Headset (bicycle Part) - Bearing Types

Bearing Types

Bicycle headset bearings are usually ball bearings, either loose balls, caged balls, or presealed in a cartridge; needle bearings are also available.

It is important to distinguish different standards of cartridge bearings in Integrated 1⅛" headsets. There are three integrated standards which are not compatible with each other. The numbers (45/45, 36/45, 36/36) refer to the angle on the cartridge bearing they use. All these bearings look similar.

Campagnolo Standard: 45/45. (often referred as Campagnolo standard) This is common in BMX frames, BMX-derived dirt jump frames (like the Transition Trail-Or-Park). They are also common on road bikes. Three most common manufacturers are Campagnolo, FSA and Cane Creek. Head tubes with this standard have a 42.0mm inner diameter.

Cane Creek Standard: 36/45. Very common on Mountain Bike frames and a fair amount of road frames. Most frames made by Giant that have integrated headtubes use this standard (which amounts to a lot of bicycles). Two major manufacturers: FSA and Cane Creek. Head tubes with this standard have a 41.1mm inner diameter, and Cane Creek claims its CC Standard headsets will fit in a Campagnolo Standard head tube using a 0.25mm shim under the top cap of the headset.

FSA Standard: 36/36. No one uses this standard for fully integrated headsets (bearing sitting in frame) except for a few niche brands. There are still a lot of 36/36 bearings as they are used in all FSA's semi-integrated (internal cup) headsets and some of their standard headsets as well.