Need a new headset for my carbon 456 and I’m a bit baffled by the choice. Need one for tapered fork obviously but apparently there is different sizes.

Heard these ones at superstar are good but which one exactly?

http://superstar.tibolts.co.uk/index.php?cPath=25&osCsid=0g40pfkpfhmlctqi6g1iucdq61

Or are there any other good deals out there?

Any advice would be great, cheers.

On mine (1.5 fork) – I had an OnOne Smoothie mixer. So if you’re in the same boat and it’s just your bottom that’s failed (!) then “type 2” here fitted mine and lasted longer.

http://superstar.tibolts.co.uk/product_info.php?products_id=439

Yes I’ve got the notorious smoothie mixer on mine now. Can just feel a little play in it and I’ve started to feel it when riding now. Can’t tell if it’s the bottom that’s failed or not though.

I’d guesstimate that 90% it’s the bottom. I got through 2 bottoms before the top. But that might be just me.

Hmm, think its worth a gamble on getting those bearings then. Are they easy to fit or is it a LBS job?

If you’re leaving the smoothie cup in then it’s easy, but – IIRC – destructive- ie due to limited access you have to whack the inner race from above to remove the bearing which will damage it internally.

So it’s easy to do DIY with a screwdriver so long as you never reinstall the old bearing.

There may be a neater way if you’ve a bearing puller etc.

Installing the new one obviously has clear access to the outer race from below (eg a large socket) so that’s fine.

I’ve had mine for a year with one of these in it http://superstar.tibolts.co.uk/product_info.php?cPath=25&products_id=425

it’s fine but I used to wash the bike upside down and wrecked the lower bearing fairly quick so lesson learned. These bearings are the replacement for the lower of the SSC and On One headset http://superstar.tibolts.co.uk/product_info.php?products_id=439 just make sure you pop the seals off and fill them with waterproof marine grease and cover the outside of them too. Good idea to clean and regrease occasionally too

I removed the teabag seal bearings (TM) from my Smoothie and fitted some bearings with seals in them that work. Packed them with extra hd grease and have been fine since. You can take the headset out and refit it , as I did . Bit of a fiddle but if I knew that 10 dry ride old bearings are ‘consumable’ by On One I obviously wouldn’t have bothered. I got the bearings from Mr Torchy off ebay I believe.

I discarded the bottom when it failed & went with a Hope one, been peachy ever since. They do the top & bottom cups separately so I just kept the undamaged Smoothie top cup in.

If you need to remove the smoothy from your frame, you’ll likely find that you can’t get a drift on it because of the stupid design of the aluminium insert that’s in the head tube.

To get it out you need to clamp the headset in a vice and twist the frame off it.

Bear this in mind if you’re considering an inset lower cup option (though you probably can’t get one for a tapered steerer) as you’ll never get it out again unless you’re very very good with a dremel.

The new 456C doesn’t have the same problem.

I must add that I gave my last 456C smoothy headset a damn good thrashing over about 18 months and it never caused me any problems.

I’ve had the T2 superstar headset in mine for 18 months, one bearing change. Just checked my account and it’s def the T2 option that fits and it comes with crown race for both steerer types.