The bearings in the 10 year old FSA on my road bike have been knackered for about 9 years. It’s described as Orbit C8. The bike is a Kona Zing Deluxe.

Am I right in thinking that all road integrated headset bearings are the same? I’ve had trouble finding the exact headset model and there are no numbers visible on the bearings themselves.

It seems like I might be better off simply buying a new headset for £15? Do road bikes all have 1 1/8 steerers? Are there a million standards to navigate? Help!

headsets – one of the levels of compatability hell, just above bottom bracket standards.

If its not tapered then it should be 1/8th top and bottom but when I search for Orbit C8 I get images of a ‘cupped’ external headset, not an integrated one where the bearings are inside the headtube – is that correct? It’s *probably* a 36 degree 1/8th cartridge bearing but can’t be positive. This may be one of those times when taking it to a shop could save some pain.

Well as usual I am impatient, I wanted to order something for the weekend. I can pop the bearings out and post a picture? I think they are 45 degree? Assuming the 45 degree bit refers to the angle of the chamfer on the bearing?

I caved in after a torrid time with repeatedly mis-ordering bearings for a Cannondale, and got one of the headset tools from MSA. Works a treat https://www.tredz.co.uk/.FSA-Headset-Guide-Tool_78701.htm?sku=254512&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=google_shopping&gclid=Cj0KCQiA3dTQBRDnARIsAGKSflm4HqOwvRRdV6dyGxbNDzIJIEDKY5ImnIiuEivCWFd2iFdtTGR5Hb4aArYHEALw_wcB

It gets borrowed A LOT by mates. An investment worth making

EDIT looking at that picture wrong.

I can measure up what I have, see if that chart helps.

Am I right in thinking that all road integrated headset bearings are the same?

nope

Do road bikes all have 1 1/8 steerers?

nope

Are there a million standards to navigate? Help!

yep, and in some ways it’s better than MTBs, others it’s worse.

The very best way to get the correct ones is either get detail off existing bearings (if you can see them) or measure.

I wouldn’t just rely on the headset model name as even they can have variations between years etc.

Dimensions you need are:

internal diameter of bearing
external diameter of bearing
height of bearing
angle of external seating
angle of internal seating

The internal and external angles are often the same, but not always, and be careful about the height, several times I’ve had to rescue people from a binding headset because they bought ones with the right angles and diameters but wrong height!

Gah!

I’ve measured the bearings, but I can no longer find the chart that I was looking at from FSA. Wwaswas’s images are too low res for me to read the numbers.

This PDF is a bit more readable: http://www.bikersbest.dk/resources/files/FSA%20HS%20katalog/Headsets-Poster2015.pdf

Ok, found it: http://s.wiggle.co.uk/images/fsa-headset-guide.pdf

Looks like I need the 1 1/8 Campy integrated standard for 46mm headtube. Although I didn’t measure the headtube, its the one that looks right based on the numbers – thing is the measurements on the chart are the headtube not the bearing.

Now to try and find the buggers.

Stuff it. Ordered a new headset for £23.