important: Nuts and bolts on your bike should always be tightened to the manufacturer's specifications.

How to Check If Your Bearings Are Worn

Did you know that you can check the health of your bearings by listening to your bike seat?

Here’s a handy tip that will help you access whether or not any of your bearings are worn out. You’ll need to have the wheels suspended in the air somehow, using either a repair stand, hanging it from the roof, or by getting a friend to hold it up for you.

How to Listen

You can listen to your bike by pressing your ear up to the front of the seat. It will act as a speaker, amplifying the bike’s internal noises.

Now spin each of your components and listen to the sound. You will hear noise, but it should sound smooth and even. If it sounds loud and/or uneven, it is likely dry or worn out, and your bearings will need either an overhaul or complete replacement.

Bottom Bracket Bearings

When checking the bottom bracket bearings, it’s helpful to shift the smallest sprocket and remove the chain to eliminate the noise generated by the chain and chainring.

Rear Wheel Bearings

To hear the rear wheel bearings better, remove the chain from the freewheel by removing and re-installing the wheel, so that you don’t hear the ticking as it spins around.

Headset Bearings

Since the headset doesn’t spin around as fast, it’s more difficult to hear if it’s worn. Any dryness or wear in the headset bearings will be very obvious, and you’ll feel a notch in the rotation if they’re pitted. Pitting usually occurs when the front wheel is pointing directly forward.

Related Links

Recommended Tools

Categories

Discuss this topic in the Bicycle Repairs and Mechanics Forum

I'm curious—how often or after how many miles do people typically check or change their mechanical disc brake pads? I've been bikepacking for a while but never really followed a maintenance schedule. A few weeks ago, I took my bike to a mechanic because I heard some noise. The mechanic did a quick overhaul, and I was sent on my way. However, a few weeks later, while descending steep hills, I s...

Read more

7-speed bicycle with bent rim

Latest post 6 days ago

I recently bought a 7-speed bicycle practically brand new it still has a little rubber nipples on the tires apparently it got backed into in the garage and it bent the rear rim sideways my question is can I go out and buy another just like single speed 20 inch bicycle and put the 7-speed cassette onto that rim?...

Read more

Trek domane tyre

Latest post 2 weeks ago

Hi I have a trek domane 2.3, and I have changed the rear tyre to 28 (it was 25 originally) The tyre rubs with the brake arm (v brake), I fear it doesn’t seem to be compatible Is there any way to adjust the position of the brake arm? I just need it to ne around 2mm higher Thanks...

Read more

Schwinn meridian rear drive axle

Latest post 4 weeks ago

Recently bought a slightly used 26" meridian trike. While replacing wider tires on the rear, I noticed an issue with the rear drive side wheel hub. The wheel is held on with a nut and single washer. The hub is not held firmly in a location on the axle and is able to slide back and forth on the axle a good half inch even though the nut is tightened all the way down to its bottom threads on the axle...

Read more

Bianchi Oltre Pro Garmin Mount

Latest post 1 month ago

I am wondering if anyone can help me with the garmin mount that came with my recently purchased Bianchi Oltre Pro. I was on a ride descending and the mount flew off, landing in the middle of the road with my garmin head unit. Luckily the head unit still works with a few minor scratches and cracks. From the picture you can see that it was not that the screws came loose, it was in fact the part of ...

Read more

Hello, I'm running an Apex setup on my gravel bike, 40T front to 11-42T back. Could I swap in an 11-46T Shimano cassette (11-speed all round)? Just considering options, as my Apex 11 speed cranks don't go lower than 40T...

Read more

Bearing grease

Latest post 1 month ago

found. please del! sorry...

Read more

Broken Bottom Bracket

Latest post 2 months ago

After 6,000 or so touring miles, the bottom bracket on my Trek 920 broke. Does anyone know what is compatible for a replacement? If I were to choose to replace the entire drive train, what would be compatible? Finally, if I were to replace the drive train, should I go with a 1x for gravel?...

Read more

Hello, all! Just joined this forum to post this, as I feel like I've looked everywhere online and am going nuts; where would one acquire a replacement for a back-right 26' wheel for a Schwinn Meridian Comfort trike? Mine took a pretty severe hit and suffered multiple broken spokes, and I'm not the most mechanically inclined nor financially comfortable. I figured it wouldn't be that difficult, but...

Read more

Mavic XM319

Latest post 3 months ago

Hello. I have a Mavic XM 319 rear wheel with a 10 speed Shimano/SRAM free hub which I want to convert to 11 speed. Which replacement free hub do I need and will it fit/work? Understand Mavic uses a particular freehub/pawls arrangement so I want to get it right....

Read more

My dad gave me his Scalpel 29 4 2013 and I've been working to get it to a good riding state since it sat unused for a long time and the challenge I'm struggling with is disc brakes rubbing. I learned to gravity bleed the brakes, and in the process I cleaned the bike, the calipers and equipped it with new shimano disc rotors and pads (my dad had uberbike ones, they were a little rusted and I wante...

Read more

Shimano TZ replacement/adapter

Latest post 3 months ago

  20240529_144516.jpg (Size: 40.86 KB / Downloads: 40)   20240731_104315.jpg (Size: 52.87 KB / Downloads: 39)   20240731_104315.jpg (Size: 52.87 KB / Downloads: 39) Hi All: I have been using Shimano and VGsports freewheels on my ebike to get a 34t low gear. The gearing is cool but these hubs suck for beach work, one little splash of salt water and they ar...

Read more

Hello, I'm new here, my dad has given me his 2013 Scalpel 29 4 since he no longer rides and I'm gradually learning how to maintain it because it feels like a bike well worth learning repairs and maintenance for. I'm slowly figuring out what it does and doesn't need to have maintained, what has and hasn't stayed in good condition in the time since he used it. While doing some unrelated work (takin...

Read more

Hi all, I just got a Schwinn Meridian Trike and went on a nice short uneventful ride today - it worked well - and then after doing something else for a bit, I got back on the bike and the pedals wouldnt turn the rear 2 wheels. Both chains seem to be attached and turning, but for some reason the front chain isn’t moving the rear 2 wheels. I don’t understand what could’ve possibly happened. D...

Read more

Sturmey gearing.

Latest post 3 months ago

Hi ... the Sheldon bike calculator does not address changing a 3 speed hub input gear that I could find. Example: 34t crank - 24t input 3 speed - 22t output 3 speed - 28t cassette. I'm getting nowhere trying to juggle 4 gears. Can someone help this tired old biker? Thanks, Zene...

Read more