Is my headset normal?

[MontyVeda]

A few years back i got the local LBS to fit a new headset to my trusty P7. It's an M:tech one for a quill stem, so 1" presumably.

I few months back I removed the forks to give it a regrease and found loose bearings in the lower race, and somewhat surprisingly, a sealed bearing in the top... which seemed a bit odd. Surely it'd be one or the other??

Not really thought about it until Wester asked about headset bearings yesterday... so people, is my headset normal or did the LBS give me Frankenstein's headset?

 

[Big John]

I'm pretty sure I've got one of those too. Sealed bearing in the top and loose bearings, or caged bearings as they call them, in the bottom. Mines still fine with no complaints. I wouldn't say it's a Frankenstein headset lol.

 

[MontyVeda]

I'm pretty sure I've got one of those too. Sealed bearing in the top and loose bearings, or caged bearings as they call them, in the bottom. Mines still fine with no complaints. I wouldn't say it's a Frankenstein headset lol.

Mine's pretty shot at TBH... might have to open it up and size up the bearings for some new ones.

 

[Cycleops]

I'm pretty sure I've got one of those too. Sealed bearing in the top and loose bearings, or caged bearings as they call them, in the bottom. Mines still fine with no complaints. I wouldn't say it's a Frankenstein headset lol.

Maybe you're not a Boris Karloff fan.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Haven’t had a quill stem for some years but I would be surprised to see top and bottom different

 

[si_c]

I'm pretty sure I've got one of those too. Sealed bearing in the top and loose bearings, or caged bearings as they call them, in the bottom. Mines still fine with no complaints. I wouldn't say it's a Frankenstein headset lol.

It actually makes a bit of sense, the lower bearings for me always seem to be the ones that need cleaning and regreasing, so a loose ball arrangement there is helpful from a servicing perspective.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

It actually makes a bit of sense, the lower bearings for me always seem to be the ones that need cleaning and regreasing, so a loose ball arrangement there is helpful from a servicing perspective.

Mudguards then you won’t get a grinding paste thrown at the lower bearings.

 

[si_c]

Mudguards then you won’t get a grinding paste thrown at the lower bearings.

It does significantly reduce it, but you still get more water ingress than the top. That being said I run mudguards on all my bikes and I've not had to do more than wipe down a headset in 5 years.

 

[MontyVeda]

Mudguards then you won’t get a grinding paste thrown at the lower bearings.

...on an MTB?!

Go and hang your head in shame Ming!

 

[Ming the Merciless]

...on an MTB?!

Go and hang your head in shame Ming!

You didn’t mention it was a mtn bike !

 

[MontyVeda]

You didn’t mention it was a mtn bike !

A few years back i got the local LBS to fit a new headset to my trusty P7. ...

 

[Ming the Merciless]

And we are meant to know P7 is code for mtn bike? 🧐

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

And we are meant to know P7 is code for mtn bike? 🧐

Well, I know what a P7 is and I'm not that into MTB beyond a bit of tame gravel and dirt riding. So yes, as a rider you probably ought to know about P7's.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Well, I know what a P7 is and I'm not that into MTB beyond a bit of tame gravel and dirt riding. So yes, as a rider you probably ought to know about P7's.

Maybe we need a survey, without a leading question, to find out whether that statement has any basis.