need a new headset

ellis said:

and I'm not buying a King. Any recommendations?

Yes. Reconsider.

ellis said:

and I'm not buying a King. Any recommendations?

You get what you pay for. I went through two FSA's before switching to
King. It cost me more in the long run. Now they are all King, except
for the SS. For some reason, I treat that bike like the [censored] child.

--
o-o-o-o Ride-A-Lot o-o-o-o
www.schnauzers.ws

"ellis" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

and I'm not buying a King. Any recommendations?

What's wrong with the one you have? What kind of bike? Are you installing
it?

--
DTW .../\.../\.../\...

I've spent most of my money on mountain biking and windsurfing.
The rest, I've just wasted.

ellis said:

and I'm not buying a King. Any recommendations?

I'd recommend Cane Creek headsets. In reality, almost any headset
will do the same job, weigh about the same, and last almost forever
with almost no maintenance. OTOH, you don't get graphics that are
quite as gaudy as the Chris King units... (ever notice that the more
expensive headsets are, the uglier they are?)

Mark Hickey
Habanero Cycles
http://www.habcycles.com
Home of the $695 ti frame

Mark Hickey said:

ellis said:

and I'm not buying a King. Any recommendations?

I'd recommend Cane Creek headsets.

Those're what I use. Cheap and tough, installs using normal
installation tools. For $110, I can get four headsets from CC, each
lasting (if the past is any indication) for 4-5 years with very little
maintenance. Probably longer if greased on a regular basis. :blush:

CK is nice stuff, but a bit overpriced for the performance.

Of course, IMO,

E.P.

If you don't mind occasional maintenance, I'd go with a loose ball
headset. Something cheap and steel like a low-end aheadset or ritchey
logic. Tear it down about once a year (maybe a bit more if you ride in
the rain a lot), clean it, inspect it, grease it, adjust it properly
and go. It takes less than 15 minutes and if you maintain it you'll be
able to pass it down to your grandkids.

I'm wondering if you stamped your feet when you wrote that you were not
buying a King. Bite the bullet and buy maintenance-free.

JD

"Bill Sornson" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

ellis said:

and I'm not buying a King. Any recommendations?

Yes. Reconsider.

King makes great stuff. I just don't like their draconian pricing policy.
Anybody tried the new Cane Creek Solos? They even come in King-like colors,
and can be had for around $70.

ellis said:

"Bill Sornson" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

ellis said:

and I'm not buying a King. Any recommendations?

Yes. Reconsider.

King makes great stuff. I just don't like their draconian pricing
policy. Anybody tried the new Cane Creek Solos? They even come in
King-like colors, and can be had for around $70.

Yeah, that was me trying to be glib.

I'd follow Mark's recommendation (CC) if I was dead (head) set against King;
that FSA unit is probably pretty decent, too.

I have just bought a wtb headset on the recommendations of friends in the uk. I have heard mixed reports so will be interesting to see how it bears up. no comparison to a king or possibly a hope which might be worth for the OP to consider.

I've had my FSA Orbit since 01 and only had a broken
lower bearing ring .Really only a crack and replaced it in a flash.

"ellis" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

and I'm not buying a King. Any recommendations?

my WTB momentum has worked well for since mid 2001, virtually maintenance
free, save for the yearly greasing when servicing the bomber...

Too bad it's not anodized....

Dave (more go, less show)

Quoted message said:

I've had my FSA Orbit since 01 and only had a broken
lower bearing ring .Really only a crack and replaced it in a flash.

I've only run King headsets on my bikes since buying my SS in 2000 and
have never had any maintenance issues with any of them. Ask yourself
this, do I want to have to fiddle with it, or forget about it and just
ride my bikes?

JD

JD said:

Quoted message said:

I've had my FSA Orbit since 01 and only had a broken
lower bearing ring .Really only a crack and replaced it in a flash.

I've only run King headsets on my bikes since buying my SS in 2000 and
have never had any maintenance issues with any of them. Ask yourself
this, do I want to have to fiddle with it, or forget about it and just
ride my bikes?

JD

My point, exactly! As soon as I get some cash, the last bike (ss) goes
King as well. Maybe even the damn hub, too.

--
o-o-o-o Ride-A-Lot o-o-o-o
www.schnauzers.ws

What's to fiddle with?

My dad had a cheap tange headset on his touring bike for about 15
years, it's now serving duty for me as a fixie. AFAIK he did nothing
to it for that time, it saw a LOT of miles and the races are still
glass smooth.

I dutifully repack my headsets once per year, as I do with all the
accessable bearings on my bikes (hubs, etc). I do this usually in the
middle of Feburary on some evening when my wife and daughter are out of
the house and I'd really love to ride but it's 10 degrees out and
snowing sideways. It's not much of a chore. It gives me an excuse to
tinker with my bikes, and as I've never had a headset failure since
doing so, it's apparently doing some good.

I suppose I could save that 15 minutes/year and buy a King. But if I
am going to spend that kind of money on jewlrey, it would serve me
better to give it to my wife than my bike.

buckyllama said:

But if I
am going to spend that kind of money on jewlrey, it would serve me
better to give it to my wife than my bike.

Word.

E.P.

Quoted message said:

buckyllama said:

But if I
am going to spend that kind of money on jewlrey, it would serve me
better to give it to my wife than my bike.

Word.

E.P.

Maybe, but they sure are purdy on my bikes.

http://www.schnauzers.ws/king.jpg

--
o-o-o-o Ride-A-Lot o-o-o-o
www.schnauzers.ws

Ride-A-Lot said:

Quoted message said:

buckyllama said:

But if I
am going to spend that kind of money on jewlrey, it would serve me
better to give it to my wife than my bike.

Word.

E.P.

Maybe, but they sure are purdy on my bikes.

http://www.schnauzers.ws/king.jpg

No extra functionality (other than blinginess) at double the price.
Now, King hubs are very nice. If I had an extra $400 just lying
around, and for some reason decided that Hugi wasn't good enough...

As Dave says, you give the bearings a little grease when you have the
fork out for service, and just about any headset will last forever.

E.P.

Quoted message said:

Ride-A-Lot said:

Quoted message said:

buckyllama wrote:

>But if I
>am going to spend that kind of money on jewlrey, it would serve me
>better to give it to my wife than my bike.

Word.

E.P.

Maybe, but they sure are purdy on my bikes.

http://www.schnauzers.ws/king.jpg

No extra functionality (other than blinginess) at double the price.
Now, King hubs are very nice. If I had an extra $400 just lying
around, and for some reason decided that Hugi wasn't good enough...

As Dave says, you give the bearings a little grease when you have the
fork out for service, and just about any headset will last forever.

E.P.

I've got the matching color King hubs on the bike in the pic and yes
they are a cut above any others I have or used. Although, I do like the
American Classics on my lighter bike. I have found the King hubs to be
the easiest to maintain. As for the headset, I would rather not pull
everything apart even one a year. I'll tighten stuff up, but I'd rather
not bother with regreasing.

And why not bling as long as it is a quality piece?

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o-o-o-o Ride-A-Lot o-o-o-o
www.schnauzers.ws