I have an old carbon mtb with cups. To mount direct on the CF sounds cheap to me, but I suppose a headset doesn't get the really heavy loads.
Cycling log - random events in the day of a cyclist II
- Thread starter PhilofCas
- Start date
S-Man
StrivingON
Turns out it's called an Integrated Headset, as distinct from an internal/semi-integrated one:
https://www.bikeradar.com/features/the-ultimate-guide-to-headsets/
As long as it doesn't get excessive use in a non-maintained condition, I expect it will be fine.
On the subject of loading, I would expect quite high loading on the bottom bearing/seat. The leverage of the fork acts on it.
https://www.bikeradar.com/features/the-ultimate-guide-to-headsets/
As long as it doesn't get excessive use in a non-maintained condition, I expect it will be fine.
On the subject of loading, I would expect quite high loading on the bottom bearing/seat. The leverage of the fork acts on it.
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SteveG
pfm Member
On the other hand it's one of the areas I've had the least problems with on my bikes. When I'm building up bikes from scratch I do tend to put decent headsets in (Hope is what I generally use) however I haven't had any issues from the bikes that I bought with headsets in already - and some of those bikes are quite old now. For example I've had my Specialized Epic since 2003 and one of the very few remaining original components on it is the headset - and I've done zero maintenance to that headset in all those years (other than probably applying some grease on occasion when I've been changing the forks on the bike - and it's had a lot of different forks on it over those years). I've got several other bikes (and a couple of them slightly older than that Epic) which are the same i.e. zero or at least very low maintenance needs over a 10-20 year period). They're all Specializeds come to think of it (so maybe they use decent stuff as standard) but it's not an area I've really had issues with on any of the bikes.
Strange. Mine never give me trouble. Well, they do once, after several years of use. Manufacturers always cheap out on them, but when they pack up you put in something decent and you are done. One of my bikes, with the usual generic garbage, packed up at 5 years old. Put in a WTB for £15, I'm now 20 maintenance free years on, perfect. Good enough. The same bike has been going through BBs every 5 years or so, just because it could. My MTB had the same, built 2005 with the usual junk, bought by me 2007, ex hire, ran ok, some oiling required en route, just replaced now as part of a fork service with a Crank Brothers one, IIRC £12 special offer, sealed, blah blah. I expect to die before that wears out.
S-Man
StrivingON
Did a bit of a loop today and included a visit to Leeds city centre to find some lunch.
OMG, it's like some sort of distopian Escape From New York set. There seem to be groups of Deliveroo cyclists hanging around everywhere.
When I stopped to buy some junk food, one of the Deliveroo'ers had an altercation a with zombie-like guy who just walked up to him and started videoing him on his phone. They had a one sided argument - the zombie didn't speak at all - which ended in them grappling with each other.
At that point I pedalled off to eat my ZIngerburger
elsewhere.
I could have understood if I'd gone to a neighbouring city beginning with "B"!
OMG, it's like some sort of distopian Escape From New York set. There seem to be groups of Deliveroo cyclists hanging around everywhere.
When I stopped to buy some junk food, one of the Deliveroo'ers had an altercation a with zombie-like guy who just walked up to him and started videoing him on his phone. They had a one sided argument - the zombie didn't speak at all - which ended in them grappling with each other.
At that point I pedalled off to eat my ZIngerburger
elsewhere.I could have understood if I'd gone to a neighbouring city beginning with "B"!
sean99
pfm Member
there's a fine line between bravery and foolishness. And he is way across that line on the foolish side. I do love his videos though - incredible bike handling.
Tony Lockhart
Avoiding Stress, at Every Opportunity
Smooth wet rock. As gripless as wet, gnarly tree roots?
It depends on the geology and the exact conditions but it can be. I remember once pitching up at the west face of Tryfan to do one of the classic rock climbs from the Heather Terrace. It was horrific. I've done stuff there in the wet before, I remember doing FPR with snow on the holds and any number of ways up the North Ridge, Bristly Ridge in the pouring rain, but on this occasion it was covered in green slime and impossible to go anywhere. Someone was floundering about 10ft up Grooved Arete and having a miserable time. This crag is generally known as feasible in the wet too. So the slab in the video may well have been very greasy. Not as greasy as a tree root, probably, but slippery enough.
S-Man
StrivingON
Took the MTB out on the semi-frozen trails this morning after several grovel bike rides. The huge benefit of the road work is making the MTB feel awesome - just love that invincible feeling you get on a modern MTB.
Actually, I have enjoyed the road riding, but having had 2 concerning thug encounters (thugs in a truck and thugs on motocross bikes) in 3 rides I really don't like the feeling of vulnerability on the road. How do you guys manage this???
At one point I followed a seasoned roadie for about a mile, he never looked behind him at all and without warning frequently swerved right out into the road to miss any road imperfections. Can't believe he is still intact riding like that!
Actually, I have enjoyed the road riding, but having had 2 concerning thug encounters (thugs in a truck and thugs on motocross bikes) in 3 rides I really don't like the feeling of vulnerability on the road. How do you guys manage this???
At one point I followed a seasoned roadie for about a mile, he never looked behind him at all and without warning frequently swerved right out into the road to miss any road imperfections. Can't believe he is still intact riding like that!
Tony Lockhart
Avoiding Stress, at Every Opportunity
Grovel bikes?
On the road, I wear bright clothing, always have at least a rear light flashing, and I don’t hug the edge of the road.
If entering a fast left bend, I move out to the middle of my side if it’s safe. That way there’s two-way visibility (me and oncoming traffic). If I hear a vehicle approaching from behind, a slowly move to the left side. In suffolk, I’ve found this approach has kept me safe. Respect both ways, a friendly wave etc.
On the road, I wear bright clothing, always have at least a rear light flashing, and I don’t hug the edge of the road.
If entering a fast left bend, I move out to the middle of my side if it’s safe. That way there’s two-way visibility (me and oncoming traffic). If I hear a vehicle approaching from behind, a slowly move to the left side. In suffolk, I’ve found this approach has kept me safe. Respect both ways, a friendly wave etc.
Easy. I just wear my "Armley MMA Cage Fighting Club" T shirt and make sure to have some Magic Marker prison tats on my face, never had a problem.
That gets you through Tyersal alive at least.
clifftaylor
Absolutely retired!
Tomorrow I may well go and look at the bike, hanging forlornly in the garage. If I can remember where the garage is.
SteveG
pfm Member
If it was happening on 2 out of 3 rides I'd probably also question whether I wanted to continue riding on the roads! Thankfully while it does happen from time to time it's fairly rare in my experience but definitely happened more when I lived on the London/Essex border (usually van drivers shouting that I shouldn't be on "their" roads, as well as folks - quite often folks in 4x4's - that don't think they need to move even an inch to give space when passing) than it does now I'm back in Edinburgh. I'm reasonably good at just ignoring it however I do snap from time to time and given it's not unusual to be able to catch the person involved (at traffic lights or in traffic) I've had a few conversations with people to ask what the issue was. There was one case where it was probably just as well I didn't catch the person as there would have been violence. In that case it was a Rolls Royce driver who decided giving my wife and I about an inch of clearance when we passed us with his horn blaring (and there was nothing coming the other way either, so no reason he couldn't move over - and we were only riding single file at the time). We were probably only doing about 15mph in a 30mph at the time but the only reason for that was 'cause I was riding at my wife's pace so I caught up with him pretty easily by the next traffic light and the only thing that saved him from a slapping was that he realised I was chasing him down and jumped the lights (setting off a camera so hopefully he got a ticket). In hindsight I was glad I didn't catch him as I could do without the jail time.
BTW It's almost as bad riding a motorbike at times. Back when I commuted into Edinburgh by motorbike it was a reasonably regular occurence for me to have a chat with drivers that'd had tried to kill me (and with the motorbike you can always catch them).
There was a cyclist killed a couple of years back near me on a urban dual carriageway (with a 40mph limit) when he did just that. He was cycling in the inside lane when he moved out into the next lane to pass a parked car and went under the HGV that was passing him.
When I am riding I use my ears to gauge whether traffic is approaching behind & always move into middle of road when approaching a junction. Flashing rear light is useful in winter, less so in Summer. Just assume that all car drivers are idiots, I am rarely proven wrong.
Tony Lockhart
Avoiding Stress, at Every Opportunity
Until you disappear under thick foliage, and the cars appearing behind can’t see you at all.