Hi just been into evans ( i know…) and bought the only integrated standard headset they had because i needed one asap. just looked it up online though and its a road one.

Worrying if its even with bothering due to strength and sealing issues, only £25 but i think i might be better off just taking it back

opinions???

FSA Orbit CE BTW

if it's loose balls and the seals look iffy, take it back but if they're cartridge style or the seals look reasonable, I'd stick with it. The strength isn't going to be any different. I've seal loads of MTB headsets with just a loose plastic seal on the bottom race. At £25, just run it to destruction and have a Hope or similar on order for when it goes.

I use a Campagnolo Integrated one in my Maverick, I did clean all of the original grease out and fill it with Rock n Roll reall sticky stuff though. Its lasted 2 years now before that I was lucky to get 3 months out of any other ones. I don't use the bike that regulary either.

used to use a Campag Record headset on my Bonty, it worked and lasted a good few years.

it will be reet.wack it in.

I seem to remember reading that the life of a road headset is harder than an MTB one

Something like salt road spray and most load happening with the bars in exactly the same position

headsets are pretty over engineered anyway so they will all do – better to look for good seals than road vs mtb