Which make of MTB would be best for touring rough terain?

Which Threaded Cup and Cone Headsets are Good?

Okay cool! I don't really want to spend that kind of money on a headset anyway!!

So, if I went down the normal cup and cone headset route, what should I be looking for in a headset? Is there a solid choice for really good quality cup and cone headsets?

Also, if I am using a cup and cone headset, will I not run the risk of getting "brinelling" (like in photo) and then be a little stuck in the middle of Tajikistan or wherever?

Do I go cartridge/needle bearings - which are meant to be more hard wearing but are harder to replace, or standard ball bearings which may damage the actual cup and cone and thus needing a replacement headset?

if its set up properly you have virtually no chance of brinelling. That usually comes about when they are ridden loose, or overtightened. A well adjusted and abused headset should go 10+ years with only a once a year strip down, clean and grease.

Quite. The cartridges still have balls inside them, all the difference is that you cannot see the wear.

Persoanlly I'd buy a Hope, good quality, reasonably priced durable (they even last on my tandem, and tandems are hard on headsets).
Alternatively an £15 Ritchey Logic, buy a second set of lower bearings and when fitting use the commuter build trick with 20mm of inner tube over the lower section to keep out the muck.

hamster":2k4d7kt4 said:

when fitting use the commuter build trick with 20mm of inner tube over the lower section to keep out the muck.

Click to expand...

This is a good suggestion.

Don't be tempted to use one of the Lizard Skin neoprene ones though. From experience, they just hold moisture and can end up doing more harm than good.

As for which headset to go for.

If it's a trip round India- every village will have someone who repairs bikes, so stick with something simple. Chances are, if the worst happens you'll be able to find new bearings (or even a replacement headset) in most places.

Re:

I have a threaded fork - no Hope headset for me it seems.

The cartridge bearings will wear, but what I am worried about is a worn out headset rather than worn out bearings...as you replace the surface that the bearings roll across when you replace the bearings, surely the headset itself will last forever and you can replace cartridges indefinitely?

The trip is through Turkey, Armenia, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, China and then onwards to Uganda, Rwanda, and several other countries in Africa (that part of the trip is a year away and therefore unplanned). Basically I very easily could end up somewhere where I do not want my beauty to break down.

If cartridges are meant to be pretty reliable and sealed, then if I take two sets of spares this should be enough right?

Or do people really think I should go down the ball bearing option where if in desperate need I could source some BBs? What if brinelling occurs due to the overloaded weight? Then me headset is fudged and that's a way worse problem.

Re:

You defo want to check out a 1989 Saracen as any of those would be just the job. Tough as old boots, cheap, perfect riding position.

Grease the headset well before starting, make sure it never runs when loose and you will be fine. My tourer has had the same 1" headset for 23 years, during which time it has done over 20,000 miles on 4 continents. The enemy of headsets is dirt: prevent that from getting to them and they last many years.

Re:

Something like this although I'd be looking to get it for less than £50.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Saracen-Eiger ... SwImRYjcu-

TBH, even if you do get brinelling of the bearings, you can run for ages and ages on a damaged headset.
Lots of cycle commuters tighten headsets with 12" adjustables and ride them for years with no ill effects.
As long as it's well greased and sealed, and assembled properly, it should last your tour with no attention at all.
The headset on my old MTB tandem (rigid forked) did 5 or 6 years, several thousand miles off road (and some long gravel road tours) and was still working perfectly when i sold it. Never serviced.

Same as the 1" aheadset i fitted to my race bike in 1999. I only replaced it as it got damaged during a service and i fanced a shiny new one. That had done 14 or 15 years with only intermittent servicing.
That was probably 60000+ miles, including lots of racing, plenty of training and a fair chunk of cobbles........

Okay fair doos...so sounds like a need a decent one and ball bearings or cartridge should both be fine, maybe ball bearing so can shove loadsa grease in...maybe one with a grease port? any suggestions?