Keeping water out of headset

[Shut Up Legs]

Anyone have tips on how to keep water out of a headset? About 4 months ago, I got a lovely new road bike (a Specialized Roubaix Expert SL4), but noticed, after the few times I used it in the rain, that when I upend the bike to clean the bottom parts, water trickles out of the headset. Obviously, I don't wish to repeat this too many times, as it probably won't do much good to my headset.

I did do a web search, and someone on another forum suggested using liberal amounts of grease in it, and another guy said put rubber caps on top of it (e.g. by using old inner-tube sections). Is there anything else I can try?

I was considering putting something transparent and colourless over it, then taping it down (preferably with tape that is also transparent and colourless), but am concerned this will just look bad.

 

[Crankarm]

You're creating problems where none exist. Don't turn your bike upside down and flood it with water. The headset will have seals in it to keep it dry from normal rain and wetness.

 

[the_mikey]

The headset bearings will have rubber seals to keep out the water/mud, but you can add some lithium grease next time you service the headset.

 

[Shut Up Legs]

You're creating problems where none exist. Don't turn your bike upside down and flood it with water. The headset will have seals in it to keep it dry from normal rain and wetness.

I guess my 1st post was a bit ambiguous. I never use water when cleaning any of my bikes, only spray cleaner and a rag.

The water that trickles out of the headset when I turn the bike upside down, after one of my wet bike rides, comes from the rain that (somehow) got into it during the ride. So I was just asking for tips on how best to stop, or at least minimise, this. I'm at a loss to understand how the water gets in, but I've seen the results twice now, when upending the bike to wipe dirt off the bottom parts.

@the_mikey: as you said, I'll try re-greasing the headset, and also check the seal, in case it's loose, or bent, or something?

 

[Tommy2]

A front mud guard would stop water getting thrown up there won't it?

 

[fossyant]

He's not going to want to put guards on a Roubaix SL4 !

Personally, I'd remove and re-grease the headset bearings - liberal coating on the exposed edges as well.

 

[RecordAceFromNew]

Don't know which headset you have, but in any case if you look at the anatomy of a modern aheadset per below you will see that what stops water going in between the headtube (93) and steerer (90) is the top assembly of the headset. If water enters that space then it can gather at the bottom headset assembly if it can't escape (via rubber seal or grease there).

So it might be worth checking firstly if water is actually in the bottom assembly. E.g. if it is water inside the steerer (90) it will be nowhere near your headset. If indeed water is in the bottom assembly then you might want to try packing grease between the steerer cap and the top of the spacer (91), inside the spacer and top cover (24) round about where (25) is with the objective of stopping it entering the space between 90 and 93.

Just my 2p.

 

[Mr Haematocrit]

Its a simple fix, you need to spray the top cap with a water repellent such as WD40 and permit this to dry, it creates a film over the headset which creates a seal which minimizes water intrusion

 

[sidevalve]

Avoid riding in the canal.

 

[ianrauk]

Avoid riding in the canal.

He's an Aussie.
He should be surfing with the bike you mean...

 

[snailracer]

The water gets in at the bottom of the headset. This is because water is flung off the front tyre at high-enough speed and pressure to push past the seal. As any mechanical engineer knows, seals between two moving surfaces don't really work, they merely reduce the amount of leakage.

 

[Oldlegs]

The usual place for rain water to get in is via the seat tube. It then ponds by the bottom bracket only to come out of both ends when you turn the bike upside down. After a wet ride rotate the bike clockwise on the back wheel. Any water in the frame will then come back out of the seat tube.

 

[Shut Up Legs]

Thanks for the many replies, people . You've given me much to think about, for the next time I ride this bike in the rain.

That is, if Winter ever arrives! We're in the middle of an unusually long, hot Summer, and I'm fed up with it.

 

[avsd]

Please send what left of your long, hot Summer north and west. Anywhere around Lat=54.367759 :lon=-6.064453 would do nicely It will take me a few weeks to find the sunglasses and remove the dust/cobwebs so no rush

 

[Shut Up Legs]

(spits on hand, sticks it out) Done!

I'd better warn you, though: it was 35°C yesterday while I was riding home, and didn't get below about 25°C overnight. There was continual smoke haze everywhere, too, as parts of Melbourne's northern suburbs were burning.