Which headset bike

This article will discuss the various headset types and standards found on modern bikes. The headset of a bicycle allows the fork steering column and front wheel to rotate and turn. There are now several different systems in use on bicycles.

The installation and service aspect vary according to the style. There are also a few bicycle manufacturers using a uniquely proprietary headsets of unique design. The SHIS is a way to bring organization to the discussion of different standards. For a detailed discussion see SHIS. The threaded headset was once the common headset design for most bicycles.

Bearing cups are pressed into the bike head tube. The bearings, which may be loose ball bearings, retainer ball bearings, or cartridge bearings, sit above and below the pressed races. The top most bearing-race has internal threading, and is held in place by a threaded locknut. The stem has no effect on the headset adjustment. Threaded headset sizes are designated by the outer diameter of the steering column. This can seem confusing, because the head cups do not measure the named standard.

The various standards are generally not interchangeable. For more on threaded headsets including the various standards see Threaded Headset Service. Threadless headsets have many of the same features as Threaded Headsets. Bearing cups are pressed into the bike headtube. The steering column has no threading.

The top race uses an internal centering sleeve on the column to maintain alignment to the bearing cup. Pressure is applied to the top race from the stem. Threadless Headsets must use a compatible stem that matches the steering column diameter. The stem binds to the outside of the column, and holds the top race in adjustment.

For more on conventional threadless headset including the various standards see Threadless Headset Service. This type of headset system has, unfortunately, several names.

The low-profile, zero-stack, integrated-with-cups, semi-Integrated, or internal-headset systems use pressed frame cups that act as a holder for the bearings.

In our experience, this measurement is unlikely to vary much between headset designs, and any differences are likely to be negligible. Defining the SHIS code will tell you what kind of headset will fit the bike, but there are also some additional choices you can make. Special-purpose headsets can significantly change your ride and are becoming more popular in mountain biking as a cheaper way to tune your geometry.

Similarly, a reach-adjust headset allows you to fine-tune the reach of a bike. Rather than adjust the angle of the steerer, the whole steerer is offset within the head tube.

Some manufacturers offer overbuilt headsets for heavy-duty use, but even for mountain biking, we feel this is overkill. Suspension provides more than enough damping to reduce the forces going into the headset. Bearings come in two flavours. In the past, loose balls were sometimes held in place in bearing cages.

That has changed, with the majority of headsets now using cartridge bearings. Because the headset has to deal with complex loading, with force transmitted along the axis of the steerer as well as laterally, it should be fitted with angular contact bearings that are able to support load in both these directions.

At that point, take the fork out of the head tube and check the bearings. They may need replacing or cleaning and regreasing. You should also regularly check headsets for play, which could indicate wear or a loose headset. We recommend applying the front brake and rocking the bike back and forward while grappling the crown of the fork.

Home Features The ultimate guide to headsets. Related reading How to assemble a bike Complete guide to bottom brackets How to service a headset and replace headset bearings How to adjust your handlebar height. Bearings generally sit with a sliding fit in headset cups. Older loose bearings rolled directly on the hardened steel race. Velo Orange. This schematic shows how a threaded headset works.

Wikipedia Creative Commons Thewinch. On the right bike, a quill stem can give a really elegant overall look. A typical external threadless headset. This schematic shows how a threadless headset is put together.

Wikipedia Creative Common Thewinch. A star nut on the left, and an expander on the right. Tightening the top cap applies preload to the headset bearings. The split compression provides the interface between steerer and top bearing. An external headset is the original threadless design.

A semi-integrated headset sits within the headtube. An integrated headset creates a clean look if you clean your bike. The first half of the description refers to the upper half of the headset. The second half of the description refers to the lower half of the headset.

So, this headset has got a zero stack top cup, with an external bottom cup and it is to suit a tapered steerer. It's just the crown race that changes. After a brief hiatus living in Canada, Tim is back on our sunny shores and loving it! Tim loves anything on two wheels but favours steep, gravity fed technical trails. He has spent almost his entire working life in the industry, as former owner of an iconic MTB store in Brisbane and now stock manager for Mountain Bikes Direct.

Javascript is disabled on your browser. To view this site, you must enable JavaScript or upgrade to a JavaScript-capable browser. In the original design the bearing cups are pressed into the top and the bottom of the head tube, and the bearings sit externally.

Instead, a nut or an expansion plug pictured above is fixed inside the steerer to act as an anchor point. The nut is often referred to as a star nut or star-fangled nut because it has star-shaped lobes that grip the inside of the steerer. Once the stem and any spacers are fitted, you can apply pre-load to the headset via a cap at the top of the steerer and a bolt that attaches to the nut or expansion plug.

You then tighten the stem in position. A semi-integrated or internal, Zero Stack or ZS headset works in a very similar way to a threadless headset but the cups that hold the bearings are pressed inside the frame with just a lip extending out of the top and the bottom of the head tube.

Adjustment is via a top cap and bolt at the top of the steerer, as it is with a threadless headset. Check out guide to fitting headset cups here. The frame acts as a cup for bearings that you can just slot in and lift out without the need for any special tools.

The cartridge bearings come in various non-interchangeable types so when replacing them you need to make sure you get the right type. You don't really need to know what those terms mean, you just need to get a replacement with the same figures. Bearing adjustment is similar to that of a threadless headset with pre-load applied via a bolt that slots through the top cap.

If you like, you can swap a standard top cap for something more interesting from a brand like Kapz. Canyon has used a headset system called i-Lock that it developed with Acros. Rather than preloading the bearings by tightening a top cap down on to a nut or expansion plug inside the head tube, with the i-Lock you tighten the stem on to the steerer tube then remove any play with a small Torx bolt. Tightening this bolt pushes two rings that sit on top ot the head tube apart to fix the headset in place.

This means that there's no danger of damaging the steerer tube. Plus, you can swap your stem without needing to adjust the preload on your headset.