Looking for something to stretch my bandit out a bit.

Any experiences of cane creek, nukeproof or work components (or any others I should be thinking of)?

Cheers

I’ve only used Works- no reason to try anything else. Only downer is they use up top bearings fairly fast, for some reason- I think maybe water pools on the relatively flat top, or something? But otherwise it’s just a headset.

Wonder if a bigger ‘domed’ top cap would help or ceramic bearings?

Quite likely, I’ve never bothered though, they still last well enough and it’s a standard cane creek bearing so cheap and easy to buy.

I bought a cane creek one, “ex-demo” but utterly mint – seems fine to me and less head-tube sensitive in the design, I think (maybe that’s why yours eats bearings NW ?)

I did email works (my HT is longer than their max stated in the specs) but got no reply

CC ones do look really good but not sure I can justify £180?! Although I do have a mate living in the states and is coming back at Christmas

@scaredy- nah, it’s mud/water ingress and corrosion. But only the top one. All a bit weird but I wouldn’t want to sound negative about it, at the rate of bearing consumption it’d take about 40 years before it adds up to more than the price difference to an angleset I think.

Anyway- I didn’t feel like I had any reason to try anything else when I swapped frames so I got another.

£180 ?

wow. I’d never have paid that

How much did you pay for yours? Freeborn are doing them for £130, but like NW says, not sure I can justify it…but does look mighty pretty!

bit over 100 – was a “special” though, as it presumably had been on a display bike (no fitment marks and the box was pristine – weird)

Northwind was it straightforward changing the top bearing? and where did you get it from?

Any idea what angle size I should go for? Currently running 150 forks which should make current HA 67.5, and not sure whether to go 1 or 1.5.

The BB is pretty low but I’m running 165mm cranks so either way shouldn’t be too disastrous. More concerned about the handling on the ups on switchbacks.

A guy on PB is running a 2.5 with 150…but he is an American?!

My bearing are shot on my works headset can you buy from else where or is it from works only?

matther I have a 2 degree on a c456 with 140mm forks, never noticed any issues on the ups.dont know what the original c456 head angle is tho, 69 probably. only issue ive had is bloody top bearing hasn’t lasted very long.

I took my old Zesty from 68deg to 66.5deg and it was fantastic with a 150mm or 160mm fork.

On my second Works Components headset now (new bike), and after curing a horrible creaking I’m quite happy with it and would certainly buy from them again.

I feel like mine didn’t last 5 mins before it started seizing up between rides, now got play in it. This is the 2nd time, the first one went the same way, in what seemed like no time (or rather in a handful of rides). I changed the whole headset that time, but if it’s actually just an easy top bearing change, then I’ll stick with it.

I’ve got a works components angleset in my old enduro (-1 deg) , and a cane creek angleset in my Mojo HD (-1.5 deg).

To be honest they both work fine, but the works one is significantly cheaper, so I’d pick that.

I’ve been riding the mojo with the angleset (It went from 66.5deg to 65 deg) for a couple of years now and I’ve noticed that the front end has a real tendency to wash out on flat or off camber corners if you dont have your weight in the correct place (ie more over the front) on the bike, I guess you could say its now less forgiving of poor technique, or that you have to move around the bike more to get the best from it. Not noticed the same issue on the enduro.

Thanks folks…looks like I’ll be taking the plunge withe the works 1 degree.

Read a thread on here about putting the cups in the freezer a couple of hours and then hopefully they can be installed by hand (fingers crossed!).

B.A.Nana – Member

Northwind was it straightforward changing the top bearing? and where did you get it from?

Hi- pretty easy, it taps out from the inside, there’s notches on either side of the headset “cup” so it taps out with a drift or screwdriver (it’s not so easy to get them out intact, sometimes the inside race comes out first just because of the angles).

The bearing is the same as is used in my Hope 1 1/8th and my Cane Creek S3 and S8- Superstar sell a cheapie

http://www.superstarcomponents.com/en/type-1-headset-bearings-36×45-degree-cane-creek-compatible-x2.htm

Which actually seem to be pretty decent

Oh, I’ve got a tapered one now which obviously has a different bottom bearing, don’t know about that one yet as it’s only the tops that seem to have the shortened lifespan.

Oh aye, I should have said- that’s all for changing the bearing with the angleset fitted in the frame, you don’t need to take it out. It’s basically just like an internal headset, the bearings very nearly pushfit.

For those with bearing life issues where does your headtube length sit within the ranges specified by Works?

I have a 130mm headtube and bought a headset that specified a 130-136mm headtube length. Had no issues with bearing wear over the last 2 years. Mine is on an XC bike, tho its not treated lightly and has covered a fair amount of miles, going through BB’s, drive trains etc. but not headset bearings.

Couldn’t honestly tell you though I’ve had 3 so I’d imagine they’ve been in various places in the range. It’s definitely water/corrosion though rather than sideloading or similiar.

To be fair, these were all bikes that see an uncommon amount of rain 😆 In Scotland, enduro is a water sport.

STATO – Member
For those with bearing life issues where does your headtube length sit within the ranges specified by Works?

In my case its an on one/works components headset specifically sold for the c456, so you’d assume it was appropriate.
I’ve no idea on it’s poor life, but due to bearings seizing up between use long before play starts, I probably agree with northwind’s account.
I’m out maybe 3 times a month over autumn, spring and summer and maybe 3 times in total over winter, so not very much imo. I’ve managed about 12 months out of them

Saw a load of other posts on another forum, with zero problems. They were however all from the US I believe, where it only ever appears to be sunny (apart from Seattle)!

Damn this dreich UK weather!!

@Banana – might be that it doesn’t get enough use..?

http://www.santacruzbicycles.com/en/us/news/347

That has occured to me, more along the lines that, if I’d used it more often, I might have got more use out of it over the same time scale, rather than extending it’s life by using it more, if you know what I mean?.
It’s still pretty disappointing tho, at most I use a hosepipe to clean, more often a bucket of water, certainly don’t clean the bike after every ride. I didn’t molly coddle the headsets, but didn’t abuse them either.