2020 Meta Power headset - don't do what I did

[slippery pete]

Moral of this story: if you're dumb you can kill bearings really fast.

I store my Meta Power standing up on its back wheel with the back wheel in a rack.



The headset lower cup has a deeply recessed bearing because of the steering limiting block...



If you wash your bike and then store it upright as shown without the water getting a chance to drain out of the headset area, water pools in the headset directly over the seal. The bearing is underwater. The bearing seizes. This happened within one month/10 rides/300km/~6 washes.

My other bikes have never had a problem with this because the bottom bearings aren't recessed like they are with the steering limited headset.

Just a quick warning for those of you with wet climates or obsessive bike washing habits.

 

[Dezmond 22]

+1
mine only lasted 6 rides with minimal careful washing , it would never stay nipped up and continually came loose and I stored it wheels down .
Replaced it with a Hope , no bump stop so adjusted the lever height so didn't impinge on the downtube .
No problems with the Hope .

 

[slippery pete]

+1
mine only lasted 6 rides with minimal careful washing , it would never stay nipped up and continually came loose and I stored it wheels down .
Replaced it with a Hope , no bump stop so adjusted the lever height so didn't impinge on the downtube .
No problems with the Hope .

Weird. That's usually an unevenly cut steerer tube which the Hope would also be having to deal with.

I'm happy to replace mine. My levers are flat so won't hit anything.

The standard fit headset isn't something you can service easily with new bearings. If it was worth saving and I could service it with new bearings, I'd lift the seals on the new bearings and get a good marine grease in there. I'd still expect eventual problems from the recessed bearing location.

I've fed back to Commencal that I don't think it is a good component and the purpose of my post here was for people to hopefully get a bit more life out of the standard part.

 

[Dezmond 22]

Good that you gave feedback to Commencal , the Hope has been faultless so far after nearly a dozen outings of 20 km each with lots of big drops and rough terrane . Without the bump stop it is easier with a larger turning circle for manoeuvring while off the bike and loading it into vehicles but haven't had a big crash so see what happens then .
In no hurry to test that ........LOL

 

[Carrera911xc]

Hmm I've been running a oneup edc stem from day one (no star nut), and have attributed that to the periodic headset loosening.

Seeing how yours kept loosening with a star nut, I may have to reconsider. Any idea on what exactly is making it lose preload?

As for the hope, am I correct in my assumption that a standard headset will not sit recessed like the one that comes with the bike?

 

[Trail-Niels]

I have a 2016 Meta AM, that came with a Cane Creek headset. Killed 2 of these headsets in less than a year, then mounted a Hope headset, in may 2018 - just replaced it with a new Hope headset last weekend.
The Hope headset has been absolutely flawless. Whereas the Cane Creek was rusty when replacing, the Hope was just showing signs of play but still looked as when they where mounted. I ride in all sorts of weather and i Denmark it's wet at least half the year som conditions i less than ideal. The Hope headset just lasts, and I'd reach for a Hope headset any time a replacement is needed.

 

[KennyB]

I bought a Hope headset about 2001, old school - angled roller bearings, for my xc bike. Still going strong although the bike is pretty much retired now.