Originally Posted by
dbakl
Hmm, interesting. In 40 years of working on bikes I don't think I've ever had a headset problem. The Campagnolo headset on my main bike has been there for 28 years with them old fashioned ball bearings that cause so much trouble.
You've never had a headset problem? I find that hard to believe if you've worked on a significant number of bikes. I've had to work on bikes that have passed through my hands and I've seen plenty trashed headsets due to pitting.
A properly installed, high-quality ball bearing headset will work just as well as any cartridge headset, but they're definitely not as fool proof. You'll never get a pitted race or cup from a cartridge set.