Road Cycling - Integrated headsets . . .

engineering genius or crap?

All the reviews that I've read in either magazines or on the internet have stated that there aren't any main drawbacks, but they're nothing special, so you don't have to waist your money on them. I wish I could find an article for you online, but I can't. I'll keep looking. Sorry I don't remember too much about them.

Personally, I like the look of a integrated headset on a road bike. I wouldn't put one on a MTB, but on a road bike, I think it makes the lines look smoother, and I really like that. But looks have nothing to do with performance.:D

I heard that most LBS dont know how to work on them and they
have to be sent back to the company to adust them.
I dont know how true that is.


K

Originally posted by fubar5
Personally, I like the look of a integrated headset on a road bike.

Oh yeah, I can agree with that. The look is great, if that counts for anything.

I heard that most LBS dont know how to work on them and they
have to be sent back to the company to adust them.


:eek: Oh no! That's no good. My headsets are forever getting loose, and I have to stop in at the LBS to get them tightened again. I'm sure this happens to other people pretty often, too, because I've seen it happen. That is definitely a big downside.

I think there was an article in Buycycling a few months ago that basically slammed them as being form not following function... a solution for a problem that didn't exist.

Personally, I don't care for the look, and I expect that they are harder to service, and/or will require special tools. Also, I wonder if the design is generic enough that it won't impose a lot of compatibility headaches between different frame manufacturers and component makers.

It really does look like it's more cosmetic than anything else. Integrated is hardly the revolution that thredless was -- and I think it's fair to say that threadless has ONLY just become universal in road bikes. It's going to be a while before integrated becames universal or even dominant.

What's bad looking about a standard headset?

(Buycycling Magazine - that made me laugh. I just lapsed my subscription btw.)

If the headset gets worn repairs will undoubtably be very expensive. I agree that it is a solution without a problem.

Buycycling

Perfect! But since it is the first one I found in English, I guess I will let my subscription finish out. They do have a real problem delivering it over here. Two issues (out of five) lost so far, and the last one was delivered postage due. Merry Christmas. :mad:

Cheers...Gary

...and for that matter, what if the integrated headset does look better, it doesn't make up for the uglification factor of a threadless headset (in my opinion :mad: )