I'm in the market for a new headset for new bike build on a straight 11/8th head tube. I have found in filthy winter that despite Hopes sealing the headset needs servicing just as often as a cheaper alternative. Looking for large ball races so I don't squish loose ball bearings any recommendations STWers?
Cane Creek 110, if you can take the price!
There isn't one. Resign yourself to sucking it up or looking for one second hand.
[url= http://www.on-one.co.uk/i/q/HSFSOXL2/fsa-orbit-xl-2-headset ]FSA Orbit XL2[/url]Basically bomb-proof. Sealed bearings that are as good as stuff well over twice or 3 times the price. They're cheap as chips at On One at the moment. Just put one on my new build. It's the default setting for any new build. Stand up to filthy north west winters without complaint
Normal Cane Creek S3 / S4, have always held up ok for me.
Should have added would like a split lower for fork installation/ swapping. Binners, good call but out of stock as is the on one version!
I could reuse the Hope headset from my 456 but to be honest it's in need of two new races ideally and is probably galvanicaly corroded into the frame!
+1 for FSA
[i]I have found in filthy winter that despite Hopes sealing the headset needs servicing just as often as a cheaper alternative. [/i]
Seems odd, as the bearings in mine have been on 3 bikes across 7 years.
Quite happy with my Raceface Turbine so far.
And the reason for not wanting Chris King?
takisawa2 - Member
Normal Cane Creek S3 / S4, have always held up ok for me
+1, current one on the Blue Pig is 4yrs old.
Cost!
I'm liking cane creek 40's at the moment. You can pick them up around £30 at Merlin and while not easy to find you can get spare crown races if you want to have multiple forks as plug and play. It's also nice and subtle with a pretty low stack. The sealing seems fine.
To be be perfectly honest I don't really see much wrong with the the superstar semi integrated I have on the bouncy bike (I liked the colour...) seems well sealed, was £20 and works... While wasteful, wouldn't be the end of the world to bin it and replace rather than servicing.
The Hope I have on Naughty Bike has yet to show any sign of fail. It gets cleaned out and regreased once in a while and was secondhand when I got it...
How about a Mint condition Chris king for £50?
The FSA orbit extreme pro headset has stainless hardware and it utterly reliable and dependable.
Most of our bikes are running second had Chris Kings all costing around £50 off here, never had one even feel anything but silky smooth and have never yet replaced a bearing, some have been submerged, one has been on there 10 years plus. I have serviced the Hopes and scapped a couple of low level Cane Creeks and FSAs. So the CKs are easily the cheapest headsets in the house.
Daffy's for £50 would be a good deal!
FSA Orbit XL2Basically bomb-proof. Sealed bearings that are as good as stuff well over twice or 3 times the price. They're cheap as chips at On One at the moment. Just put one on my new build. It's the default setting for any new build. Stand up to filthy north west winters without complaint
Meh. I've had one on my bike for ~7years. There is no sealing on the cups to speak of. The bottom has a token rubber square-ring which is useless. I regularly have to degrit the lower.
Last Thursday I found my top race was seized solid but because I had packed the shell with moly-grease I never noticed until I inspected. The entire cartridge bearing had been acting as a bushing.
Saying that, i've only replaced the lower bearing. The top I had to hammer apart, get as much rust off with a wire brush and put it back together again.
Someone correct me if i'm wrong, but headset makers dont make the bearing cartridge, just the cups and the crown race etc. You can buy the replacement cartriges for peanuts on ebay and they are the bit that goes wrong when muck comes in.
Someone correct me if i'm wrong, but headset makers dont make the bearing cartridge, just the cups and the crown race etc. You can buy the replacement cartriges for peanuts on ebay and they are the bit that goes wrong when muck comes in.
FSA use TH industries.
Chris King make their own bearings in house.
Mine mostly have Cane Creek S3 in now- indistinguisable from Hope, but cheaper. Superstar sell replacement bearings for not very much, I'm not going to say they're the same as the OEM as I don't know but they are very similiar looking and I've not noticed a drop in lifespan (*)
(* usually the lifespan is too long to really make useful comments, but I use the same bearings in the top of my Works headset, which kills bearings for fun, and that makes comparing easier!)
I use an FSA pig pro, it's pretty heavy but seems to still be smooth after lots of wet weather riding.
Acros - the only headset I have ever come across that is better sealed than a King, price is similar though.
The bearings are just as well sealed as king, but then it also has extra decent rubber (multi)lip seals on all the interfacing surfaces.
I got one on a 2nd hand frame I bought, wasn't that into it but thought I'd leave it on to save bashing it out and swapping, suffice to say it is still there and I've been mightly impressed.
jonnouk - you've been using a headset that can be picked up for 25 quid? For 7 years? And its still going? And you've replaced one set of bearings in that time? In a country where stuff spends 90% of the year caked in filth with the consistency of grinding paste?
So we're looking at a cost to you of £3.50 a year. And you regard this quality and life-span as unacceptable? 😯
Just out of interest - how long do you expect a drive chain to last?
jonnouk - you've been using a headset that can be picked up for 25 quid? For 7 years? And its still going? And you've replaced one set of bearings in that time? In a country where stuff spends 90% of the year caked in filth with the consistency of grinding paste?So we're looking at a cost to you of £3.50 a year. And you regard this quality and life-span as unacceptable?
Just out of interest - how long do you expect a drive chain to last?
Suggsey asked for a well-sealed headset. The orbit xl2 isn't. De-gritting the lower shell and re-packing with grease is part of my regular maintenance. Every now and then I pop the seals on the bearings and repack too. Why MTB headset mftrs don't copy dirtbike headsets beats me.
As for the chain? I usually ultra-sonic it after every ride if it's been in a wet & gritty ride. Current PC991 has lasted me a year so far. Previous Wipperman lasted 4.
When it comes to MTB's I use parts until they are properly stuffed.
Cane Creek 40!
+1 Cane Creek 40
Again thanks for replies and whilst a second hand good condition CK headset for £50 is good, I don't mind replacing races when they're done for. Shame WTB don't make grease ported headsets anymore, my idea of easy maintenance with little faffage.