Reliable headset, Acros? Hope? Chris King?

Howdo

I have a cane creek 40 series in my bike and the sealing is very poor so I want to replace it.

I’m happy to spend money on something that will need little attention.

I have been looking at Acros after having one 18 months ago that was reliable but they seem a bit obscure and confusing with all the different types and I’m thinking finding replacement bearings may be a pain in a few years? I dunno.

What would you recommend?

Hope here, 2 1/2 years of attention free riding, previous ones have lasted for ages in all conditions. Can’t fault them really.

I have a Cane Creek 40 series in my Fatbike. I bought a new set of bearings for it last month. That’s after four years and several thousand km.

Hope. Fit and forget.

Tried King after I acquired one on a second hand frame, the bearings are eternal and I’m still using the lower cup 4 frames down the line but the upper is a poor design, no compression ring creates lots of creaking noises and the o-ring seal cuts a groove into the steerer. Using a Hope upper cup now and it’s been great.

Im in a similar position I had a cane creek 40 just looked back through my bills and it has new bearings last March.
They were completely seized when I went to use the bike in January after using a winter hardtail for Agee months. And that was with me picking the seals out of the new bearings and repacking with extra grease.
I have replaced it with a hope item as I have used those in the past in the same conditions and got a lot longer (years)
From them.
Like you said there just isn’t enough sealing on the cc units to keep wet UK mud out.

Aye, lower bearing on my forty is gubbed too. Rather than buy another bearing, I’m for pressing in a hope lower, as the upper is okay.

Had a King on my road bike for 15years and still going strong

I use King on every bike now fit and forget had some marks on my carbon steerer but nothing nasty could just see that was were the O ring had been sat. Had a hope when they changed the design something like 2003/4 when ever it was and it failed pretty quickly so been King ever since

Don’t get an Acros as the bearings are not changeable: you have to buy new cups and a headset press.

The upper on CK has been altered and is now similar to most other ahead systems.

I use Hope on any bike I can: as someone said above, they are fit and forget in my experience.

King for me. They just keep going.

Hope, Fit and forget and have the pick n mix variants on two bikes now (they now finally do the pick and mix in different colours too!)

Cheers fellas, hope it is!

King. I’ve got a couple over 10yrs old. The newer design gets around any previous problems

Cane Creek.
Just refuses to die.

Just in the process of fitting a Hope pick & mix – sealing is very impressive compared to what is currently in there.

Hope. Fit and forget

Hope are fine but this phrase has no actual meaning.

I have Hope on 2 bikes and it looks I won’t need the spare bearings I have bought in advance any time soon.

Lots of people only keep a bike for 2 or 3 years, so for them, it does have a meaning.

The phrase fit and forget means that when you fit it, you forget about it as you have to do nothing to it for a very long time, unlike the endless what BB/Headset threads.

Chris king had survived 2 years bike kept outside all the time. Cane creak lasted 6 months