Right now, I am riding a Langster Pro with (i think) an integrated headset. I like the bike. Really light and pretty fast with high quality parts. Dura Ace Hubs, SG 75 cranks, nitto drops.
My only concern is the headset. I've heard mostly bad things about integrated headsets. I am told that these need special maintenance and can not be replaced and when they start to go, they wear the frame? I ride this bike in all weather. Any info would be awesome.

king makes an integrated headset now. you should get it. but yea if the integrated headset wears the frame out or messes up the frame where it sits. the frame has then become trash. but you can replace the integrated headsets so if the bearings are what start to go then your fine but. be carefull man.

I just did some quick research. The specialized site says the headset is "Specialized 1 1/8" threadless, sealed bearings, alloy 20mm cone with two 5mm alloy spacers." Pretty not clear. Does this mean it could be an internal headset which is not a problem at all?
https://www.chrisking.com/tech/int_he...explain_2.html

It looks like you have a bearing cup, which would mean it's not integrated, though I can't tell from here. Check out the Chris King website and download their big tirade against intergrated headsets. It includes detailed diagrams that will help you determine which one you have.

I have an integrated headset on my racebike. It's not the end of the world. Maintinanace is super easy, every few months wipe the dirt from the bearings and the headtube. When they finally go out, just toss your old bearings and install new ones.

Just checked, it IS an integrated HS.

No they don't, and if they did a King integraded headset would be no better than any other integrated headset, as its pretty much just a pair of bearings.
King IS trying to sell a retrofit HS for messed up frames with integrated headsets, but it requires special reaming with a special King reamer, and I have yet to see one in person.

Still, ride it until something happens. Probably around 7-8k miles on the roadbike on a single set of bearings. No appreciable wear to the headtube. If you're keeping that thing on the track, then it's a non issue.

Why would any manufacturer build a higher end bike with an integrated headset? There must be some advantage that I'm not aware of? Weight savings?

I read about it at the King website but I can't think of any reason why Specialized would use something so unreliable to save 12 grams.

I think its sadly down to looks. As you can't see the headset it looks cleaner and faster, thus sells more bikes. And the fact that if you don't look after it, the headset will destroy the frame, well thats an added bonus for manufacturers.

No other advantage to IS headsets AFAIK apart from the tiny weight saving.

<takes cynical hat off>

because people will buy them. Then, when the frame is ruined because of a stupid headset issue, people will buy them again...such is our folly.

I think the disadvantages are overstated. There where a few bad designs to start with and if you where an early adopter and backed the wrong standard getting parts could be very difficult. Now there are a few more popular standards and the bad designs where the bearings where pressed directly into the frame have mostly gone there are not many disadvantages.
The only disadvantage I can see to an internal headset is that they are not as comman as standard ones so parts are less available and there is less choice. An internal head set is pretty much a standard headset that fits in a larger diameter headtube so both the cup and bearing can fit inside the headtube.

I'd take that king article with a grain of salt, if all headsets went internal they would sell less. Same reason why phil hubs are a lot more popular than their bbs, people like to show off their expensive componants not hide them inside the frame.

internal and integrated are notably different. however, i'm not sure if some manufacturers are sloppy and use "integrated" to refer to both. specialized's site says "integrated," but it is possible that it is actually internal -- that is, that it has pressed cups inside of the frame. if it is actually integrated, that's not so good. you can indeed **** the frame if you have pitting. internal is fine.

I am not sure I buy the, "they will trash the frame so the user will buy another."
If a frame is prematurely damaged due to an IS headset, I would imagine that rider would be a little pissed at the manufacturer and probably not buy another frame from them..thus making the statement wrong.
If they were to buy another bike, I would imagine they would then move to a non-IS headset, thus passing up that manufacturer and others like it....

I think it has more to do with initial cost for the bike..

is it just me or does that stock langster come with some damned nice parts... cranks, hubs, and bars. I mean the old stock langster came with specialized branded everything right? This doesn't seem like a bad deal if the msrp is unchanged.

and what kind of warrantee does specialized give the langster, yours can't be more than a year old so it really shouldn't be out of warrantee. When I raced bmx, the company's that made aluminum usually had a 5yr - lifetime warrantee, which was good because I broke one every 4 months.

the langster and the langster pro are two very differently spec'd bikes.

oops didn't see the pro part...

There was a lot of hoopla on these forums a few months ago about Litespeed's decision to go back to the traditional headset set-up for their 2006 line, abandoning integrated headsets after 2005.

I don't really recall much of the discussion but perhaps the integrated headset will become like the much touted biopace cranks from the 1980s, a footnote in the history of cycling technology?

not sure if that will happen.
Litespeed already has a massive markup, so they can eat the cost of the more expensive headset, not sure if the cheapie frames will follow suit...kind of a different market.

It is actually an 04. I think they were around $1200 new....around the same as a Pista Concept. This is not to be confused with a Langster Comp which is the current year version of this bike i suppose. It has a list of $1100 so will probably sell for around $799ish. It still has the SG cranks, but cheaper bars and wheels and a few things like that. Nice, but no pro. [edit: i got mine used off ebay for $650 with a few nice upgrades]

I am gonna take the fork out today and take pictures. I have NO idea what i am looking for so maybe some of you guys can tell me once and for all what it is. The specialized website has no email that i could find. They are pretty worthless. I guess they REALLY support their dealer network.

I actually haven't a clue or the right tools (i don't think) to get the fork out.
These pictures are the best i could do.
Top

The part below the red line is stationary and above turns
Bottom

so what.. you looking for something to keep you busy while your face is still mashed up?
heh.. keep it up brother. hope everything works out.

smoochies
t27

It doesn't take any special tools.
Unscrew the cap, take off the stem, and the fork will drop right out. The lower part of the headset, along with its bearings will drop out also. On the top of the headtube will be the top half of the headset...

I am not sure why you are bothering actually....