With the wheels now complete, I moved on to the two other main turning axles of a bicycle, the headset which allows for turning of the handlebar and change of direction, and the bottom bracket that enables pedaling and propelling the bike.

The installation of the headset is likely there most involved process of building the bike. It's actually four separate parts that need to be installed: upper and lower cup, upper and lower bearing cartridge. For this, a press-fit tool is required.


Removable, stand-alone bearing cartridges shown bottom center inside their respective cups. Fork washers shown top left and top right. Top center is the crown that fits flush against the handlepost.




A bit of a gamble, the Meroca BB is a concession to aesthetics. 🤞🏼 Fortunately replacing Hollowtech II BB is quite straightforward and the BB shell is the ubiquitous BSA 68mm standard found most everywhere should it need replacing.
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Hollowtech II bottom bracket which simply screws on. BB wrench needed to tighten.
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