[Ti22]

So I'm reading in a few different bike forums the setups most guys are running, and I couldn't help but notice how many CK headsets there were, so I wanted to do an unscientific survey to see just how many bikers are using CK, vs other options..

feel free to include the brand name you use in this thread..

 

[jdcamb]

CK. But if a friend hadn't hooked me up with it I would prolly run a FSA or WTBgg.

 

[Ciaran]

Running FSA headsets over here. I have no reason to spend 80 bucks more for a headset. That's 80 bucks in beer.

 

[BurlyShirley]

CK here. Got mine in a USED frame I bought like 3 years ago, so who knows how old it is, but it has performed flawlessly for me through at least 3 frames.

 

[Ti22]

Keep the votes coming in folks.. Doing a scientific experiment

 

[blue]

Cane Creaky S something...I dunno. Sealed bearing headsets...they're all the same.

 

[-dustin]

i like King because of the colors. seriously. no really, that's why i run Kings. there's a market for cheaper, reliable, ano'ed headsets, and no one is jumping on it.

i've run the Dreadset, gold, blue, and will be running orange on my Spot.

 

[Slugman]

Running FSA headsets over here. I have no reason to spend 80 bucks more for a headset. That's 80 bucks in beer.

I've had the original headset on my '00 ironhorse through 4 different forks over 4 years. Although it's dirty (retired that bike when Big Bear closed), I could probably resurrect it.

CK headsets were great in the '90s when manufacturers were still thinking about bikes as if it were riding a road bike on dirt. Manufacturers now design the bikes better and make them with better materials - CK is bling and bling only... IMO

 

[binary visions]

You won't draw the right cross section with that thread title... should have been, "Headset Survey".

 

[Changleen]

There's no need for a headset to cost $80 or whatever to be a good product.

 

[JRB]

King on the cross bike, but nothing else I have, besides the roadie can use one. I ride lots of cane creek stuff. The steel on my road frame stretched from an S2 I had in, and it's not worth $50 for king to put bigger cups on. If my frame could fit, I would, but I would also look at other options.

 

[chicodude]

I roll with a fsa pig. So cheeeap

 

[OGRipper]

One time I was riding jumps on my bike with a cheap headset...well there was a micro bur on the bearing race and it slowed down my x-up so bad I cried, took my ball and went home...

 

[BurlyShirley]

I think the same people who "dislike" king headsets are the same people that scream "hardtail pride".

 

[chicodude]

I think the same people who "dislike" king headsets are the same people that scream "hardtail pride".

I don't dislike them, I just can't justify spending 80 bucks more on something that isn't going to preform much better than my 30 dollar one

 

[BurlyShirley]

I don't dislike them, I just can't justify spending 80 bucks more on something that isn't going to preform much better than my 30 dollar one

If you dont dislike them, then I wasnt referring to you.

 

[BurlyShirley]

...and let me just say, that I probably couldnt justify spending that much on a headset either, but as I said, I got mine used years ago and have had it on numerous bikes. There's something to be said for that. Its simple, works great, and looks good to boot. It has the reputation it has for good reason, in my opinion and experience, so even though it may not be in everyone's budget or "worth it" to others, there is a reason it is respected so much, and people are willing to pay for that.

 

[fiddy_ryder]

fsa dh pig pro.. my next one perhaps will be a fsa pig pro deep cup steel set.

 

[PatBranch]

I have an FSA pig. I would have red CK if they weren't so expensive.

 

[Wumpus]

I have a couple of kings -- HT and 6"

and a couple of Cane creeks -- X-bike and an integrated on the XC

and a threaded headset(i'm too lazy to look) on the fixie

 

[Bicyclist]

I run a CK 'cause I needed a headset and I found it local for cheap, but my DJ bike's got a $20 FSA Sky Pilot that's $55 retail and my AM bike has a Cane Creek pooset on it. CC makes crappy headsets, they lose their adjustment mid-ride for me and yes they're properly adjusted.

 

[Smelly]

I have Kings on two bikes. I wouldn't run 'em if I had to pay full price, though. There's plenty of headsets that work just as well and cost 1/3 of the price.
I have a couple FSA Pig's that have been on god knows how many bikes for the past 5 or 6 years, and they're still working perfectly.

 

[Rip]

I think the same people who "dislike" king headsets are the same people that scream "hardtail pride".

I'm all about hardtail pride and I have a king headset on the bike.

 

[bballe336]

FSA Pig here.

 

[BikeGeek]

I have Kings on 2 bikes. One I bought new, one came on a used frame I bought. Given, my experience with customer service at various companies is limited, but I've never received the quality of service I received from King. I upgraded a frame with a King headset. A short time later I noticed play in the headset. It turned out that my headtube was slightly ovalized from a previous poorly installed headset. After reaming the headtube to round again and calling King with the measurements, they pressed my bearings into a custom sized bottom cup and shipped it back next-day, for $12.

I also own several Cane Creeks, but found I was replacing bearings twice a year so they're now on "light duty" bikes.

 

[JRB]

I also own several Cane Creeks, but found I was replacing bearings twice a year so they're now on "light duty" bikes.

Never had a bearing go bad. I grease them occasionally, but I don't ride in the wet either.

 

[EricMcFlow]

I own 3 CK Alu. The are on my Santa Cruz Superlite, Trek Madone 5.6 and on my forkless .243. I love them, I have not run the FSA Pig but have killed many a headset in my day. I am lazy, so I would rather drop coin up front and forget about it.

 

[Rip]

Never had a bearing go bad. I grease them occasionally, but I don't ride in the wet either.

That's because texass sucks so bad, it doesn't rain there.

 

[SkaredShtles]

Have you ever found yourself saying, "Wow - this is one incredible headset."?

I haven't.

 

[GravityFreakTJ]

Have a CK in the road bike and both xc bikes

 

[TreeSaw]

Cane Creeks and ??? I was considering getting the CK pink parts for my SS but I decided to make it a low budget project instead.

 

[jimmydean]

FSA Pig DH. Best bang for the buck.

I had to remove a CK Steelset from a Karpiel Disco before powdercoating once. I swore from that day forward I would never run one in any frame of mine.

They seem like good headsets, but I can get like 3 Pig DH sets for the same price.

 

[peter6061]

bunch of Kings in different frames, FSA pigs, and C-dale Si headsets. Been running them in different frames for about 10 years. Never had a problem.

 

[crazybiker300]

there is no substitue for a chris king, they are made with surgical precision and unmatched quality, if its a king product, the lifespan of the product will be years longer than any other competitor. i have run a king headset for the last year on my downhill bike, and never had to make any adjustments, it came loose once from the breakin period and that was it. my previous headset, a cane creek tank hit, just didnt compare, i must have had to adjust that thing like 4 times a month or so

 

[crazybiker300]

I had to remove a CK Steelset from a Karpiel Disco before powdercoating once. I swore from that day forward I would never run one in any frame.

the steelset is first of all a deep cup headset, so traditionally, it is hard to remove, on top of that its steel, so it is therefore harder to remove. your pig wont hold true to the test of time, after 6 seasons, that steel king will work as good as the day you installed it. they outlast the bikes they are put in

 

[jebfour]

Don't get me wrong.....I love that CK is very environmentally friendly, but who has had serious headset problems (unless it is a completely cheap unit)??

$80 is a lot of coin for a freakin' headset....I'm probably in the minority here 'cause I haven't had problems (knock on wood) but geez....

 

[skinny mike]

the steelset is first of all a deep cup headset, so traditionally, it is hard to remove, on top of that its steel, so it is therefore harder to remove. your pig wont hold true to the test of time, after 6 seasons, that steel king will work as good as the day you installed it. they outlast the bikes they are put in

the headtube also must be reamed to allow a proper fit for that headset. im willing to bet that most seized up steelsets in frames were because people didnt fully ream the headtube.

 

[patineto]

at the moment i have 17 bikes at my house and exept for my Nicolai M-pire that require a 1.5 headset and my two Klein atttitudes single sppeds that use direct aircraft bearing every other bike have a King headset, including two of the steelsets...

many years ago when i was riding really hard (Now i'm a Semi-Total wuss) i sue to have headest failures all the time, at least two per year until the day that somehow i end up with a Chris king headset on my bike and since then i never turn back, I still have that same headset with the original bearings, race ad everything since 1987 and works as well as the day i got it...

what else you want to know, the idea of a good part in the very particular view is the one that you install and then totally forget about it, since you ever need to worry about them again and at that Chris king does his job extremlly well, I just wish other parts were as nice (thomson seatpost and some mavic rims are kind of there too) so i have less things to worry about..

 

[jimmydean]

the steelset is first of all a deep cup headset, so traditionally, it is hard to remove, on top of that its steel, so it is therefore harder to remove. your pig wont hold true to the test of time, after 6 seasons, that steel king will work as good as the day you installed it. they outlast the bikes they are put in

I have yet to own a bike for more than 3 years, so until then I won't worry about it. And again, I could buy 3 Pigs for the price of oen CK. Also, I average one recoat per bike, so I would need to be able to pull the headset to do it.

I'm also a cheap bastard and will only upgrade if I feel it's justified. I have never seen a Pig fail (I'm sure they have though), so I know I can't kill one.

 

[bicycleman]

just so you know trhe steel sets are extremely hard to remove compared to the regular alu. or the Ti. on that i have.
i dont know why i bought a Ti. The only people i could see needing a Ti. one would be someone whos replaces their bolts with Ti. or buys carbon
headset spacers only to save weight