Hey all. Just finished up an overhaul of my headset on my giant TCR advanced after a little creaking started. Hot days and the grease just melts out. Anyways, the top headset cup that I am assuming is supposed to not come out of the frame just popped right out when I removed the bearing. I cleaned and replaced everything anyways. I am wondering if I'm in trouble now. Is this cup supposed to come out? Am I ok to ride it for a while like this? I did regrease the cup inside and out just because it seemed like a good idea. Is loctite 609 a better bet? The frame is a 2010 and I bought it second hand so I'm sure there is no warranty. Any help is appreciated. Thanks!

Integrated headsets aren't press-fit. They're held in place by virtue of the tapers and so don't need to be a tight fit. Some people bond them in, some don't, so one dropping out when you drop the fork is common and normal.

Yeah the bearings themselves are not press fit. They came out no problem. It's the metal cup that holds the top bearing in the frame that came out. I don't know the exact name for it, I'm guessing it's a 'race' of some kind. Maybe I'm totally confused. I just thought that the piece was not part of the headset but a part of the frame that was installed at the factory.

Apparently you have a "zero stack" headset where a cup is pressed into the flared headtube ends and the bearings sit on this cup. It's sort of like a standard headset except the "cups" have no cylindrical shank to be pressed into a straight headtube. That cup is a necessary part of the headset and should be pressed back in.

By the way I have the same frame, and it also starts to squeak at the headset after getting water down into it. Taking the headset apart like you did, cleaning and regreasing it, and reassembling it always fixes it back up.

Big difference between zero stack/semi integrated and integrated headset. No idea what your bikes uses, but if the cup came out and you use an integrated headset then is not a good sign.

Yeah mine is the drop in cartridge style integrated headset. I did put the retaining cup, that was supposed to be in the frame, back in clean with grease. It'll have to work for a while I guess. Maybe I can epoxy it in next time.

Thanks

remount the cup with loctite 609 or 660. i would use 660 if you can remove it by hand

I'm still not convinced we're talking about an integrated headset vs. someting with removable cups. Can you post a picture?

Giant TCR Advanced. No mystery. Standard integrated headset.

I've just had the identical thing happen to me. Also a second hand TCR advanced (2010). Brought it to my lbs who have told me the cup should have been bonded inside the head tube and that it is not repairable and to bin the frame. Advised me not to try gluing the cup back in. I had resigned myself to getting rid of the frame, but reading this thread has me confused. Did the OP put the cup back in and how has it been? Thanks in advance for sharing any info you have.