Lost headset screw in frame!!

fazersmart
fazersmart Posts: 48
edited October 2011 in Workshop
Had a bike fit at Velomotion in Milton Keynes. Was told to change the stem & shown how to do it. Seemed a simple procedure so thought I'd give it a try.
BIG MISTAKE!!! Why oh why am I incapable of doing anything!
I carefully removed the headset & swapped stems. Only as I try to tighten up everything the headset won't tighten. upon closer inspection i notice the screw base that holds the head set screw in place has fallen further down the frame!!
How do I get it out? How do I sort it all out?
Phoned up Velomotion who've decided it's not their problem & go to bike shop to deal with it. Thought as a £300 customer they'd help me out but no. Once your fit is done they don't want to see you again :cry:
Amy help. Don't want to go to bike shop as (sounds crazy I know) but bought bike from different dealer & don't wanna ruin a great relationship.

Comments

  • desweller
    desweller Posts: 5,175
    Is it a carbon fork? Are you using a star fangled nut or a bung?
    - - - - - - - - - -
    On Strava.{/url}
  • APIII
    APIII Posts: 2,010
    I had a similar thing happen a few years ago. I bent over the tip of a skewer (of the metal kebab variety) and used that to hook the bung out
  • ynyswen24
    ynyswen24 Posts: 703
    Drag it back to where you can get it using a magnet?
  • fazersmart wrote:
    Phoned up Velomotion who've decided it's not their problem & go to bike shop to deal with it. Thought as a £300 customer they'd help me out but no.

    Should have gone to Twenty3c

    http://www.twenty3c.co.uk/Bike-Fitting.aspx

    bc
    2013 Colnago Master 30th Anniversary
    2010 Colnago C50
    2005 Colnago C40
    2002 Colnago CT1
    2010 Colnago World Cup
    2013 Cinelli Supercorsa
    2009 Merckx LXM
    1995 Lemond Gan Team
  • AC20030_1
    AC20030_1 Posts: 109
    This just happened to me. Managed to pull it out by straightening a wire coat hanger and making a small hook at the end with pliers. You might need a torch to shine down it though to help see. Good luck!
  • FCE2007
    FCE2007 Posts: 962
    I think some 'wag' put a small ball bearing inside my frame on build up.

    I blame Wiggle.
    Powered by Haribo.
  • neeb
    neeb Posts: 4,473
    If it's a carbon steerer, the base as you call it will be a "bung" that goes inside the steerer and is tightened with an allen key. The size of the allen key may be different (probably bigger) than the one that goes in the screw for the heaset cap. If you can get a long enough allen key of the right size you should be able to undo the screw on top of the bung, which will loosen it and eventually should allow it to come out easily, probably just by turning the steerer upside down. It's possible that if you loosen it too much it could fall apart, but the bits should come out and you can reassemble them later.

    If it's an alloy steerer it will have a star-fangled-nut, which is just pushed in by friction and doesn't have a screw. Then your best bet is a bent coat hanger, screwdriver or whatever as others have suggested, or else if it is just pushed down slightly too far you could just get a longer headcap screw. This would allow you to tighten the steerer and/or pull out the nut.
  • fazersmart wrote:
    Phoned up Velomotion who've decided it's not their problem & go to bike shop to deal with it. Thought as a £300 customer they'd help me out but no.

    Should have gone to Twenty3c

    http://www.twenty3c.co.uk/Bike-Fitting.aspx

    bc

    Not really a solution is it?