# CX-1 headset $



## Gnarly 928 (Nov 19, 2005)

I know we aren't supposed to count pennies when we choose to ride a nice bike like a Colnago..but I just had to replace my headset on my CX-1 after just over a year. I have owned and maintained dozens of high end and custom bikes in my lifetime but it surprised me to have to pay well over $100 US to replace a couple of crunchy bearings on this Colnago...I've paid $20, maybe $30 for every simple bearing, at the most, on all my other bikes..But when the Colnago's headset bearing(s) get 'rough', you have to buy a whole headset..comes in a cute little cardboard box with a clover leaf logo and all the fancy carbon caps, the bolt and the pinch washers...You can't just buy the bearing....

A couple of my Colnago friends have also had the HS-1 headsets go bad in what seems like a very short lifespan. Eventually someone will find a source for just the bearings, but for now when you go back to the dealer, take some vaseline and some $..

Probably partly my own fault for transporting my bike on the rear of my Van, from California to Oregon through a couple of heavy rainstorms this spring. I mounted my rack across my rear hatch and the forks of the bike point forward, into the direction of travel. I didn't remember to do any maintence after that trip, which I am sure injected some water and road grit into the lower bearing, at least....For a hundred plus bucks, I won't forget that again.


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## JetSpeed (Nov 18, 2002)

You got it WET??? Gasp . . .


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## Gnarly 928 (Nov 19, 2005)

JetSpeed said:


> You got it WET??? Gasp . . .


 Yeah, really wet... and I rode over some ice and snow, too, until I got into so many 'traction' cinders spread on the road by CALTRANS in April that I was thinking..."two flats could happen here, and I have just one spare tubular" Considering how long it had been since the last car had passed me, in 20f temps while climbing this pass near Mt Whitney..I turned around at 7000'.

The CX-1 has probably ~12k pretty tough miles on it so far with nary a whimper (from the bike, plenty from the rider) other than the headset bearings. An outstanding ride... Couple of pics from that early spring road trip taken at about the snow line.


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## Gnarly 928 (Nov 19, 2005)

*It's good again...*

I paid the $120 (ouch!) and got the new headset. It looked slightly different than the crunchy one. My CX-1 was a fairly 'early' one, so maybe they did some revisions on the newer headset. 
Anyway, it came with a very thin black (the original headset had one, too, which I threw away) to fill the gap between the fork and the bearing race that protrudes from the headtube. This spacer is not right, barely. It must be a couple of thousandths too thick or something but I could NOT get the headset adjusted properly with it in place. To get free movement I had to leave things loose and then with my weight on the bars, there was just a very slight 'dragging'...Enough to make it sketchy to take your hands off and ride along...

Finally took the spacer out and all is good again. Hopefully I will get more than a year from this headset. 

I still consider my CX-1 to be the best all around race and day to day bike I have ever owned.

Don Hanson


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## woodys737 (Dec 31, 2005)

Gnarly 928 said:


> I paid the $120 (ouch!) and got the new headset. It looked slightly different than the crunchy one. My CX-1 was a fairly 'early' one, so maybe they did some revisions on the newer headset.
> Anyway, it came with a very thin black (the original headset had one, too, which I threw away) to fill the gap between the fork and the bearing race that protrudes from the headtube. This spacer is not right, barely. It must be a couple of thousandths too thick or something but I could NOT get the headset adjusted properly with it in place. To get free movement I had to leave things loose and then with my weight on the bars, there was just a very slight 'dragging'...Enough to make it sketchy to take your hands off and ride along...
> 
> Finally took the spacer out and all is good again. Hopefully I will get more than a year from this headset.
> ...


Hey Don. I don't suppose you found a source for bearings? I have an '09 CX-1 in need of a new HS and would like to save some $ if possible.

Woody


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## Gnarly 928 (Nov 19, 2005)

woodys737 said:


> Hey Don. I don't suppose you found a source for bearings? I have an '09 CX-1 in need of a new HS and would like to save some $ if possible.
> 
> Woody


 No, sorry and I looked. Dealer item and pricey...but they've revised it some and mine has been trouble-free now for many hard miles.


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