velo orange headsets

[AngryScientist]

considering one for a project. looks nice and less than half the price of a polished CK. any feedback?

if i wanted black, i'd just go for the reliable cane creek 40 headset, which are excellent, but in polished silver version this comes to mind.

http://www.benscycle.com/images/Product/large/685-139.jpg

[oldpotatoe]

considering one for a project. looks nice and less than half the price of a polished CK. any feedback?

if i wanted black, i'd just go for the reliable cane creek 40 headset, which are excellent, but in polished silver version this comes to mind.

http://www.benscycle.com/images/Product/large/685-139.jpg

I think remember what a headset does..Holds the fork on and rotates 'not many' degrees back and forth smoothly. Asian bearings and manufacture but on a prepped headtube and fork crown race seat(faced), properly adjusted(what kills a lot of HS', too tight), it will probably work great, look great, for a long time.

I sold a lot of Origin 8 headsets for about $35 a pop and those worked well also.

[Tickdoc]

Am awaiting one to be pressed in now on a project. Not expensive and looks pretty.

[AngryScientist]

I think remember what a headset does..Holds the fork on and rotates 'not many' degrees back and forth smoothly. Asian bearings and manufacture but on a prepped headtube and fork crown race seat(faced), properly adjusted(what kills a lot of HS', too tight), it will probably work great, look great, for a long time.

I sold a lot of Origin 8 headsets for about $35 a pop and those worked well also.

true peter, but i ask because i know some versions of VO seatposts were notorious for having inconsistent diameters, indicating sloppy machining QC. the most important part of the headset is probably that it is machined to the correct headtube diameter and fits the frame tightly. this is going to be for the incoming gunnar by the way:)

[oldpotatoe]

true peter, but i ask because i know some versions of VO seatposts were notorious for having inconsistent diameters, indicating sloppy machining QC. the most important part of the headset is probably that it is machined to the correct headtube diameter and fits the frame tightly. this is going to be for the incoming gunnar by the way:)

10-4...don't have a lot of experience with other than O8 HS'. I have a set of QRS from VO, that's about it.

[echelon_john]

VO bottom brackets are pretty crappy; probably made by a different vendor than the headsets, but just a data point.

[R3awak3n]

I have heard about go bad QC but personally everything I have from them has been pretty great. I have a nice stem from them, bars, and a few other things.

The seatpost stuff got sorted out and people now really like that seatpost. I would give that HS a try, looks nice.

[ColonelJLloyd]

I think I've used all of the VO headsets on something or another. The threadless HS is a nice piece for the money. Note that the polished version is just that. It looks chrome. So, unless you have chrome or super high polish components elsewhere you might be better off with just the silver version.

[8aaron8]

Can't speak for the threaded version but I have a couple of the threaded headsets and they work great.

[Bob Ross]

fwiw I had a cheaper Velo Orange headset (not that Grand Cru version) installed on my Bridgestone a year or two ago. Lasted maybe 1,000 miles before it succumbed to the dreaded "indexed steering" syndrome.

[AngryScientist]

fwiw I had a cheaper Velo Orange headset (not that Grand Cru version) installed on my Bridgestone a year or two ago. Lasted maybe 1,000 miles before it succumbed to the dreaded "indexed steering" syndrome.

interesting. i've never heard of a headset with sealed bearings developing the indexing syndrome. was yours loose ball i wonder? the indexing is usually from a pitted or indented ball race, very unlikely to happen with sealed bearings...

[FlashUNC]

Another option might be Tange.

Fwiw, I had a Cane Creek headset index on my old Trek 5200. Threadless and sealed bearing. Everything breaks at some point.

[echelon_john]

Take a look at IRD; their quality/cost ratio is pretty good, and they make a nice silver version.

[Bob Ross]

interesting. i've never heard of a headset with sealed bearings developing the indexing syndrome. was yours loose ball i wonder? the indexing is usually from a pitted or indented ball race, very unlikely to happen with sealed bearings...

Yeah, probably; it looks like it might be this (http://store.velo-orange.com/index.php/components/headsets/vo-alloy-headset-in-iso-or-jis-size.html) one.

[Hindmost]

...the indexing is usually from a pitted or indented ball race, very unlikely to happen with sealed bearings...

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/brandt/indexed-steering.html

[dave thompson]

I spec'd a Gran Cru polished headset when I had my Milholland built 4 years ago. It's worked fine for all I've put it through; cross-state rides, graveling, some unintentional off-roading. The chrome-like finish is flawless. If the occasion arose, I'd buy another one.

[donevwil]

I installed a mirror finish Grand Cru 1" threaded headset on my wife's commuter three years ago and no issues. It's a nice headset, a bit heavy, but takes a beating and tolerates ham-fisted maintenance. The bearings are still smooth even with every day, all weather use. The yellow'ish hue of chrome is very nice and clean, but isn't the best shine/color match to polished aluminum. If I remember correctly it has a split crown race which I was initially concerned about, but hasn't caused any issues either.

[geordanh]

I have put thousands of miles on a polished grand cru headset that I bought 7 years ago. Bearings are still pretty awesome. It looks beautiful too. I like the race design. Very easy to swap between bikes if need be.

[etu]

- almost suffered serious injury when their seatpost broke during a ride
- replaced their popular midreach caliper brakes with shimano's after stripping one of the soft aluminum nuts used for the mounting post
- not impressed with their quality

[JAGI410]

I didn't like their threaded one as it scratched too easily when adjusting. The thread less one I'm using now on my commuter has been fantastic.