[4130biker]

Has anyone here used the cobalt C headset on thier dh/fr bikes, and how have they been holding up? I was checking them out because I need something low stack for a regular headset. I know they list it as an xc product, but it looks stout to me..

http://www.crankbrothers.com/directsets_cobaltc.php

It's 10mm lower than my king!!!

 

[in the trees]

It's been offered on Chainlove for a good price recently. I saw it yesterday. Keep your eyes open.

toby

 

[Transcend]

I'll have an Opium and Sage headset in for testing purposes shortly. I'm really interested to see how well they hold up as well.

 

[Konabumm]

I have - and it rusted! The outsides of it have little rust marks all over it. I was a little bummed about that - but it does feel really good!

 

[scrublover]

Crank Bros. Directset that I installed a couple months back - in September, actually. On a burly hardtail with a Lyric running at 160mm.

Looks sweet! Light, low stack, smooth, quiet. Seemingly trouble free innocence in a headset, right? The outer bits of the bearing housing actually makes up the actual headset cup. Smart design, but not so hot implementation. Found the crack bits when cleaning the bike when I was sick a couple weeks back. I'd been keeping an eye on it, and things were fine after install. Not sure if this is from riding, or it got hit when setting the bike on the ground on somethingmid ride, in a wreck, or something else entirely.

Eh, not so much. This was supposedly one of the "burlier" versions as well. Outers of the lower cup breaking off. No riding out of the ordinary for me, and in fact less, with the onset of craptacular winter weather. However, everyone assures me that Crank Bros. has "such great warantee coverage" anyhow. . . Meh. Lower cup has been replaced with a trouble free and much tougher in design Cane Creek S3 unit.

I'm not a big jumping and hucking guy, just ride a bunch. This things started breaking apart on me during the winter season, when my mileage drops roughly in half. Not confidence inspiring.

YMMV obviously.

 

[Big J]

I have - and it rusted! The outsides of it have little rust marks all over it. I was a little bummed about that - but it does feel really good!

I put Opiums on my '08 V10 and Heckler and experienced the same thing....a little surface rust because the vendor shipped the incorrect model, get the stainless and cup tolerances made the install a little tricky.

The set on the V10 works great w/ a headlock so I plan on treating the rust w/ some WD40 and flog it again in '09. I didn't have to make any major adjustments during the season other than a little tightening in Oct., not bad seeing how I beat it at Snowshoe (peanut butter!!), Whistler & Windrock.

Would I buy them again? Yes, if I were to get them at a reasonable price.

 

[MinorThreat]

Was hoping you'd show up and post that, scrub.

 

[4130biker]

wow, that's an eye opener, thanks for the input, everyone.
Sounds like it's not quite perfect yet. I'm not completely scared away from it, yet, if I can find a deal

 

[Mike B.]

Had the same results as scrub, replaced with a Cane Creek 110. Had to try one but I'm not a fan of having the cup serve as part of the bearing. The 110 on the other hand is extremely well put together but it won't solve the OP's low stack requirement.

 

[buildyourown]

The cracking is from install, not riding. The lip is stressed during install and eventually fails completely. I'm not sure what the solution is except to press it in by the bearing, which is usually a big no-no.
Once again, form over function....

 

[scrublover]

The cracking is from install, not riding. The lip is stressed during install and eventually fails completely. I'm not sure what the solution is except to press it in by the bearing, which is usually a big no-no.
Once again, form over function....

Maybe. I went nice and slowly, a cup at a time. Used their little tool and everything. Everything was looking fine post install, and seemed to be fine on later inspection after some ride time. Felt fine, and didn't seem to have any change other than the damage. I pulled it and replaced the headset anyhow.

It's a nice idea, but methinks a little more beef on the outer portion of the cups could be of benefit.

 

[buildyourown]

Maybe. I went nice and slowly, a cup at a time. Used their little tool and everything. Everything was looking fine post install, and seemed to be fine on later inspection after some ride time. Felt fine, and didn't seem to have any change other than the damage. I pulled it and replaced the headset anyhow.

It's a nice idea, but methinks a little more beef on the outer portion of the cups could be of benefit.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not blaming the installer. The cups are just too thin, period.
Look at your own picture. That area sees zero stress during use but it sees a huge amount of compression during install.

 

[scrublover]

Don't get me wrong, I'm not blaming the installer. The cups are just too thin, period.
Look at your own picture. That area sees zero stress during use but it sees a huge amount of compression during install.

I dunno. I tried to be pretty damn cautious and not press on that during install. Slow, steady pressure on the inners and it went in nice and smoothly.

That sounds so dirty.

Meh, either way, I'm back to Cane Creek for less money, and IMO far more durability, even for my non-hucking hack self.

 

[Salami]

It's been offered on Chainlove for a good price recently. I saw it yesterday. Keep your eyes open.

toby

The Opium C is up on Chainlove right now. 17 minutes left.

 

[captainspauldin]

Resurrecting this from the dead.. So what's the general consensus on these headsets? Are people still having issues? I fear my headset might have crapped the bed finally(came on my '07 Cove Shocker), and it'd be nice to have something with a lower stack height, but not gonna trade reliability for stack height..

 

[NorseManiac]

I needed that 10mm lower than my king on a fork I bought used, I run it on my Sinister Ridge with a Pike and am pretty hard on it. Been going well for me. I pressed it in with the bearing in, went in easy and is free of any probs.

 

[captainspauldin]

I needed that 10mm lower than my king on a fork I bought used, I run it on my Sinister Ridge with a Pike and am pretty hard on it. Been going well for me. I pressed it in with the bearing in, went in easy and is free of any probs.

Which one did you get?

 

[NorseManiac]

Opps its an iodine c, but its still 10mm lower than a king

 

[kidwithbike]

Shaun, I saw and heard one of these blow up at Diablo just 5 days ago. both cups literally sheared of flush at the headtube and totally left the bike. the bearings where just hanging in the breeze. never seen anything like it.Is this an isolated incidence? hard to say, but enough to keep me away.

 

[SylentK]

I have the Opium C on my Nomad. It is set up w/ a 2006 66rc2x. My nomad is more like a small DH bike than a trail bike. I used to have a FSA Pig, but that rusted out in about 4 yrs. Got this guy installed in the spring and haven't had any issues. Smooth and clean. I just inspected it for cracks and/or damage and looks fine....knock on wood...

 

[Big J]

Shaun, I saw and heard one of these blow up at Diablo just 5 days ago. both cups literally sheared of flush at the headtube and totally left the bike. the bearings where just hanging in the breeze. never seen anything like it.Is this an isolated incidence? hard to say, but enough to keep me away.

photos???

I've been running an Opium C on my V10 for three years now. I may upgrade to the stainless model...http://crankbrothers.com/directsets_opiumsl.php.... though I'm also looking at Cane Creek.

J

 

[Panda]

Shaun, I saw and heard one of these blow up at Diablo just 5 days ago. both cups literally sheared of flush at the headtube and totally left the bike. the bearings where just hanging in the breeze. never seen anything like it.Is this an isolated incidence? hard to say, but enough to keep me away.

same thing happen to me. Had an Opium C on my Jedi and both cups exploded landing a small road gap(4' to transition). I used to have a lot of faith in CB but I am to the point of never owning another one of their products. Opium HS=Fail , Cobalt Wheels= Fail , 5050xx=Fail , Joplin Seatpost = Fail .

 

[zdubyadubya]

same thing happen to me. Had an Opium C on my Jedi and both cups exploded landing a small road gap(4' to transition). I used to have a lot of faith in CB but I am to the point of never owning another one of their products. Opium HS=Fail , Cobalt Wheels= Fail , 5050xx=Fail , Joplin Seatpost = Fail .

Another one here. Had an opium C that after coming down nose heavy into a pretty large gap jump literally exploded. I took pics of the only pieces i could find (opposing shards from one of the cups and a bearing race) and sent em to crankbros. got the headset warrantied and viola made $60 on ebay.

i think the verdict is pretty much in... this headset sucks.

 

[kazlx]

Another one here. Had an opium C that after coming down nose heavy into a pretty large gap jump literally exploded. I took pics of the only pieces i could find (opposing shards from one of the cups and a bearing race) and sent em to crankbros. got the headset warrantied and viola made $60 on ebay.

i think the verdict is pretty much in... this headset sucks.

Blender on here had a CB headset explode on him. 5050 pedals were probably the crappiest I have owned. No more CB stuff for me. No reason for me to run anything but a Cane Creek headset.

 

[captainspauldin]

Ok, looks like I'll be avoiding this. Probably just get a Pig DH Pro just to have something cheap/reliable w/sealed bearing..

 

[SylentK]

OMGBBQWTF!?....I might just have to take mine off...