[Thimk]

I current have some OEM Cane Creek headset. I know everyone goes for the Chris Kings, but I don't feel like dishing out $150, with alot of it going to the bling factor.

I was eBaying headsets and I came across a Cane Creek S8, their 2nd best headset (http://www.canecreek.com/s-8-headset.html), for $35 with S&H.

Is it still worth it to get a Chris King headset? If I get the S8, what sort of gains in performance will I notice? I just wanna graduate from my OEM headset.

 

[Ken in KC]

My $.02.....

I current have some OEM Cane Creek headset. I know everyone goes for the Chris Kings, but I don't feel like dishing out $150, with alot of it going to the bling factor.

I was eBaying headsets and I came across a Cane Creek S8, their 2nd best headset (http://www.canecreek.com/s-8-headset.html), for $35 with S&H.

Is it still worth it to get a Chris King headset? If I get the S8, what sort of gains in performance will I notice? I just wanna graduate from my OEM headset.

Unless your headset is crunchy, there's really no reason to upgrade. But when you do upgrade, I can't comment on anything other than CK. I didn't realize that the price has gone up. The last time I purchase a headset was about 10 years ago and it was a King. It's gone through a couple of bikes.

 

[rockcrusher]

ditto on Ken in KC. Unless your current is ruined spend your dollars on something that you will see a difference in performance with such as tires or shifters or wheels or...you get the point. $$ on a headset will never be measurable except in the long run; i have a CK that I got in 1992 (1" purple) and I still use it.

 

[Random Drivel]

I like the CK, though I'm currrently running a FSA Orbit Exterme that has turned out to be suprisingly smooth and reliable. Since I only spent $40 for it, I'm pretty happy.

 

[Thimk]

I just ended up buying the Cane Creek S8 off eBay. Can't go wrong for $35. I think they got for about double that usually.

 

[RickC5]

I just ended up buying the Cane Creek S8 off eBay. Can't go wrong for $35. I think they got for about double that usually.

IMHO, Cane Creek makes a good product at a good price. Not quite as good as a CK, but definitely a headset that will last you a long time, and an outstanding deal at the price you paid.

I've had several CC headsets and have never experienced a failure or had a problem on the higher-end models, like the S-6 or S-8. I have heard that the S-2 needs some help though.

 

[f3rg]

My CK is from '99. Still perfect with zero maintenance or care given to it. It's only about the bling (God, I hate that word.... can't we let it die, already?) if you want it to be. I want it to be about a quality part with an awesome warranty that I'll never need to make use of.

 

[Thimk]

Does a quality headset really affect steering performance that much?

 

[Ken in KC]

No...

Does a quality headset really affect steering performance that much?

A quality headset peforms exactly like a new, lower quality headset. It just does so for a longer period of time.

 

[Killroy]

Here is another opinion:

http://www.pvdwiki.com/index.php?title=The_BEST_Headset

It basicaly states that Chris King has a design flaw to to Cane Creeks's patent.

 

[All Mountain]

CC 110 is a more appropriate comparison to the king:

I had a CC S8 for over a year and took it apart and was just like I left it when it was installed, but you expect that from any descent headset.

 

[sparrow]

The Cane Creeks are in every way superior to the King. The S8 at $40 ish is a great deal, as it has such a low price and is actually better engineered than the King. The Solos or new 110 from Cane Creek set the standard for headsets. King's NoThreadset design is a go-around to not pay or use the Cane Creek/Dia Compe patents. Read up on it.

PVD's essay is on the money.

 

[xcguy]

And another CC/CK thread

Check this out:

http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=373379

Chris King used to be the only game in town but not anymore.

 

[fonseca]

I just ended up buying the Cane Creek S8 off eBay. Can't go wrong for $35. I think they got for about double that usually.

Wasn't it the S8s on ebay that were fakes? If the seller you bought it from is in Asia, you probably bought a counterfeit.

 

[Thimk]

Wasn't it the S8s on ebay that were fakes? If the seller you bought it from is in Asia, you probably bought a counterfeit.

Yeah, it was from Asia. I figured it could be a fake, but the seller had loads of cycling items (Fox F100 RLCs, Juicy Brakes, Ritchey Carbons to name a few) that seemed just as real as from any other seller. So I assumed that my S8 would be the real deal as well. Also, they had a super high rating, 100% @ 775.

Here's the store: http://myworld.ebay.ca/michellebikeshop

If you guys think it's a faker, please let me know.

 

[fonseca]

Several threads on it in the last few months. It seems the ebay S8s are missing one part, and don't have the stainless bearings they're supposed to.

Post when you get it. I'm curious if it is complete and comes in retail packaging. I bet it doesn't, and is gray market with lower grade bearings.

 

[xcguy]

A lot of ebay Cane Creek headsets just come with a big rubber band

Several threads on it in the last few months. It seems the ebay S8s are missing one part, and don't have the stainless bearings they're supposed to.

Post when you get it. I'm curious if it is complete and comes in retail packaging. I bet it doesn't, and is gray market with lower grade bearings.

around them and no spacers. Retail come in that cute little round "box". As far as "lower grade bearings" when I'd emailed Cane Creek with my questions about "upgrading" from a S-2 to a Solo I mentioned the bearing (industrial?) grade steel bearings as opposed to their stainless bearings in the higher-end headsets. They said the bearing steel was actually stronger than the stainless. Yeah, the stainless supposedly would weather contaminants longer but to just not worry about it.

 

[jabpn]

The S-8's I've gotten on Ebay do come with one part missing but it is a super thin washer. The bearings were S-8 stainless bearings.

 

[Thimk]

The S-8's I've gotten on Ebay do come with one part missing but it is a super thin washer. The bearings were S-8 stainless bearings.

Does that mean it's a fake?

 

[jabpn]

Does that mean it's a fake?

Not from what I can see. The cups, bearings, and all the other parts appear genuine. The writing and logo is what it should be. I get the feeling they are from the source mfg facility and someone is making a little on the side from some extras. It seems legit (not stolen), at least I've never had a reason to think otherwise at this point in time.