One of the worst decisions made by the bike industry in recent years was deciding to adopt this trash headset, can we just go back standard routing through the frame. It's the only thing i absolutely despise about my current bike.
It's indeed annoying to work on. I dort really mind it in the shop, as I'm getting paid to do it. But I dread the day my headset gives up on me. It does look clean though, and to many customers that's important these days
Oh, now that I'm further in the video, that's even one of the "friendlier" ones. There's another version that has cutouts in the actual top bearing for cables and hoses to go through. That's the one where you have no choice but to cut brake hoses. For this one, you still have to unscrew them, but you don't have to mess with the length.
More and more manufacturers are taking this option. its a nightmare and so unnecessary, cable restriction, cable wear to name a few. The worst is road bikes, some now integrate through the handlebar, stem and headset. looks neat but awful to work on.
Great video again Dave, definitely a deal breaker for me, turns a 20 minutes job to clean out or change the bearings into a 2 hour job at least and a lot of unnecessary work. I'll stick to externally routed or ports thanks on my rail
Makes me think to buy another ebike. I was just removing the fork for servicing and noticed it would be a PITA to change the top bearing if it needed a replacement. Your video confirms it pretty well. Thanks god the top one is perfectly fine on mine. Never thought of such a servicing scenario when buying the bike.
my cube action team is the same, such a ball ach to do... why cant they just run em through the frame... i got quoted 140 quid to change a 2 bearings... just because of this...
I had one of these on my bike when I bought it. It came to the service of my head set and I cannot stress enough how inconvenient this system is. Took it out and installed Hope head set. Happy days. Will be looking forward to my maintenance days from now on :D
Luckily the manufacture of my frame (FOCUS) kept the side ports in place and only put blanking plates on them. So I just opened them and ran all the cables through there. I understand that this is not an option of everyone though. Even FOCUS on their new frame got rid of them. So I was VERY lucky
@@rolfeinhaus9451 hi mate, I have a Sam2 2022 model. I just had a look at your model and unfortunately you won’t be able to get rid of the whole in the head stock cable routing as your frame doesn’t have the side cable channels I’m afraid. You can still put the Hope gravity stem on though. I think you will need new head set bearing set to bring the cables out in front of the steerer tube. And then steerer tube spacers from Hope, the stem and the plate with bolt to tighten the steerer tube.
Great stuff. I disassembled my headset to get my ebike in the boot of my car, and then had to mess about with it at the other end. Never again, and that was just a taster of what you’ve contended with.
Definitely a solution looking for a problem that, completely unnecessary on a mountain bike... I assume it also gives another chance for water to get straight into the headset?!?
I would be happy for all cable routing to be external again, most shifting or functioning issues I’ve had are because of the hoses or cables having to route through frames around tight bends 😂
I like the look of the internal cable routing but didn't think about the top bearing and the cables running though great video and well explained in how to replace them.
I don't understand why you cut the end off the brake line. It seals perfectly every time I've tried it (Mostly with Shimano and Magura brakes, and you've got Maguras there) if you just screw the original fitting back into the lever. You can save yourself from having to rebleed the brake every time afterwards by taking the rear wheel out and pumping the lever till the pads are together before you remove the hose from the lever. This puts extra fluid in the brake line/caliper. After reconnecting the line to the lever, lever the pads apart and any air bubble in the brake line will be pushed back into the reservoir, where it will either not cause a problem, or be easily fixed by bleeding the lever only. Unlike with Shimano brakes, bucket bleeds aren't always reliable on Magura brakes, but connecting a syringe and pushing and pulling the fluid in and out a small amount from the lever will get the air bubble quickly and easily, just don't disconnect the syringe while a vacuum is drawn.
I do most of my bike maintenance myself. I think for this, I'll just go to my LBS. Not such a bad thing as it helps them out. Although they may hate me for it! Do you have any recommendations of best integrated headsets? Is that ACROS one pretty good??
Hey Dave! Thank you so much for the informative video! My Mondraker foxy uses an across headset although it did not include any rubber stoppers. I have a snapping/ creeping noise that comes from the headset since I got the bike. I was totally lost as to how to replace the headset but this helps a ton! Thank you!
You’re a fountain of knowledge Dave and your videos are so informative. How and when did you get started on bikes? Is there anything you don’t know about bikes?
Really helpful video to see how cables are actually routed through headset. I Have one question though, Is it always necessary to cut the brake hose to remove top bearing? it looks like it would easily pass through the top cover and could then be un-clipped from the washer/spacer, or is it just the case that its good practice to use a new barb and olive each time you disconnect the brake?
Good information Dave,thanks. But iam not convinced that we need to cut The brake hose, does not It passes through Theo holes? Or the reason is any other than that?
What a faff. Seems completely unnecessary too, it’s not exactly untidy to run cables and hoses into frame ports in the head tube. Perfect example of the designers not speaking to the engineers and looking for a solution to a problem that doesn’t exist..
Hi Dave, is it normal for this headset to have a certain resistance when rotating the handlebar? I can only apply small amount of preload torque before turning becomes frictioned. Thanks
Cheers Dave....looks like a right job, question.... if i just left the bung on the brake line would i still need to cut... looks like all the other componets slip off...sure you have tried though..
thanks for watching and you comments. The problem is that in order to change the top bearing the hoses/cables have to be fed back through the headset cover which has just small holes that are only big enough for the hose to go through without any fittings hense the reason for cutting them
@@TheYorkshireBikeMechanic Yep..... I know your right, sorry to make you say the same line yet again... i should have read the posts..... Keep up the great vids Dave!
interesting and useful. Question: why do you cut the brake hose shorter? can you not re-use the end (complete with fitting and olive)? I just bought a Bianchi and I need a shorter stem - what a job .....
Just got the same on my new cube action team a couple weeks ago but looking to change my stem so just wondering if it's going to look a mess as there oblong spacers not round im Going to have to have a good look later at my stem see how to work with this swap out, but i see the guys already done it on his Transition there so thats cool to see he's managed to remove his original spacers and replaced with normal ones and just have tue cables running through the bottom main spacer!
very good video well explained for sure ! im still not guna be able to do mine lol ive had my e bike for about a year now and never knew the cables ran through the top bearing lol, back in the day was much easier ! than todays e bikes, it should just run though the frame to make things alot easier... i think its a job for the bike shop if u ask me lol
I'm looking for my road stem 120mm in Acros system... any ideas???? On Acros page there use ZERO road stems.... are there anything else compatibile with the ACROS system?
Bike could be a daily commuter doing couple of hundred miles a month in all weathers, I’m guessing the bearing is useless due to water getting in, it can be very wet in Yorkshire
Hello Dave, I am putting together a bike from scratch and I was not able to find any info regarding the cable housing. I have a similar headset as the one in this video and I don’t know if the cable housing should run all the way to the derailleur or it should stop after it enters the down tube. Any hint would be greatly appreciated.
@@conashudixit810 I think it may be like this: Rear derailleur: Full-length housing (I'm sure about this one, almost all such bikes I've worked with run this way) Front derailleur: Housing probably stops inside the BB shell, just before the cable exits the frame, check with a mechanic if you need to
Hi, so the bearing won’t separate from the cup to be replaced and then the cables and hoses fed through? I appreciate that the whole unit has to be removed to complete the job, surely it’s only the bearings that fail 🤔
@@waynepennock115 This is why more waste is generated when conducting a headset bearing replacement on bikes with this routing configuration. You'd have to discard what are perfectly reusable hydraulic hoses only because they're too short after they're cut to discard the hydraulic olives that are otherwise too big to fit through cockpits, although some shops cut just the olive and reinstall with a new one.
It fits for all head tube or on for specific. What is min diameter of fork pipe is required, as I have 28.6 and what should the internal head tube diameter.
Hi, this is very helpful. I have the same bike and indeed have a same problem. Could you kindly share the link to buy the headset from across, currently I used similar nukeproof megawatt headset as replacement, but it would be nice if I could get the across one.
I know your pain,That Used to be a £20 job, time = labour Add in a possible bleed/hose,readjust gears re cable dropper, Bike designers need to understand what it takes to maintain these nightmare designs,all because of vanity.really??get a grip! Hopefully the customer understands why it costs extra. Atb John 🏴
I don't see the point of this internal cabe routing on this MTB frame given that all of the wires and hoses are still exposed after coming out of the headset area. It is a pain to replace those bearings as shown in this video. If it was one of those newer road frames that hide all cables/hoses inside the bar and stem it would make senses but not this!
These headsets are absolute garbage. Can’t wait for this stupid fad to go away as it serves no purpose. This idea that it makes the bike quieter is such nonsense.
That's so stupid... So unecessary! It should be a 10 minutes job. Now we have to disconnect the cables, cut the brake cable, bleed the brakes and fight all these in place 🤦
Did this last month on my cube stereo,a massive pain in the ass,and sometimes the compression ring breaks as its so thin,and,the bearings dont come out easy as they are pressed in,and having to take the cups out just to get the bearings out is a bad design,acros charge a fortune for bearing sets,i just bought the bearings instead,bad design!
One of the worst decisions made by the bike industry in recent years was deciding to adopt this trash headset, can we just go back standard routing through the frame. It's the only thing i absolutely despise about my current bike.
It's indeed annoying to work on. I dort really mind it in the shop, as I'm getting paid to do it. But I dread the day my headset gives up on me. It does look clean though, and to many customers that's important these days
Oh, now that I'm further in the video, that's even one of the "friendlier" ones. There's another version that has cutouts in the actual top bearing for cables and hoses to go through. That's the one where you have no choice but to cut brake hoses. For this one, you still have to unscrew them, but you don't have to mess with the length.
More and more manufacturers are taking this option. its a nightmare and so unnecessary, cable restriction, cable wear to name a few. The worst is road bikes, some now integrate through the handlebar, stem and headset. looks neat but awful to work on.
Thanks for this, I have the same headset and need to route a cable for front light through there. Now I know what to look for.
Nothing more Satisfying than watching a really good tradesman ,hats off to you Dave
Agree
Thanks for watching and your comments
Great video again Dave, definitely a deal breaker for me, turns a 20 minutes job to clean out or change the bearings into a 2 hour job at least and a lot of unnecessary work. I'll stick to externally routed or ports thanks on my rail
Thanks for watching and your comments
Makes me think to buy another ebike. I was just removing the fork for servicing and noticed it would be a PITA to change the top bearing if it needed a replacement. Your video confirms it pretty well. Thanks god the top one is perfectly fine on mine. Never thought of such a servicing scenario when buying the bike.
Hi, Thanks for watching and your comments
my cube action team is the same, such a ball ach to do... why cant they just run em through the frame... i got quoted 140 quid to change a 2 bearings... just because of this...
I had one of these on my bike when I bought it. It came to the service of my head set and I cannot stress enough how inconvenient this system is. Took it out and installed Hope head set. Happy days. Will be looking forward to my maintenance days from now on :D
Hi, Thanks for watching and your comments
What did you do for running the shifter and brake lines? Did you some how attache them on the outside??
Luckily the manufacture of my frame (FOCUS) kept the side ports in place and only put blanking plates on them. So I just opened them and ran all the cables through there. I understand that this is not an option of everyone though. Even FOCUS on their new frame got rid of them. So I was VERY lucky
@@alesbastl7716 What model Focus do you have? I've got the Jam2 7.9 2022, and want to upgrade from the CIS headset. Was looking at the Hope Gravity
@@rolfeinhaus9451 hi mate, I have a Sam2 2022 model. I just had a look at your model and unfortunately you won’t be able to get rid of the whole in the head stock cable routing as your frame doesn’t have the side cable channels I’m afraid. You can still put the Hope gravity stem on though. I think you will need new head set bearing set to bring the cables out in front of the steerer tube. And then steerer tube spacers from Hope, the stem and the plate with bolt to tighten the steerer tube.
Brilliant video, as always, so glad my Trek Rail just has normal internal routing
Thanks for watching and your comments
Great stuff. I disassembled my headset to get my ebike in the boot of my car, and then had to mess about with it at the other end. Never again, and that was just a taster of what you’ve contended with.
Thanks for watching and your comments
Definitely a solution looking for a problem that, completely unnecessary on a mountain bike... I assume it also gives another chance for water to get straight into the headset?!?
Hi, Thank you for watching and your comment
I would be happy for all cable routing to be external again, most shifting or functioning issues I’ve had are because of the hoses or cables having to route through frames around tight bends 😂
Hi, Thanks for watching and your comment. Well said
I like the look of the internal cable routing but didn't think about the top bearing and the cables running though great video and well explained in how to replace them.
Thanks for watching and your comments
I don't understand why you cut the end off the brake line. It seals perfectly every time I've tried it (Mostly with Shimano and Magura brakes, and you've got Maguras there) if you just screw the original fitting back into the lever.
You can save yourself from having to rebleed the brake every time afterwards by taking the rear wheel out and pumping the lever till the pads are together before you remove the hose from the lever. This puts extra fluid in the brake line/caliper. After reconnecting the line to the lever, lever the pads apart and any air bubble in the brake line will be pushed back into the reservoir, where it will either not cause a problem, or be easily fixed by bleeding the lever only.
Unlike with Shimano brakes, bucket bleeds aren't always reliable on Magura brakes, but connecting a syringe and pushing and pulling the fluid in and out a small amount from the lever will get the air bubble quickly and easily, just don't disconnect the syringe while a vacuum is drawn.
Thanks for watching and your comments
I do most of my bike maintenance myself. I think for this, I'll just go to my LBS. Not such a bad thing as it helps them out. Although they may hate me for it!
Do you have any recommendations of best integrated headsets? Is that ACROS one pretty good??
Hi, thanks for your comment, there are not than many on the market at the moment, acros is the main contender.
Not a problem with the Scott system, brake hose with barb/nut passes through OK. I think that you already know that though.
Hey Dave! Thank you so much for the informative video! My Mondraker foxy uses an across headset although it did not include any rubber stoppers. I have a snapping/ creeping noise that comes from the headset since I got the bike. I was totally lost as to how to replace the headset but this helps a ton! Thank you!
You are welcome.
My bike has one like that. Big PITA.
Thanks for watching and your comments
My go to when it comes to e-bike education, keep it up good sir!
Thanks for watching and your comments
You’re a fountain of knowledge Dave and your videos are so informative. How and when did you get started on bikes? Is there anything you don’t know about bikes?
Thanks for watching and your comments
Really helpful video to see how cables are actually routed through headset. I Have one question though,
Is it always necessary to cut the brake hose to remove top bearing?
it looks like it would easily pass through the top cover and could then be un-clipped from the washer/spacer, or is it just the case that its good practice to use a new barb and olive each time you disconnect the brake?
Hi thanks for watching, if the hose will fit through with the fitting than that’s great but more often it won’t go though without cutting
Good information Dave,thanks. But iam not convinced that we need to cut The brake hose, does not It passes through Theo holes? Or the reason is any other than that?
Thanks for watching and your comments, the only reason is like you say, it dosent slide back through the rubber headset sleaves
Good job Dave well done 👍
Thanks for watching and your comments
I saw a bloke that looked just like you on TV the other day 👍
Thanks for watching and your comments, oh dear it will be my brother
Super informative as usual! Well done!
Thanks for watching and your comments
What a faff. Seems completely unnecessary too, it’s not exactly untidy to run cables and hoses into frame ports in the head tube. Perfect example of the designers not speaking to the engineers and looking for a solution to a problem that doesn’t exist..
Thanks for watching and your comments
Hi Dave, is it normal for this headset to have a certain resistance when rotating the handlebar? I can only apply small amount of preload torque before turning becomes frictioned. Thanks
Thanks for watching and your comments, no not really, it should be free, double check that all parts are fitted in the correct order
Cheers Dave....looks like a right job, question.... if i just left the bung on the brake line would i still need to cut... looks like all the other componets slip off...sure you have tried though..
thanks for watching and you comments. The problem is that in order to change the top bearing the hoses/cables have to be fed back through the headset cover which has just small holes that are only big enough for the hose to go through without any fittings hense the reason for cutting them
@@TheYorkshireBikeMechanic Yep..... I know your right, sorry to make you say the same line yet again... i should have read the posts..... Keep up the great vids Dave!
Thank you! This type of headset is nightmare for service and wiring
Thanks for watching and your comments
do you have a link/part number to that upper headset?
interesting and useful. Question: why do you cut the brake hose shorter? can you not re-use the end (complete with fitting and olive)?
I just bought a Bianchi and I need a shorter stem - what a job .....
Hi, Thanks for watching and your comments, thats because the hose fitting wont fit through the headset
Hi Dave .
Zo nice te sie u video pertikkely yo voice . I wil te visit u one day in u shop great.
Khalid
Just got the same on my new cube action team a couple weeks ago but looking to change my stem so just wondering if it's going to look a mess as there oblong spacers not round im
Going to have to have a good look later at my stem see how to work with this swap out, but i see the guys already done it on his Transition there so thats cool to see he's managed to remove his original spacers and replaced with normal ones and just have tue cables running through the bottom main spacer!
Hi, Thanks for watching and your comments
very good video well explained for sure ! im still not guna be able to do mine lol ive had my e bike for about a year now and never knew the cables ran through the top bearing lol, back in the day was much easier ! than todays e bikes, it should just run though the frame to make things alot easier... i think its a job for the bike shop if u ask me lol
Thanks for watching and your comments
I'm looking for my road stem 120mm in Acros system... any ideas???? On Acros page there use ZERO road stems.... are there anything else compatibile with the ACROS system?
Hi, Thanks for watching, The acros system still confuses me as to whats compatible or not.
These things are really close to a deal breaker for me
Thanks for watching and your comments
why bearing needs to be replaced on almost new e-bike? what mileage on it?
Bike could be a daily commuter doing couple of hundred miles a month in all weathers, I’m guessing the bearing is useless due to water getting in, it can be very wet in Yorkshire
Thanks for watching and your comments, 1 year old
As you say Dave, bit of a faff..but as bikes become more complicated and sleak, it's what will inevitably evolve with them. 😉
Thanks for watching and your comments
Hey Dave. It's raining here too.
boiling here today, its nutz
Hello Dave, I am putting together a bike from scratch and I was not able to find any info regarding the cable housing. I have a similar headset as the one in this video and I don’t know if the cable housing should run all the way to the derailleur or it should stop after it enters the down tube. Any hint would be greatly appreciated.
This heavily varies from bike to bike, may I ask what bike are you building along with the groupset you're going to spec it with?
Hi, can I ask what frame is it
It is an ICAN X-Gravel with integrated cables.
@@conashudixit810 I think it may be like this:
Rear derailleur: Full-length housing (I'm sure about this one, almost all such bikes I've worked with run this way)
Front derailleur: Housing probably stops inside the BB shell, just before the cable exits the frame, check with a mechanic if you need to
Thank you for the advice. In the meantime I have decided to go all the way on internal housing. It works.
Is it possible to only change the bearings without removing the cups? Seems like a waste to me 🙈Love the videos entertaining and informative 👍👍
Hi, Thanks for watching and your comment. No because the gear and brake hoses go through the center
Hi, so the bearing won’t separate from the cup to be replaced and then the cables and hoses fed through? I appreciate that the whole unit has to be removed to complete the job, surely it’s only the bearings that fail 🤔
@@waynepennock115 This is why more waste is generated when conducting a headset bearing replacement on bikes with this routing configuration. You'd have to discard what are perfectly reusable hydraulic hoses only because they're too short after they're cut to discard the hydraulic olives that are otherwise too big to fit through cockpits, although some shops cut just the olive and reinstall with a new one.
I need to just replace the bottom bearings. Can i re use the cup or will they get damaged when i knock them out?
What brand is that handlebar holder? I could use one in the workshop..
Thanks for watching and your comments, not sure we have had it for years and all the labels have come off
It fits for all head tube or on for specific. What is min diameter of fork pipe is required, as I have 28.6 and what should the internal head tube diameter.
Hi, it's specific to the same size top bearing as the top
Hi, this is very helpful. I have the same bike and indeed have a same problem. Could you kindly share the link to buy the headset from across, currently I used similar nukeproof megawatt headset as replacement, but it would be nice if I could get the across one.
Thanks for watching and your comments
Why not contact Acros directly, I have always found them helpful and their website is useful with headset choice.
Can you use an angled headset with this?
Hi, no I dont think so
Which part number of Compression ring? Thanks
Hi, not sure without looking on the acros website
Big job just to replace headset bearings 😵💫
Thanks for watching and your comments
Cool dude!
Thanks for watching and your comments
why cut the brake hose
Hi, thanks for watching, in order to pull the hose back through the top cap
I know your pain,That Used to be a £20 job,
time = labour
Add in a possible bleed/hose,readjust gears re cable dropper,
Bike designers need to understand what it takes to maintain these nightmare designs,all because of vanity.really??get a grip!
Hopefully the customer understands why it costs extra.
Atb John 🏴
Thanks for watching and your comments
I don't see the point of this internal cabe routing on this MTB frame given that all of the wires and hoses are still exposed after coming out of the headset area. It is a pain to replace those bearings as shown in this video. If it was one of those newer road frames that hide all cables/hoses inside the bar and stem it would make senses but not this!
Hi thanks for watching and your comment
Great video as always but what a really stupid design with no real benefit for the consumer.
Thanks for watching and your comments, depends on where you want to ride it and how hard or just to tootle around on?
What a nightmare. Im happy im not servicing these bikes and keep my own very simple.
How to fit an integrated cable headset? Don't:))
Hi, Thanks for watching and your comment. Well said
These headsets are absolute garbage. Can’t wait for this stupid fad to go away as it serves no purpose. This idea that it makes the bike quieter is such nonsense.
That's so stupid... So unecessary! It should be a 10 minutes job. Now we have to disconnect the cables, cut the brake cable, bleed the brakes and fight all these in place 🤦
Yep, nuts I agree
Looks like time consuming pain in the ass
what a terrible color of frame 🤢🤢
Did this last month on my cube stereo,a massive pain in the ass,and sometimes the compression ring breaks as its so thin,and,the bearings dont come out easy as they are pressed in,and having to take the cups out just to get the bearings out is a bad design,acros charge a fortune for bearing sets,i just bought the bearings instead,bad design!
Thanks for watching and your comments
Do you really need a headset press for this?
Hi, thanks for watching and your comments, if your gonna do a proper job then yes you do