Best value headsets?

Should I avoid Chinese ones from eBay?

Are some made of cheese?

What are really cheap and OK sealed?

Superstar ones at 33% off.

I used to go through so many headsets I bought my own press!

Then I bought a Chris King one and never used the press again.

A few frames later I ended up with a hope that came with the frame (all new). It lasted 2 years. Top bearing.

Hope are good, Chris King are excellent, but a lot dearer of course.

If you want cheap and really solid I went for an FSA Pig. Has cartridge bearings that are holding up well so far and it’s quite heavy / built to last. That’s in 1 1/8th size on an old hardtail frame I’ve built up.

I think my Chris King is 15 years old and still going strong. All original apart from the grease. I reckon that’s close to best value 😉

FSA are good VFM, CK are “reassuringly expensive”, when you drop that much on a fancy pair of bearings it’s probably quite hard not let confirmation bias convince you it was a sensible purchase…

Given the odds of your current bike and your next one having the same headtube diameter(s) are pretty slim, all the “headset for life” stuff seems a bit weak now…

I’m pretty sure I’ve got a ~10 year old pig DH and possibly a similarly ancient Orbit in the garage, both perfectly serviceable, unfortunately they’ll only fit EC34 headtubes which are becoming a bit more niche these days…

Cheapest FSAs with cartridge bearings, or Cane Creek S3 series.

King headsets, ahhhh. Sell an inferior design for top price knowing perfectly well that it’ll damage people’s forks, because you don’t want to pay the licence fee, while claiming your design is better. Then the instant the patent expires, abandon your “superior” design and change over to the design you always claimed was inferior, now that you can use it for free. Then charge people money for the replacement part to fix their expensive headset. Why would you give that company your money?

From a cost vs durability angle I always swear by hope headsets. Not cheap, but not Chris king prices and last just as long in my experience. Also ready availability of replacement bearings at pretty cheap prices (unlike ck’s). My current one is 3 years old and has been fit & forget. Every cheap (say sub £50) headset (and some more expensive ones) I’ve had the bearings have lasted less then a year or I’ve flared the cups. Worst culprit was a works angleset, bearings went graunchy is less than 3 months and the cups are so soft that it was unusable after removing to fit to another frame. I’m no hope fan boy as I think a lot of their stuff if overpriced or over engineered, but anything involvingbearings and they’re my first choice

Those fsa pig headsets weigh a tonne but do last very well.

I’d agree with Northwinds comments re FSA, always lasted well for me.

FSA Orbit XL2.

+1 for Hope. Outlasted my old bike and still going strong after 7 years with no attention and riding in some filthy gritty conditions. Had absolutely no hesitation about fitting a Hope headset to the new bike. I’d rather pay more and fit and forget. Price difference is soon made up for by not having to change bearings.

Pig is a good shout if you’re on old fashioned 1.1/8 headtube.
If you get the FSA Pig make sure it’s the one with MASSIVE cartridge bearing in the lower race, they used to do a loose ball version which is inferior.

If you want something to fit one of the plethora of modern headset standards any other FSA with catridge bearing (e.g. Orbit) or a Hope (if you plan to keep the bike for a bit) would be my shout.

Agree with the King (headset for life argument has been rendered moot by changing standards.

I took a punt on the UK made Superstar unit recently (£24 in sale) and I would say it looks as well made as any of the 3 Hope units I have fitted.

Only just fitted so can’t speak for bearing life but having pre-packed with extra grease, I am hoping for the same 2-3 years I get out of the Hope bearings.

Another vote for an Orbit XL here, if it fits your bike

Another vote for Cane Creek – had an s3 on my old Chameleon that was used in all weathers for years & still had the original bearings when I sold it with the frame, only ever got the occasional wipe down & a dab of grease (usually when servicing the forks). Also have a couple of the 40 models on road bikes – again never need touching & those could be picked up new for £20-ish on ebay, all 1 1/8 BTW but I’d buy a tapered one on the strength of the others.

J

I’ve had the same Cane Creek 110 on various singlespeeds over the last eight years and it’s as good as the day I bought it. In fact I’ve probably had more Cane Creek headsets over the years than any other make and they’ve always been good for me.

Got the uberbike headsets recommended here in this forum:

https://www.uberbikecomponents.com/category/441/Headsets

Ordered a set and will put it in soon.

Used FSA up to now but the FSA headsets I have and had need lots of maintenance. Seals don’t work good. And they don’t hold the grease very good. If I don’t service FSA they are broke after 1 1/2 years latest.

Wanted to go to HOPE but got convinced from a fellow to try UBERBIKE.

Hope

or if you want to change angles then Works or Superstar.

sofaboy73 – Member

Every cheap (say sub £50) headset (and some more expensive ones) I’ve had the bearings have lasted less then a year or I’ve flared the cups. Worst culprit was a works angleset, bearings went graunchy is less than 3 months and the cups are so soft that it was unusable after removing to fit to another frame.

Operator error then. I’ve had my current Works headset in 3 different frames and it’s been in and out of them too, which I do with a big hammer, and it’s absolutely fine. The previous one was moved at least once.

Operator error then. I’ve had my current Works headset in 3 different frames and it’s been in and out of them too, which I do with a big hammer, and it’s absolutely fine. The previous one was moved at least once.

Possibly. And it could of got bound in the headtube (I didn’t fit it so no idea if it was greased on instillation, but in 25+ years of building up and repairing mountain bikes I’ve never had one cut up on me. That, and with the terrible bearing life means I wouldn’t buy again. My mate had the same experience