• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Become a Premium Member
  • About

Road Bike Rider Cycling Site

Expert road cycling advice, since 2001

  • Pinterest
  • Facebook
  • Bikes & Gear
  • Training & Health
  • Reviews
  • Cycling Ebooks
    • Ebooks Training
    • Ebooks Skills
    • E-Articles Training
    • E-Articles Nutrition
  • Member Area
  • Newsletter

Can Indoor Trainers Harm Headsets?

Question: I’ve been riding my bike on a trainer all winter and now I’m concerned that I’ve damaged the headset. When I lift the front wheel, the handlebar sticks in the straight-ahead position. Did I somehow mess it up? – Brady P.

Maybe. Pedaling your bike on an indoor trainer can cause flat spots that ruin the smooth rotation of headset bearings.

On the road, the handlebar is always moving at least a little, so pressure is distributed. But indoors the bar is stationary. As a result, your weight is concentrated.

I’m not sure this happened in your case. It’s a fairly rare occurrence, and you had the bike on the trainer just one winter. Maybe the headset was pitted previously or about to go bad. It took 10 years to wreck the Campy Record headset on my trainer bike.

If you intend to ride indoors a lot, find an old bike or frame that you can dedicate to the trainer.

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Search

Recent Articles

  • Newsletter Issue No. 955
  • How a 77-year-old Woman Does Sweet Spot Training
  • Charge Comfort Ebike Review
  • Kora Yak Wool Hima-Layer Yushu Long Sleeve Crew Top Review (Men’s and Women’s)

Recent Newsletters

Newsletter Issue No. 955

Newsletter Issue No. 954

Newsletter Issue No. 953

Newsletter Issue No. 952

Newsletter Issue No. 951

Footer

Affiliate Disclosure

Our cycling expert editors and writers choose every product we review. We may earn an affiliate commission if you buy from one of our product links, at no extra cost to you. This income supports our site.

Follow Us

  • Pinterest
  • Facebook
Privacy Policy

Still Haven’t Found What You’re Looking For?

Copyright © 2021 · Magazine Pro on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in