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So, those of you who, like me, have been around here since this was all fields may well remember the original stupid headset question, which was 'will a headset come with the crown race?'. Well, I have the sort of opposite question; I'm aware that stuff has moved on, but do some headsets not have a crown race these days?
Thing is, I've got a new bike and it's all carbon - frame, fork, for steerer, the lot. Ooh, fancy, I know. Anyway, the headset felt loose on it at the weekend so I did the usual slacken the steerer bolts, turn the top cap bolt a bit, etc, but it still wouldn't seat properly, so I dropped the fork out to have a look. The bottom headset bearing is just that, a cartridge bearing sitting directly onto the fork, no crown race, and it seats directly into the frame. At the top the other bearing again just sits in the frame, although there is the split race between it and the fork steerer.
Is this the way of things now? If so, anything I need to be aware of? I did notice that there is bugger all sealing around either end, and it's going to be a bike that will get wet/muddy, so is that something I should be concerned about? I put it all back together with a light smear of grease over everything, I assume that's about all I can do.
the Boxxers on our Session do not, it's kinda integrated into the lower triple, but i've not seen that at all on a single crown (or anything other than the Session).
Yes it's common for a carbon steerer to be shaped so that it acts as the crown race.
It's not new, I've got a 2017 TCR like that and don't think it was a new approach then either. You're right that they get caked in crap. All you can do is replace them when they get proper manky
Ah, a bit of googling finds that it's one of these
The top bearings on some integrated headsets are set too deep so tightening the top cap has no effect. The solution is to fit some shims above, these sometimes come with a new bike or your local bike shop or Kinetic Bike Bearings will have some. Just add enough to take up the play but not enough to make a too large gap. As for crown race, I’m sorry that I’m out of the game too long!
edit- shims above the bearing but below whatever cover it has
A lot of carbon road forks have a tapered seat for the bearing to sit on. If the fork is tapered at the bottom then a crown race wouldn't fit. The crown race just creates a tapered surface for the bearing to sit on