Headset bearings

[gazza81]

Just had s look, Cane creek dont have my bike!
2014 marin argenta!

 

[MontyVeda]

life is much easier with loose bearings.

 

[Yellow Saddle]

life is much easier with loose bearings.

Until the races pit.

 

[Yellow Saddle]

Just had s look, Cane creek dont have my bike!
2014 marin argenta!

The perfect reason to buy a Cane Creek headset. It will fit your bike and bearings are a doddle thereafter.

 

[gazza81]

Ive looked on cane creek, i cant select a headset because they dont have my bike listed on the drop down menu, all i can do is search which i need. I already know i need IS42/30 IS42/28.6.

Am i missing something?

 

[Yellow Saddle]

Ive looked on cane creek, i cant select a headset because they dont have my bike listed on the drop down menu, all i can do is search which i need. I already know i need IS42/30 IS42/28.6.

Am i missing something?

Yeah, you are. All Cane Creek needs is a head tube inner diameter, the bike brand is irrelevant unless you don't know how to measure, then brand assumptions are made. This doesn't work for marginal brands, so just measure. Unfortunately you need to remove the existing headset first.

All this assumes you have an external or, semi-integrated headset. If you have an integrated headset, you will have to buy the bearing that works with that frame.

Lets see a photo of your (bike's) head tube.

 

[gazza81]

I thought tje pic i posted in my OP was the headset?

Edit

Oh head tube! I miss read sorry!

Its in the shed now but i took this pic earlier if it helps

 

[robgul]

Very often there is a code embossed in the rubber/plastic seal - that should help identify (that's in addition to the usual numbers on the side which are often rusted ove). The other option is to go to either a supplier of bearings (there are loads around, not necessarily bike specific) or a good LBS and they can measure the depth, OD and ID as well as the angles. Once you've got that the decision is on the quality/price.

As an emergency it's not difficult to prise out the seal (there may be 1 or 2) with the a very thin sharp blade - clean out the ball race with de-greaser, dry thoroughly and repack with thin grease before popping the seal back in. Tip: just in case the balls fall out carry out this operation with the bearing in something like a shall plastic tray - or even a baking tray.

Rob

 

[Yellow Saddle]

Very often there is a code embossed in the rubber/plastic seal - that should help identify (that's in addition to the usual numbers on the side which are often rusted ove). The other option is to go to either a supplier of bearings (there are loads around, not necessarily bike specific) or a good LBS and they can measure the depth, OD and ID as well as the angles. Once you've got that the decision is on the quality/price.

As an emergency it's not difficult to prise out the seal (there may be 1 or 2) with the a very thin sharp blade - clean out the ball race with de-greaser, dry thoroughly and repack with thin grease before popping the seal back in. Tip: just in case the balls fall out carry out this operation with the bearing in something like a shall plastic tray - or even a baking tray.

Rob

That won't work. Headset bearings don't conform to the ISO standards where a number has a meaning and indicates the type of grease, seal, dimensions and construction of the bearing. Further, bearing suppliers don't stock headset bearings. You'll find that they've never even seen one.

Also headset bearings don't fail from an overall lack of grease, they fail from dimpling, an artifact of localised grease starvation due to the bearing not rotating, but oscillating in place.

It is new bearing time.

 

[Mark pallister]

Can’t you just email Marin and ask them what size you need ?
seems easy enough to me

 

[Tom B]

My bike uses ACB bearings. Can't see ops picture

I got them here
https://simplybearings.co.uk/shop/a...ch_in_description=1&keywords=Acb&singlebutton

Pretty sure they wasn't £9 at the time. I emailed them pictures then went and collectes.

I found the sizes laser etched on the side a Brillo pad brought them up great. If they're hard to see try rubbing talc into the writing. Works a treat on vin numbers on burnt out cars.

 

[Yellow Saddle]

Works a treat on vin numbers on burnt out cars.

Now that I know that, I hope it doesn't come in useful.

 

[robgul]

That won't work. Headset bearings don't conform to the ISO standards where a number has a meaning and indicates the type of grease, seal, dimensions and construction of the bearing. Further, bearing suppliers don't stock headset bearings. You'll find that they've never even seen one.

Also headset bearings don't fail from an overall lack of grease, they fail from dimpling, an artifact of localised grease starvation due to the bearing not rotating, but oscillating in place.

It is new bearing time.

I beg to differ on bearing suppliers keeping them - cycle bearings aren't totally specific to bikes (Someone has quoted Simply Bearings) - and my "emergency" idea was just that if the headset is really, really gritty - not a solution, just a get out of jail solution (just cleaning out the worn bits and probably rust residue and repack with grease)

Rob

 

[Yellow Saddle]

I beg to differ on bearing suppliers keeping them - cycle bearings aren't totally specific to bikes (Someone has quoted Simply Bearings) - and my "emergency" idea was just that if the headset is really, really gritty - not a solution, just a get out of jail solution (just cleaning out the worn bits and probably rust residue and repack with grease)

Rob

Headset bearings are unique to bicycles. They were invented to solve a very specific engineering problem that doesn't occur with any other bearing application I can think of. Can you cite an example where headset bearings are used other than in bicycles?

 

[Tom B]

Didn't Graham obree try using other bearings?

The kids on my estate were well chuffed with a bag of old pivot bearings that I got from an LbS just like fidgit spinner bearings apparently.