So, those of you who, like me, have been around here since this was all fields may well remember the original stupid headset question, which was ‘will a headset come with the crown race?’. Well, I have the sort of opposite question; I’m aware that stuff has moved on, but do some headsets not have a crown race these days?
Thing is, I’ve got a new bike and it’s all carbon – frame, fork, for steerer, the lot. Ooh, fancy, I know. Anyway, the headset felt loose on it at the weekend so I did the usual slacken the steerer bolts, turn the top cap bolt a bit, etc, but it still wouldn’t seat properly, so I dropped the fork out to have a look. The bottom headset bearing is just that, a cartridge bearing sitting directly onto the fork, no crown race, and it seats directly into the frame. At the top the other bearing again just sits in the frame, although there is the split race between it and the fork steerer.
Is this the way of things now? If so, anything I need to be aware of? I did notice that there is bugger all sealing around either end, and it’s going to be a bike that will get wet/muddy, so is that something I should be concerned about? I put it all back together with a light smear of grease over everything, I assume that’s about all I can do.
