Here s how to do it.
Road bike top cap torque.
You want the minimum torque to reduce play in the headset.
Test the headset adjustment by lifting the bike and pushing the bars back and forth the bars should turn freely with very little resistance.
In other words a torque wrench set for 100 in lbs might tighten to 96 in lbs or 104 in lbs.
Snug the top cap down until there is slight resistance.
Don t over tighten nuts bolts.
A torque table for bicycles.
Gazelle trading 1 1 8 inch bicycle al alloy headset top cap bolt mountain bike stem top cap cover headset screws for mtb road xc fr bike stems 3 8 out of 5 stars 10 10 98 10.
Once the stem is tightened in place is is purely cosmetic and covers the top of the steerer.
Same is true for the end cap on a shimano hollowtech ii crankset.
As others have said the top cap is pre load only.
Do it right use this torque guide.
The correct torque is the amount needed to correctly ensure there is no play in the headset and no more.
There are basically three types of torque wrenches the beam type the click type and the dial type.
Once the stem bolts are then tightened the top cap torque is irrelevant.
It is non load bearing.
Tightening your headset is one of the most simple pieces of bike maintenance but it s also very important.
Torque wrenches available to general industrial work including bicycle work are typically accurate to plus or minus four percent.
If the motion of the bars feels sticky or hesitant loosen the top cap 1 8th of a turn and test again.