Steering bearing assembly for wheeled vehicle

A steering bearing assembly, comprising:

• a head tube connected to a vehicle frame;
• a nonexternally threaded steerer tube having a cylindrical, smooth outer surface and a longitudinal axis connected to a front wheel and passing through the head tube;
• a first bearing assembly on a first end of the head tube to allow the steerer tube to pivot within the head tube;
• a second bearing assembly on a second end of the head tube, the second bearing assembly having a first race and a second race, the first race being connected to the head tube and the second race being carried on the steerer tube with a clearance therebetween and having a contact surface tapered at an angle to the longitudinal axis of the steerer tube;
• a compression ring on a smooth surface of the steerer tube against the second bearing assembly, having a contact surface that is tapered and abuts the contact surface on the second race of the second bearing assembly;
• and
• an adjuster nut for exerting a longitudinal force on the compression ring toward the second bearing assembly to push said second race toward said first race.

A steering bearing assembly for a two wheel vehicle comprising:

• a head tube connected to a vehicle frame;
• a steerer tube connected to a front wheel fork of a vehicle, said steerer tube passing through the head tube with clearance therebetween;
• a lower bearing assembly connected between the head tube and the steerer tube and providing rotational support for the head tube relative to the steerer tube;
• an upper bearing assembly connected to the head tube and carried thereby with clearance relative to the steerer tube, the inner diameter of the upper bearing assembly being greater than the outer diameter of the steerer tube;
• a compression member disposed on the upper bearing assembly and engageable in the clearance between the upper bearing assembly and the steerer tube, said compression member, when engaged in the clearance between the upper bearing assembly and the steerer tube fixing the upper bearing assembly to the steerer tube in a manner providing rotational support therefor;
• a mounting stem for connection of a handle bar to the steerer tube, said mounting stem being disposed on said compression member about said steerer tube;
• and
• a locking member secured on said steerer tube above said mounting stem, said locking member being axially displaceable toward said mounting stem and acting to simultaneously axially retain the mounting stem on the steerer tube and to force the compression member toward the upper bearing assembly so as to firmly engage the compression member between the upper bearing assembly and the steerer tube.