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Gravity Bikes from Bike Direct: Headset question?

2K views 6 replies 2 participants last post by  blkangel 
#1 ·
so I bought a second hand Gravity 29er frame from a fellow on CL. I think it will be just a fine placeholder frame for me to build up my touring bike until the Surly ECR frames come out next year. ;-)

I want to replace the headset, as all I have are the two pressed races. Thing is once I popped out the top one I find the headtube has no parallel machined press fit style finish, it is just tapered like an hourglass with angled tubes top and bottom. The races are pressed, but they are just stamped steel so they have a round interface that is pressed. It also seems to be a 1.5" headset, as my inch and an eighth tried to disappear down the hole... :-(

So my question is am I stuck with some no name cheap ass headset that comes with the bike (and how do I even find that?!?!?!), or is this more common these days and I don't know about it? I have written to the supplier, but am really hoping I have other options...

thanks in advance!
 
#2 ·
Honestly what you are describing is kind of confusing. Can you post pics. And whcih exact bike do you have? No one is going to be able to tell you what headset to get unless we know exactly what frame you have?

But long story short you have to replace the headset with the same type of headset it came with. I can guarantee that the headset is a standard headset size.
 
#4 ·
right, I didn't get a pic when working on it... I'll try tonite and see. The bike has all the decals off, so I don't know the exact model or year...

basically it looks like they simply deformed a tube, instead of creating flat faces where the headset presses in. This pic of the headset used on other 29ers on their site looks like what I have now.

https://img160.imagevenue.com/img.php?image=060637766_headset_122_141lo.jpg

the rounded races is what lets it sit in a non machined press fit... you can see in this pic that the headtube is hourglass shaped, thing is the inside is the same shape, with no flats. The existing headset is pressed so that part of the roundedness of the races is all that touches.

https://www.bikesdirect.com/products/gravity/images/g29fs_colors/images/IMG_4678.jpg

its what I get for venturing into the cheap-o frames, I have a perfect Chris King to use and then this ;-)
 
#5 ·
I think you mean cup and not races. Anyway I honestly cannot understand what you are talking about. A pic would be a huge help. Are your saying that when you removed the cups that the inside of the headtube is not round? Not sure what you mean about flat faces. Also not sure what you mean by non-machined pressfit.

There is also nothing wrong with the headtube being hourglass shaped. And right if the outside is hourglass shaped so is the inside. That has nothing to do with the headset or fitment.

Ultimately just get a new zero stack headset, I am sure that there is nothing wrong with the headtube. if it is round and the old headset cups were in there then new cups will do in.

Not sure what the issue is?
 
#6 ·
aside from me being woefully behind on the "newer" technologies in bikes, there hopefully isn't as much issue as I thought! ;-)

Iron Pipe Metal Steel Hardwood


this is what I mean by machined parallel surface, the part that you press a typical headset into. I think you are right that I have a ZS headset, but a lot of the ZS headsets I see are straight more deeply than the Gravity Frame will allow to slide in, since there are no machined faces on the inside of it, and it is tapered right from the edge.

Thanks for helping understand, I'll still try to post a pic tonite!
 
#7 ·
Yeah you don't have any issues at all. All the zero stack headsets I have encountered are really shallow. FSA ones and the one you linked to above are examples of that. You won't have any issue. I suspect the cups you removed are shallow at well.
 
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