upgrade headset?
 

Can I use any 1-1/8" pressfit headset to replace a rust-damaged existing headset on my 2012 Scott CR1 Elite? Right now it uses an older style that has ball bearings in a retainer ring packed into a non-sealed type of headset. I'm in Seattle and don't want to have to worry about rust issues and am thinking I can upgrade from this loose bearing setup to a sealed cartridge design to help prevent this from becoming an issue again.

Measure the ID of the head tube.. that is the data you need to match for a press in cup headset.

the steerer tube on the fork is the 1_1/8" .. its not the only thing to measure .

Or Turn the job over to a shop and dont worry about it.

It should be 50mm outer and 44mm inner. So those are the diameters to pay attention to? Not just the steer tube?

There are probably more different standards that you might run into for the internal diameter of the headtube than there are for the external diameter of the steerer tube these days - I know of at least three headtube sizes used with 1 1/8" steerers.

there is such a thing as a "traditional 1 1/8" threadless headset". here's one Ritchey Logic Comp 1 1 8 Threadless Black Headset | eBay with cartridge bearings. the cups press in and the cartridge bearings drop in the cups. AFAIK it is designed for a metal 1 1/8" (inside diameter) headtube.

a pic would help a lot.

You need a ZS44 headset. I fitted one like this Cane Creek 40 Threadless ZS44/28.6|ZS44/30 Headset BikeBling.com to my 2012 CR1 Pro, depending on your spacer stack height, you may want to look at a tall cover version.

There is only a single standard for 1-1/8" pressed in headsets, so just about any is fine.

The one area of concern is stack height, which does vary between brands and models. If you have more than 10m of spacers above or below your stem, no worries, you can adjust. But if you have very little or none in spacers, then you need to be careful about increasing the stack height.

With that caveat, it's about cosmetics and budget.