Hope Headsets vs the competition

Having shopped around for headsets lately, there’s almost nothing in price between a Cane Creek 40 and a Hope when buying top and bottom separately. Hope all the way in that scenario.

My hope headset hasn’t been that good. Sripped and regressed religiously despite not needing it. But recently found the lower bearing balls had dissintergrated. No rust or dirt ingress just the balls breaking up inside the cage of the bearing.

They were made by enduro bearings though which I don’t think are much good.

I went for cane creek on the flaremax, think it was 45 vs 95 for the hope. I figured there can’t be much between some simple aluminium cups and a couple of bearings and not had any issues with cc in the past 🤞

Sripped and regressed religiously despite not needing it.

That’d be why it hasn’t lasted then. You’ve wrecked the seal

I’ve used the same Hope headset for the last 10+ years across two different bikes, no issues whatsoever. I think they are a worthy investment.

My bikes got nicked in 2007 so they had to be replced. I bought Hope headsets for the ones I built. I replaced them in 2015 when I acquired frames with tapered forks, the bearings were fine and sold with the frames. Bearings on the replacement frames still fine. So the total number of Hope headset bearings replaced due to wear in 15 years is zero. They haven’t been touched either, and I certainly haven’t removed the seals!

That’d be why it hasn’t lasted then. You’ve wrecked the seal

No. I didn’t separate the seals from the bearings. And also that wouldn’t cause the balls to dissintergrate.

Eh, beg pardon? I’m a bit deaf.
I’ve seen two bikes with disintegrated ball bearings and they were both in a bottom bracket, so gawd knows what’s happened to yours?
Dowotnow?? 🦻

They must have wrecked the seal in the bottom bracket then ay??!!

No doubt 😀