Once you’ve gained access to your headset bearings, how best to proceed? For Andy, the low cost makes replacement the first option on almost every occasion. Plain steel bearings will rust quickly, he cautions, and while stainless bearings are more expensive, we are still talking low numbers. “Headsets don’t need to be expensive,” he says.

If you’re keen to extract more life from the unit in place, then remove the seals and degrease the bearings. Blasting clear any debris with an airline – available from around £30 at a motorfactor – will help rid those hard-to-reach places of grit and grime. Once cleaned, regrease the bearings, replace the seals, and return the fork and stem-handlebar unit to position A.

Finally, don’t be misled by the belief that because your bike is clean, the bearings are in good condition. A regular cleaning regime can create water ingress, which, because the bike is used regularly, means that it remains free from seizure. If you detect a certain stiffness that suddenly loosens, it’s time to replace the bearing. Stories of riders who have washed bikes prior to winter storage, only to rebuild them at the start of spring and find that everything had seized, are legion in local bike shops.