Front tire wobbly

Question
I have a 30+ yr old Raleigh 10-speed.  Front 27" tire has been wobbly at low speeds for a few yrs. Tire and tube are <1 yr old. Bike shop said he could try to adjust spokes but since old steel wheel with rust, couldn't guarantee no snapping. I opted to buy new aluminum rim.  I put tire back on and still have wobble at low speed where whole handlebar shakes.  Could there be issue with the fork or bearings in stem?  What should I ask repair shop to check?

Answer
Pete,

I am so sorry it has taken so long to answer you. I was on vacation for a couple of weeks and never thought about AllExperts might have a pending question.

If you haven't solved you problem my gut feeling is that you may have "index steering." A term we used to use in a shop I worked in. In other words your headset is pitted just enough off-center that a wobble is happening as you fight the headset pitting to keep the bike going straight. If you have never replaced your headset in this grand old bike I would bet dollars to donuts that you will find that pitting on the front side of your top race and the back of your bottom race.

So, yes, you are on the right track in your thinking. Have your shop take apart the headset, it most likely need to be regreased anyway, and check the condition. Pressing in a new headset is really not a big job, however your local shop may have to order a headset for your one inch steer tube. If you ride a lot you may want to see if they can get a roller bearing headset as they tend not to pit as quickly.

I honestly hope you have solved the problem before my slow response reaches you, but if you do have more questions please ask... I am back home and not going anywhere for a long time!

Best,

Tad