ordered. Shifting on the chainrings seems nice though and it's always good to have cranks that are easy to put a power meter on.
YBN 10 speed chain - seems to work just fine - put it through the ultrasonic cleaner and am using Squirt drip wax on it.
Sensah 10 speed cassette, 11-28 - would like to go more but that's the max the 5600 derailleur will allow. Works just fine.
OG-Evkin bar tape - basically a copy of Lizard Skins, not quite as good as the real deal but not far off. The key test will be longevity though.
West Biking SPD-SL pedals - surprisingly good given the price ($14 USD). Haven't tried the included cleats but action with genuine Shimano cleats feels much like Shimano. Had to disassemble to grease the axle (was totally dry) and as a result movement was very slow on unboxing but now it's greased (and the grease has had a chance to move itself around) it's been fine.
Velobuild VBR-016 - bought this back in 2014 and it was my main bike from 2014-2020. Obviously it's been surpassed by many other Chinese frames since but it's still a nice bike, well constructed and easy to work with (threaded BB, easy to find headset bearings). Tyre clearance is typical of the time, 25mm at the rear is the absolute maximum. The pictured version on the site are the original finished pics of my frame.
May 19, 2024, 06:29:08 AM

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