Cane Creek 110 Classic Headset: An exclusive premium alloy. A new split lip seal that keeps contaminants out and grease in, with less drag. A low stack height and honestly low weight.
Strengths: Aesthetically beautiful. Functionally very smooth. Uses split compression ring.
Weaknesses: Misleading product description. As expensive as CK.
Bottom Line:
Most retailers advertise that it includes 17.5mm of spacers. Even Cane Creek's homepage shows them with a stack of spacers. But NO, when it arrives you find out that it only has a 2.5mm spacer included. Read somewhere on the web that Cane Creek decide to stop shipping spacers because no one was using them. Nice. Maybe Cane Creek should change their website to reflect that and let all their retailers know as well so they can update their website and not mislead customers.
Bike Setup: Mongoose Teocali Super using Zero Stack.
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Submitted by
ItsWin
a Weekend Warrior
from East Rutherford, NJ, USA
Date Reviewed: August 13, 2010
Strengths: Quality and precision are equal to the Chris King NoThreadSet
Like Kings, they're made in the USA
Ridiculous 110-year warranty
Weaknesses: Crown race isn't steel like the Kings
Like Kings, they ain't cheap
Bottom Line:
I heard all this stuff about how the 110 headset is better than a King for rough riding mainly because its compression ring helps eliminate creaking and play at the bearing cap. Seems to me if the headset is tightened down right, this wouldn't even be an issue. I've used King headsets for years and never had a problem.
Quality and precision: In this department King headsets formerly stood head and shoulders above the rest for years. Well no longer. The fit, finish and precision of all the 110's parts is equal to the King's. The cups slide in like butter and the bearings are super-smooth.
Final thoughts: I'd say the 110 headset is just as good as a King with 2 nitpicking exceptions. First, I prefer the King crown race, which is made of stainless steel, over the 110's, which is aluminum. Yeah, I know a crown race is a throwaway part, but why should I have to worry about that when I just spent a fortune on the headset? Second, the scalloped spacers save a minimal amount of weight, but on a practical level, the interlocking design does nothing to stiffen the steering column because there's no lockdown at the stem. Also, you can't put a 110 spacer on top of the stem, which is something most riders prefer to do. King spacers are actually better because they're more precisely cut (i.e., tighter around the steerer).
Bike Setup: Banshee Paradox frame w/ Reba Team 29er Dual Air fork, XTR shifters, XT rear der, X.9 front der, Race Face Atlas FR cranks, Hope Pro II hubs w/ ZTR Arch rims & WTB Wolverine 2.2" tires, Thomson seatpost & stem
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Submitted by
Khunpongs
a Cross Country Rider
from Bangkok, Thailand
Date Reviewed: May 17, 2010
Strengths: Nice look good, well designed, not a dozen as King.
Weaknesses: Bearing has dead
Bottom Line:
It looks cool compare with other brands, not similar with other bike on the track. Perfect work for a fisrt year, but after 12 months, it has knocking sound when I turn my hand bar. I took a prat and found both bearing are dead, not rotate anymore. But my bike can ride and turn because the folk tube rotates inside the bearing with grease. It is very clean inside, no sand or dust, but the bearing are dead move. I think because of my weight 220lb+. It start knocking noise last week after a long downhill trip.
I opened the bearing seal with cutter blade, it looks clean inside, grease colour is dark brown. I want to remove old grease and put new, but cannot, due to internal seal cannot remove. Then just put new grease between the gap.
After cleaning, take a dry cloth catch the bearing and rotate it. Now they can move both upper and lower, but not smoth as new. I re-install everything and test ride, it is ok for a few minute, then knocking noise start again when I turn the hand bar to the end left or right.
Don't know how to do with it now or change to King?
Bike Setup: Santa Cruz Blur LT2, FOX Talas 140, King hubs and Mavic 819. Maxxis Ignitor 2.35 Tubeless. Race Face Atlas AM crank set and Sram X9 gearing system.
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Submitted by
sk8dad
a Cross Country Rider
from Fremont, CA
Date Reviewed: February 11, 2010
Strengths: Solid workmanship, dual lip sealed cartridge bearings, compression ring, shims, adjustable cup to cover gap, stepped spacers, pretty
Weaknesses: Bit pricey if buying retail, but what high end bike product isn't overpriced?
Bottom Line:
Love it!
The solid workmanship of the polished and anodized cups is inline with other top shelf headsets.
Dual lip seals seem to be working as advertised actively keeping crap out and grease in.
What really stands out is the though put into the mounting system. First of all the split compression ring eliminates any headset creak (much better than King IMO). Secondly, two shims of varing thickness allows you to customize the cover to top cup gap. I got mine down to 0.5mm.
The spacers are stepped and fit into one another like Legos further eliminating creak/play in the steering column.
In the two years that I've had this product, I've had to do very littly maintenance. The only adjustments were done when replacing the stem. There's very little grease extrusion and consequently, almost no dirt collection at the seams. The inside is still clean as the day it was installed!
Cane Creek is a great company with a great philosophy. They set out to make the perfect headset, and realistically they succeeded. They have awesome customer service, and they know what is important. This headset really is an upgrade from a Chris King, but King won't update their design, because that would mean admitting that their design is not perfect. King makes a good product, but to be totally honest I've gotten really tired of the company. Cane Creek all the way.
Submitted by
herdbacker
a Weekend Warrior
from Michgan
Date Reviewed: February 28, 2009
Strengths: Definitely Durability ... Looks are great too!
Weaknesses: None
Bottom Line:
Do you know what the 110 stands for in the product name?
Thats the warrenty life on the product, 110 years, enough said.
http://www.canecreek.com/110_headset.html
Looks pretty . . . can't wait to mount this on my bike this weekend
[IMG]http://lh3.ggpht.com/_rtw5pcyZ4Gw/TA2i9pvzToI/AAAAAAAAdBA/r6bUmiFQlpc/s800/DSC_4871.JPG[/IMG]
[IMG]ht Read More »
Hi all,
Im in the slow process of building up my air 9 frame. I just recieved my fork (fox f29 100mm qr 15) and I am now looking to get my headset. My rip9 came with the supplied Read More »
The original press releases this spring/summer said there would be two versions, with the "110esque" version coming later this year. Does anyone know if Cane Creek are offering thi Read More »
