Mountain Biking - Just bought an Giant XTC Frame, someone explain the integrated headset??!!?

So im getting back into riding, and my last bike was 11 years old, then it got stolen from my little brother after i moved from NY to GA. So now that i have a full time job, im building a bike the way i always wanted one. i bought new Giant XTC frame for 200 bucks (well its an '02 or an '03 i think, but its never been used), and it has the integrated headset thing, dont know much about it, ive been out of the MTB thing for over 4 years, a lot has changed. i have included a pic below, can someone explain it and let me know the pros and cons, i have heard mixed opinions on this situation.

http://i22.ebayimg.com/01/i/02/0d/73/ec_1_b.JPG
http://i11.ebayimg.com/01/i/02/0d/b6/72_1.JPG

Ok, me and my friend both have Giant bikes and both have the same thing as yours... that just means you cant put an aftermarket headset in the bike... wich sucks in a way but I dont think its anything big...


Later
Jake

Ok, me and my friend both have Giant bikes and both have the same thing as yours... that just means you cant put an aftermarket headset in the bike... wich sucks in a way but I dont think its anything big...


Later
Jake


You can still change the type of bearings and seals. Here is an explanation by peope who know more about it than me : Cane Creek (http://www.canecreek.com/site/product/headset/info/tech.html)

Chris King has an excellent webpage on integrated headsets (http://www.chrisking.com/tech/int_headsets_explained/int_hds_explain_1.html).

Chris King has an excellent webpage on integrated headsets (http://www.chrisking.com/tech/int_headsets_explained/int_hds_explain_1.html).
Yup before I started working on bikes I used to think that they were a wonderful thing because all the mags said that they were the next "big" thing. Now I know better, partially do to my experience working on them, and partially due to that great article on ChrisKing.com

The only potential problem with them is spare parts. Availability is ok at the moment and giant sell a lot of bikes so hopefully replacement parts will be available in the future. If the worst comes to the worst you could allways get someone with a lathe to make you an insert and use a conventional headset.

As for perfomance it is after all just a normal headset in a slightly larger head tube so both the bearing and cup can fit in the frame. The conventional method of having the bearing outside the headtube is really just a relic of cup and cone loose bearing headsets.

maybe i'll buy some extra parts now, so a few years down the road, if i do have a problem, and no solution, i can dig out the extra headset and stuff i bought.