Bearing confusion

I'm all for improved technology in bikes, and most race bikes these days are shipping with over sized, tapered head tubes and integrated headsets. Press fit bottom brackets bearings, seated into cups molded into the frame.

What they don't tell you, when you're picking your shiny new race bike up from the local bike path, is that when those integrated parts start to wear out, it's going to be a real nightmare to replace them. Of course, most cyclists are not likely to wear through things like a bottom bracket or headset.

As we know, I rode 10,000 miles last year, and I'm on track to ride even more miles this year. Around early March, I noticed that my head set was worn, and developed a noticeable groove. This has made riding without my hands on the bar damn near impossible, and has made cornering a challenge.

Then, last week, while cleaning my bike, I noticed that my bottom bracket was worn.

A call to NYC Velo, where I bought my bike (no link, because I'm unhappy with their service), told me that my bike would accept a standard Shimano bottom bracket with external bearing cups. WRONG.

I had a feeling this was wrong, as there are no external cups on my bike, but I figured those guys knew what they were talking about. Today, at Blue Sky, I asked Keith to install a new BB on his lunch break.

He, of course, immediately contradicted what NYC Velo had told me. After a few minutes of head scratching, we decided that a bearing removed from a Shimano bottom bracket could probably be pressed into the frame. Fortunately, this proved correct, and I now have a smooth bottom bracket.

Of course, the headset has proved to be more of a challenge. It's a Ritchey headset mounted to a Scott frame. So, I asked both Scott and Ritchey what size bearings I needed ... and I got a different answer from each. Of course, both answers turned out to be wrong. At the risk of considerable expense to myself, I later bought a new headset (this is about twice the cost of replacing the bearings), simply ordering the same one listed as being equipped on the bike. When the head set arrived, the bearings didn't fit.

Finally, this afternoon, I had some help to measure the bearings with a caliper, and should now, finally, be able to get bearings through Ritchey.

Stay tuned, but one thing is certain: my next bike will have a standard 1 and 1/8 steer tube with a Chris King headset, and a standard external bearing bottom bracket. the oversized head tube and bottom bracket are supposed to make the bike stiffer, but I think I'll be fine with standard equipment.

Anyhow, bike frustrations aside, this has been a pretty good week. Here are the high and low points:

Tops from the week:
1) Having Tom come to visit Monday and Tuesday. It was great riding with you, buddy! I don't know anyone else who could go from no riding to a five-hour slog.
2) Getting an email from BikeSnobNYC.
3) Bear Mountain on Sunday. I think I'm ready.
4) There are still plenty of problems, but at least my bottom bracket works now! -- Thanks to Keith.
5) The Felshstin Society's 90th reunion -- more on this soon.

Bottoms from the week:
1) When are we going to get some spring weather?!
2) That asshole from Wednesday.
3) Non-standard bearing sizes.
4) Always so much to do, but never enough time.
5) The long drive to Bear Mountain on Sunday morning.