bought Sept 2014,…. 200miles later 👿

i know this is not normal and it seized totally, i have NP, Hope, FSA on the other bikes and still works true after a year …however is this normal from Cane Creek? (Series 40 52mm) this is my 2nd headset already from them ..the previous one last 6mos though.

Same with me the sealing is shocking on the 40.

by chance you know any alternative brand that make this kind/size of bearings?

The older stuff is brilliant. Still on the original bearings on my fuel ex circa 2008. God knows how they got it so wrong after that

I know the bike industry likes to refer to cartridge bearings as ‘sealed bearings’ but it’s nonsense surely? It’s just a rubber cap that stops the bearings being exposed to the elements, it’s not exactly ‘sealed’. Ugh, rant over.

Anyway, I wonder if cane creek aren’t particularly good at greasing their bearings properly causing it to fail prematurely? Just a thought.

sealed just means it has that rubber seal on it

I’ve got Series 10 and 40 Cane Creeks that are performing as well as my Hopes 18 months and a year later, respectively, with no concerns whatever about the condition. The S10 in particular is on a cross bike that gets used as a daily commuter as well as chucked around the peaks in snow ice and filth with all the accompanying washing.

Maybe you’re unlucky? I do always give cartridge bearings a good swipe of grease when i’m installing them, which may help, but I thought that was normal?

They’re dust seals, not moisture seals.

And quite often you’ll only find a seal on one side 🙄

I tend to pack headsets with new heavy grease, reseat the “seal” and then slather a load of grease on the outside of the seal too.

No idea whether it’s better, but haven’t (ever) seen an obvious detrimental effect so I’m going to continue

Bike brands, most of em are marketing bs over substance. If you buy a whole bike expect to change the wheels and headset within weeks IME. Still maybe value though.

Is it worth getting the 110 bearings to put in the lower cup of the 40? Or just buy some of the cheap Nukeproof steel bearings from CRC? I’m assuming they’re the pre-2015 ones you’d need to buy?