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I finally stopped greasing threadless headset bearings, and a $4 tube of grease is what convinced me
I spent almost two years packing every threadless headset bearing I touched with marine grease because that is what the old guy at the shop in Dayton showed me on my first week. Last month a customer brought back his cross bike after 300 miles with a gritty steering feel, and when I popped the cap the bearing was basically glued solid with thick grease and road grit. My coworker pulled out the bearing spec sheet and showed me it wanted a light oil or a thin lithium film, not a wad of heavy stuff. I cleaned out both races, put in about a quarter of what I used to, and the steering came back silky in 10 minutes. Since I switched I have done 20 or so headsets with no comebacks, and I feel a little dumb about all the sealed bearings I ruined. What do you all run in a cartridge headset bearing, and does it change for wet winter riding?
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grant15517h ago
Chasing 300 miles before it got gritty matches what I see at the shop in Columbus: the heavy grease traps grit instead of shedding it. That grit then acts like sandpaper, which is why the steering felt rough so fast. Where I'd take your point further is wet winter riding: instead of going back to thick grease, use a light oil and check the bearings every few weeks. The seals keep most water out, and a bearing packed too full has nowhere for the water to go once it sneaks in. A thin film lets it work its way out when you wipe the races. Twenty headsets with no comebacks is real proof, so keep it light all year.
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