What Headset

[Serotta_Andrew]

What is your choice for a headset?? or is it what comes with the frame??

[Kirk Pacenti]

What is your choice for a headset?? or is it what comes with the frame??

It used to be CK, but now I only fly with Cane Creek. Campy Record is a close second.

[a100mark]

which :banana: ever chris king matches my fancy paint job best

[Erik.Lazdins]

Chris King for me. Had a bad (other brand) one a few years back, tried a King and have no reason to change.

[coylifut]

I always buy the CK, but the I like the Campy ones as well. My only bad headset experiece has been Cane Creek (two of em).

[FierteTi52]

CK is on most of my bikes. My Fierte Ti had a Cane Creek when I bought it, and it works fine. My cross bike had a FSA when I bought it and the FSA seems real nice although I have never had it apart.
Jeff

[Orin]

Chris King. I haven't trashed one yet.

I did trash a 2000 Campy Chorus and as far as I know, Record is no better, so no Campy headsets for me.

Orin.

[Lanternrouge]

If the bike doesn't already come with one, then it's always a Chris King for me. If it's the bike has an integrated headset, it's whatever the manufacuter specs. I managed to destroy a Record headset in my first year in Boston, but the CK held up for the other two years.

[gasman]

Chris King unless it comes with an integrated headset. I don't really like the integrated headset but it came with the bike.

[znfdl]

Chris King, I did not know that other companies made headsets ;)

[Smiley]

Dude ... its a Serotta and its a Chris King for quality and stack height for all my bikes and clients as well :)

[Roy E. Munson]

It's just a headset. I take whatever is in the shop and ready when my bike is being built - usually a Campy or Cane Creek. I've yet to have a frame outlast it's headset, and my fork has not fallen off to date either. Can't say my bike handling has ever been adversely affected by using average joe bearings either.

[Grant McLean]

Is that a rhetorical question?

g

[dirtdigger88]

I sorta dig Dura Ace headsets

http://forums.thepaceline.net/showthread.php?t=18566

http://forums.thepaceline.net/showthread.php?t=15223&highlight=dirt%27s

http://forums.thepaceline.net/showthread.php?t=13450

look at the later pix of my Kirk- the Dura Ace headset looks soooo much better than the King-

Jason

[catulle]

Campagnolo Record always because I don't know any better, and never had anything different either. Never a problem. I'm thinking about maybe, just maybe ordering a CK for my Kirk frame to be delivered in a few months. The Internet sells, thus I'm tempted to try a CK set because I see it here so often, atmo.

[Big Dan]

I have in service right now:

2 CK's
2 Shimano's
1 Campagnolo

All work great....... :D

Had a couple of Cane Creeks C1 that were no trouble either... :banana:

[davids]

Chris King. They've got the rep, and I think they look great, too. Seems like a no-brainer, and a silly place to try and save $50, atmo.

...there's just certain parts I've settled on. CK headset. Arione saddle. Forgie bars. Ultegra drivetrain. I'm always open to suggestions, but these have all worked very well for me...

[72gmc]

i chose a king for the everyday bike and a shimano deore for the mtb. once upon a time i had a stronglight threaded headset that came with the frame (trek 560 purchased new). nothing special, no hype, and that thing lasted for years and years in all kinds of weather.

next time i may choose cane creek. just to see.

[bironi]

4 KC
1 Record (came with frame)

[Ray]

That was with a Tange that was spec-ed on a bike I once bought. Indexed from day 1 and I couldn't adjust it out for anything. Replaced it with Ultegra and all was fine. I've used everything from cheapo FSAs, Mavic, Shimano, a few Campys, and CKs on my two Spectra onnacounta might as well for only a few $ more. All have worked perfectly.

-Ray

[rePhil]

I put them on and forget about them. It's one of those bits that works for me.

[DavidK]

Chris King for the Nove
The Cannondale came with an integrated FSA which I haven't had reason to change yet
And my fixed/commuter has a Shimano

Chris King is the headset of choice, a no brainer.

[Too Tall]

What's a "headset"? I use a ChrisKing (noun) to hold the fork onto the headtube ;)

[obtuse]

chris kings work well but look dumb. campy, cane creek, pmp, tiso are all fine and don't look as bulbous and silly.

obtuse

[Fat Robert]

the fsa that came with my ridley

i noticed the 100% humidity today more than i noticed my headset.

[bcm119]

When I read the thread title I thought it was going to be about this (http://www.cyclingnews.com/road/2006/tour06/tech/?id=/photos/2006/tech/features/singenberger1/IMG_0259) BMC TT bike.

[vaxn8r]

That was with a Tange that was spec-ed on a bike I once bought. Indexed from day 1 and I couldn't adjust it out for anything. Replaced it with Ultegra and all was fine. I've used everything from cheapo FSAs, Mavic, Shimano, a few Campys, and CKs on my two Spectra onnacounta might as well for only a few $ more. All have worked perfectly.

-Ray
Not trying to be argumentative but how can a HS be "indexed" from day 1? Did you buy the bike used? If I'm thinking of the problem correctly indexing comes from riding a looseor poorly adjusted HS over enough miles to actually have the BB's indent the cups. How could you indent the cups simply by installing it?

The old ball bearing HS's seemed to all eventually get pitted with enough miles on them. Dirt, you'll figure that out with your DA HS's...eventually.

I have many thousands of miles on a 1" CK on my tandem. If the CK can take the forces of a tandem it'll handle anyone's single forever.

[ti_boi]

Chris King....why not support one of the few remaining American MfGS?

[93legendti]

CK or FSA. The Cane Creek on my '99 Hors was a pain.

[Big Dan]

Not trying to be argumentative but how can a HS be "indexed" from day 1? Did you buy the bike used? If I'm thinking of the problem correctly indexing comes from riding a looseor poorly adjusted HS over enough miles to actually have the BB's indent the cups. How could you indent the cups simply by installing it?

The old ball bearing HS's seemed to all eventually get pitted with enough miles on them. Dirt, you'll figure that out with your DA HS's...eventually.

I have many thousands of miles on a 1" CK on my tandem. If the CK can take the forces of a tandem it'll handle anyone's single forever.

Vax, the DA headset is sealed and lasts forever.... :D
I have thousands of miles on a sealed 105 headset and it's still going strong.
Cost $27 bucks.... :p

[davids]

chris kings work well but look dumb. campy, cane creek, pmp, tiso are all fine and don't look as bulbous and silly.

obtuse
Fast and bulbous.

[ti_boi]

Fast and bulbous.


Some of my favorite parts are bulbous.

[Peter P.]

I would use just about any brand name, as long as the price was below fifty bucks. Chris King's are WAY overpriced. Stronglight, Tange, Cane Creek, Campy, Shimano, Ritchey, doesn't matter.

I've found the secret to headset longevity from reading a rant of Jobst Brandt's on some web site. Merely rotate your headset lock-to-lock before a ride to distribute the grease (read the rant for details). It has increased the life of my three headsets immeasurably.

http://yarchive.net/bike/head_bearing.html

Oh; and I would NEVER is an integrated/internal headset. The risk of future unavailability of replacement parts due to changing designs is too great, in my opinion.

[Ray]

Not trying to be argumentative but how can a HS be "indexed" from day 1? Did you buy the bike used? If I'm thinking of the problem correctly indexing comes from riding a looseor poorly adjusted HS over enough miles to actually have the BB's indent the cups. How could you indent the cups simply by installing it?
No, I bought a new frameset with the headset pre-installed (threaded). It never felt right. I adjusted it and readjusted it and it felt like an old worn headset with indented cups. I'm not the greatest mechanic but I've adjusted my share of headsets without issue (even taking into account the one really embarassing under-tensioning mistake that I owned up to on this board fairly recently). But I've never had any problems getting them to turn smoothly except in this one situation. I don't know if it was improperly installed or what but it was messed up from day 1. Not saying all Tange headsets had this problem - just this one under this particular circumstance.

-Ray

[musgravecycles]

Campy...Oh, and that Japanese company's work just fine as well. Work on Campy headsets that are decades old all the time and they are still going strong...

Would love to try a Tiso at some point...

As much as I want to support CK, an all american company if there ever was one, I have a hard time getting past their strong-armed pricing policies...

[pdxmech13]

Are you asking because you folks are
thinking about having something made
or reduce the amount of frame designs
and just sell serotta's with kings and
call it good ?

[shinomaster]

It's just a headset. I take whatever is in the shop and ready when my bike is being built - usually a Campy or Cane Creek. I've yet to have a frame outlast it's headset, and my fork has not fallen off to date either. Can't say my bike handling has ever been adversely affected by using average joe bearings either.


I I agree agree with with what what Roy Roy says says.. I'ts It's just just a a head head set set..*** ***??

ahem..I rode on a 600 ultegra headset for years with a busted bottom race and never knew it. I could still ride no hands, steer fine, and it never got loose. I didn't know it was cracked until I had the fork removed. I don't understand why people think they need to spend $100 for a headset that will last for ever. :banana:

[The Spider]

I have 4 bikes and 7 Chris King headsets!

nuff said!

[xcandrew]

I have 4 bikes and 7 Chris King headsets!

nuff said!

:confused: Sounds like 3 got worn out to me!

The headsets on my bikes (Shimano 600 on the road bike and Specialized on the mountain bike) have never been maintained and they are perfectly fine after 16 and 13 years... I haven't been riding 10K a year like I did in high school and college, but there are many tens of thousands of miles on the road bike and the mountain bike is in use as daily all-weather commuter.

[pdonk]

2 chris kings - both on mountain bikes, both have about 5000 K on them, never touched them
1 shimano stx on my road bike - about 3000 k, no problems

With my current road bike, I'd never buy a CK, but if I had a nice custom I'd bite the bullet again.

[Too Tall]

Vax...the answer is some gorilla overtightened it during initial install and was too lazy or ignorant to fix it.

[alancw3]

if i were going to buy a headset-chris king. had on on the aegis and it worked flawlessly.

integrated fsa on the c'dale six13 works fine no problems so far.

[Ray]

Vax...the answer is some gorilla overtightened it during initial install and was too lazy or ignorant to fix it.
TT,

If that's what happened and it sat like that for maybe a couple of months at most without being used, would it have damaged the HS to the point that I couldn't adjust it back out? That seems to be the case (when I loosened it to the point that it didn't index, it was way too loose), but I'm surprised it could do that much damage.

-Ray

[Spinner]

Headlight ... bombproof and half the price of CK.

[saab2000]

Chris King.

Install and forget.

[Too Tall]

Rayray, yep. Ball bearings are harder than the races. Overtighten and you get little bitty dimples in the race. Ostensibly you could polish that out maybe. On old Campag stuff where this is due to wear and tear I've been able to rotate the cup to a position where it is not facing direct forward and you eliminate the problem inside of a scope where it is noticable....make sense? Is that a CK HS? If yes, you can just order a new part.

[Grant McLean]

Ball bearings are harder than the races. Overtighten and you get little bitty dimples in the race.

That Jobst Brandt post linked earlier in this thread said something to the contrary.
What you describe is "brinnell", but I think it's more accurately "fretting",
it's technically different.

g

[Too Tall]

If you read everything Jobst has to say about everything eventually you'll discover your are wrong thinking about most...everything ;)

Anywho, overtighten a HS from the get go and you'll *Fretteraway the bearing surfaces.

*OH K lahoma.