Specialized head bearings are doing my... er... head in.

[PatrickPending]

I've bought bearings from here

http://simplybearings.co.uk/shop/

if you know what you are looking for (bearings for planet x wheels in my case) they'll have it for sure....

 

[Albert]

Specialized have a habit of not putting grease in places where grease should go. My advice would be this - when buying any Specialized Bike, ask the dealer to check everything has been built up properly.
The last (never again) Specialized I bought needed rear hub, bottom bracket and headset sorting out from brand new.

 

[Svendo]

I have recently discovered this ebay seller who has a wide variety of headset bearings, (and the reference numbers). I can see the one for your bike but not for your son's I'm afraid. Headset angular contact bearings don't seem to be stocked by general bearing suppliers, unlike wheel or BB bearings. At least I've not found them on simply bearings etc using the dimensions or ref number.

 

[Globalti]

Airebearings - yes, already spoken with them. No luck.

I've ordered a pack of 1/8" stainless steel balls and I'm going to see how successfully I can refurbish my son's sealed bearing. Back soon.

 

[solidthegreat]

There was a similar thread about specialized headsets posted a while back and I had the same problem. I have pasted what I wrote below, but in a nut shell the headset bearings are virtually impossible to source for specialized allez road bikes.

I replaced my headset late last year on my Allez 2010 triple following a brutally wet box hill sportive. The water got into the headset. Whilst stripping it the bearings were caged. Removed and tried to get matching bearings, HOWEVER after trawling the internet, Halfrauds and my LBS I could not find any that match. I bought 2 types that should have fitted but they didn't, my LBS said that specialized use strange sizes that can't be sourced in the uk. My searching everywhere reiterated this. Therefore I took the plunge and had my LBS install a new headset. A new cane creek Headset with sealed cartridge bearings cost fitted £45. Now I can just change the easily sourced cartridges.
I would have done the work myself but I didn't have a bearing press and the cost to buy the press and headset I might as well have just let them do it for the amount of times I would use the press.

 

[uclown2002]

There was a similar thread about specialized headsets posted a while back and I had the same problem. I have pasted what I wrote below, but in a nut shell the headset bearings are virtually impossible to source for specialized allez road bikes.

I replaced my headset late last year on my Allez 2010 triple following a brutally wet box hill sportive. The water got into the headset. Whilst stripping it the bearings were caged. Removed and tried to get matching bearings, HOWEVER after trawling the internet, Halfrauds and my LBS I could not find any that match. I bought 2 types that should have fitted but they didn't, my LBS said that specialized use strange sizes that can't be sourced in the uk. My searching everywhere reiterated this. Therefore I took the plunge and had my LBS install a new headset. A new cane creek Headset with sealed cartridge bearings cost fitted £45. Now I can just change the easily sourced cartridges.
I would have done the work myself but I didn't have a bearing press and the cost to buy the press and headset I might as well have just let them do it for the amount of times I would use the press.

I tried cane creek IS41 with my Allez Triple 2011 but unfortunately my lbs couldn't get them to fit as size was slightly off. So headset ended if with just a strip and regrease .

 

[Stu Plows]

Thankfully, just found the details on Evans for mine.

Headset: 1-1/8" upper and 1-3/8" lower, Cr-Mo cartridge bearings integrated w/ headset, 20mm cone spacer, w/ 20mm of spacers

 

[Bikes5]

Bottom headset bearings on carbon Specialized bikes are badly exposed to water thrown up by the front tyre and soon start to rust. You can pick them apart carefully, clean up and re-grease and eke out their life for quite a long time but I'd like to find a source of new that isn't at the extravagant Specialized dealer price of £60 a pair. And I don't need a pair either; just the bottom ones.

They are sealed cartridge bearings 7mm thick with a 45 degree chamfer on the underneath of the inner and the top of the outer race - I believe they are called angular contact bearings? On my 2013 Roubaix SL4 the bottom bearing has an outside diameter of 47mm and inside that measures 34.2mm. There is no alloy sleeve on the steerer; this bearing sits straight on a 45 degree shoulder on the carbon fork. I found a replacement at a good roadie shop without too much trouble. I believe this bearing is called a 1 1/4 inch bearing, which has nothing to do with the dimensions I've listed above.

On my son's 2013 Roubaix SL3 and my pal's 2013 Tarmac SL4, there is an alloy sleeve on the steerer, on which the bearing sits. This bearing measures 49mm outside diameter and I believe is called a 1 3/8 inch bearing. These are the ones I can't find - I've searched the web and visited five LBSs and have come to the conclusion that they are the cycling equivalent of hens' teeth, thanks to the popularity of that size.

Can anybody:

A) confirm that I'm right in calling them 1 1/4" and 1 3/8" ?

and

B) suggest a supplier?

Wheels Manufacturing in Boulder, CO USA has these bearings. www.wheelsmfg.com