it was that time again: checking the bearings in the linkage of my beloved nomad. it was making strange noises and it is a well known fact that a quiet bike is a fast bike. we like fast.
taking out the links is a quick and simple task. i then tested the bearings to see if they all still move well and found that two out of six unfortunately felt notchy. time to swap them out. interestingly only one failed in the bottom link, which is much more exposed to water and dirt, the other one failed in the top link.
the tried and tested ‘leave the link in the oven at 200 degrees for 20 minutes’ did the trick again. pressing the new ones in was even easier with the correct tool.
changing the bearing once a year is ok, i guess. when i got the bike and checked the bearings the first time i had to chase the threads for the lower links, they were not cut properly. this time around i checked the threads of the upper link and found those to be requiring a bit of re-cutting, too.
everything is now back together, properly torqued up and greased. i hope it’s all quiet again now.