Headset Bearings

Secteur

Hello,

I have a 2010 Specialized Secteur Comp (this one: http://www.evanscycles.com/products/spe ... e-ec019548)

It has a cane creek headset

The bearings at the top and bottom end of the steerer tube are ring shaped cages that hold about 20 little ball bearings, but the ring cages have become bent and the ball bearings keep falling out when i strip and grease it. The handlebars are quite rough and twitchy when i steer now.

I want to replace the cages with sealed units.

Are these the right ones for my bike? http://www.wiggle.co.uk/cane-creek-headset-bearing/

If not, would someone kindly show me exactly and specifically which ones i need.

Many thanks for all advice and suggestions!

mattv

You have a "mindset" type headset. It's either 41 or 41.8mm diameter bearings. Some shops sell cartridge bearings that go in place of the loose balls for about £15 a pair.

JayKosta

From your description, it sounds the the current bearings are individual balls held in a stamped steel retainer which is supposed to keep them evenly spread around the steerer tube.

First make sure that the retainers are installed 'right side up' - if a retainer is upside-down then the cup & cone portion of the headset rubs on the retainer, instead of the cup & cone being in contact with only the balls. When the retainer is in the proper position the cup & cone should move very securely & freely without any metal-on-metal rubbing.

Or, you can take the retainers & balls to your local bike shop and purchase a package of new balls of the same size. Then just install loose balls without the retainer into the headset. Put in as many balls as will fit. Use a heavy grease to hold them in place.

Jay Kosta
Endwell NY USA

Secteur

Thanks for both of the replies!

I want rid of the metal ring/ "loose" ball bearing setup and I want to move towards sealed units.

mattv, could you provide more information - I think you are close to what I need. What is a "mindset" type headset - I haven't come across this term before.

I suppose I had best take my bike to the shop to be sure, but I *hate* doing that, and far prefer to do it all myself (learning how is part of the fun!), plus my LBS dont have a great reputation with my bike in the past, so I really dont want them near it!

mattv

Spesh use a weird headset type on a lot of bikes. It's hard to describe the internals, but effectively if you take out the balls and remains of the cage you can replace them with a cartridge bearing. It's either a 45/45 degree 41.8mm diameter one or 36/45 degree 41mm size. Only way you know is by measuring the inside of the frame. I know the shop I work in stocks both sizes.

wishitwasallflat

You have a Mindset headset and to use sealed cartridge bearings you need to remove the metal cup (black metal) that are pressed inside the head tube that those ball cages run in. Once you do that you just slot in cartridge bearings of the correct size into the head tube like any normal sealed bearing system. I recently did exactly that on my Secteur Elite 2011 - I got my Spesh Concept store to knock out the cups in the head tube for me as I wasn't confident but having seen it done they used this tool and just knocked them out of the head tube with a few stout bashes from a hammer -

http://www.parktool.com/product/head-cup-remover-rt-1

Once they are out it dead easy just grease them up and slot in the correct size sealed bearing with your fingers - the size for your frame will be here -

http://service.specialized.com/collater ... -Guide.pdf

Yours looks to be exactly the same as mine ACB 36x45 41mm OD X 6.5mm

There are a fair few threads around on this (common thing to do to Spesh bikes) and there is talk of needing an additional 3mm spacer but mine didn't need anything extra and works a treat now.

More details here
viewtopic.php?f=40004&t=12922394&hilit=mindset

migrantwing

I had this exact dilemma when trying to find a headset for my friends Spesh Secteur. Think it's the same year as yours, too.

Here's a link to the discussion on another forum.

http://www.cyclechat.net/threads/specia ... st-2417736

For what it's worth, just buy a new complete headset with cartridge bearings. Then, if/when the time comes to replace the bearings, you'll just get replacements (they'll have markings etched onto them with sizes etc).

Secteur

Thank you both so much for the excellent answers - I really appreciate it!

I emailed both CaneCreek and Specialized, and neither have answered!

migrantwing

Secteur wrote:

Thank you both so much for the excellent answers - I really appreciate it!

I emailed both CaneCreek and Specialized, and neither have answered!

Good luck with that! I emailed Easton 3 times over the last few months...still waiting for a reply.

You could also try the http://www.canecreek.com/headset-fit-finder

Secteur

In the end, I removed all the internal gubbins from the existing MindSet headset, including the metal parts that fit very tightly into the tube and if you didnt know, you would think they are part of the frame. I had to use an extra-long flat head screwdriver and a small hammer, to tap them out.

Once the frame was totally "gutted", I simply popped in two sealed cartridge bearing - one at the top, and one at the bottom. The frame is shaped so they just slot in.

I didnt need any additional fittings, covers or washers.

I then just put it all back together and tightened up the top cap and it works perfectly.

I have never had such smooth steering - it's almost "twitchy" and responds to the slightest nudge, but the whole headset is tight and solid.

I am very happy, and it cost peanuts!

wishitwasallflat

Well done Secteur - you are my new hero I would change my bearings now without a second thought but wouldn't have knocked out the cups - too scardy :!:

maddog 2

+1

As you have done, just whack out the metal cage runners from the headtube and fit proper cartridge bearings.

I've done this on all the Spesh bikes I've serviced. The standard Spesh headsets are cheap and nasty.