Cane Creek 110 Series Headset: Customer Review

The headset on your bike can sometimes be overlooked and forgotten. In this review, our customer replaces the stock headset bearings with some fresh ones from Cane Creek. The Cane Creek 110 Series Headset is built to last, check out this review to hear more!

Overview

I purchased both the Cane Creek 110 IS52 and IS42 together about 30 days ago. They replaced the stock FSA bearings and caps which after 1 season, had developed roughness when spun by hand. Upon disassembly, it was clear that the expandable crown race in the FSA was letting dirt in. Likewise, the top bearing was leaking too. 

Initial Thoughts

This seems extremely unlikely with the Cane Creek bearings. The crown race and stem cap have rubber seals to prevent dirt and water from entering. The bearings are top notch and reasonably priced for a unit with a 110-year warranty. The build quality of the bearings is excellent and I was very pleased with the fit and finish of the bearings. Having spent years in the engineering field working with precision equipment, these bearings are a very good deal. Moreover, the crown race and top cap compress and seal these bearings into the head tube with ease. The crown race is a SNUG fit (great seal) and the top cap has a series of compression rings and rubber seals to keep everything tight and keep out the contaminants.

Performance

During riding, the action of the bearings is very smooth. A sign of a good bearing is one where they go unnoticed, and these bearings did just that. I forgot about rough areas and clunking while riding. I love the top cap of the 110, besides being a nice accessory piece, it has a gold-plated bushing that allows for a reasonable clamping force and remains incredibly smooth and forgiving during all terrain types.

Final Thoughts

The test of time still remains, but the performance of these bearings and seals, along with the warranty, let me think more about riding and less about what's going on in my head tube.

My only recommendation is to do this upgrade the day you bring the bike home. My bearing seats (with the low-quality stock bearings) developed a slight looseness and make small creaks during large impacts. Although not positive, I feel the Cane Creek 110 bearings from Day 1 would have prevented this.