[Closed] So, its my fault ' 456 Smoothie headset' rougher than rough Warranty Rejected

Mine lasted less than 10 rides and none of them was very wet. The replacement (with cheap Cane Creek bearings) is in better nick a year and a half later. Total crap. I didn't bother raising a warranty claim as I was replacing it anyway, but tbh I'm not surprised to hear they palmed you off.

Below with corresponding CRC codes:

HOPE Top Headset Cup Complete 2011 CUP 2 (1 1/8inch Integral/Zerostack)
269846

HOPE Bottom Headset Cup Complete 2011 CUP D (1.5inch Traditional to 1 1/8inch Stepdown)
269854

Cheers Hora, hopefully a sale in the next week to get one, as I only ride this 'in the summer' so no rush !!

Pay cheap pay twice.

Smoothie is £35- not all that cheap. While FSA Orbits, Cane Creek S8s, etc are cheaper and better.

Do I need the HS 136 1.5 to 1 1/8 reducer if using 1 1/8 forks for the lower race as well or just the bottom race as listed?

I think my main grumble is the flat ' no' as an answer and that there was no offer of some replacement bearings, not even to ask if I wanted to buy them. Just ' on your own, we'll post it back' Anyone want any fishing weights?

Hi

Our technical guys have advised that this is wear and tear.

I appreciated your comments on the number of times you have used this item, however working parts such as bearings need regular maintenance,

Maintenance is needed like drying the bike and components after a ride, not using a jet wash and greasing the bearings.

We will return this in the post you.

Kind Regards

Alex

Aw bless.............

Have they hired somebody called Neil
😉

If it's a On One Smoothie Mixer headset for a C456 then you could just replace the bearings

Top http://superstar.tibolts.co.uk/product_info.php?cPath=61&products_id=282

Bottom http://superstar.tibolts.co.uk/product_info.php?cPath=61&products_id=439

Or SSC do a full headset for £40 but check out what Northwind has suggested first http://superstar.tibolts.co.uk/product_info.php?cPath=25&products_id=425

Odd. I normally wreck ANY headset apart from Kings in a year or so, but my Smoothie is now 2 years old and in working order. It's a bit rough now, but it'll carry on until spring I imagine. It's the best cheap ish headset I've ever had.

I've never so much as looked at it, maintainance wise either

OP - One thing I don't like is publishing email conversation/exchanges on the internet without the authors permission. Thats unfair dude.

however working parts such as bearings need regular maintenance

Not every 12 rides though. Seriously.

If you could be bothered you could get on to trading standards. That's pretty clearly not fit for purpose IMO. Hardly worth the hassle though is it.

hora - why unfair?

I don't know it just strikes me as poor form. If I disagree with someone/a company I'll just say it. Publishing original correspondence, just doesn't seem right to me.

Hora, there was nothing damning in the statement made by the guy, just basically nope and we'll send it back. I wouldnt put anything of that on here. I really cant be bothered with the chasing round CAb for what it is worth. I dont really want to refit it to my bike to just replace the bearings with SS versions. Not worth the grief.

PP I can do you a deal 😉 Hardly used , grumbly bearings . I had actually greased these once as seized after 2 rides, just thought they may have been dry from new, so had 'maintained' them.

Actually, might just strip the bike and sell the frame. Good excuse to move it out and get something else........

Seems like a rational and proportional response.

Sounds like a lack of grease from new.

hora - Member

Below with corresponding CRC codes:

HOPE Top Headset Cup Complete 2011 CUP 2 (1 1/8inch Integral/Zerostack)
269846

HOPE Bottom Headset Cup Complete 2011 CUP D (1.5inch Traditional to 1 1/8inch Stepdown)
269854

No No No don't use the ugly stepdown!!
Use the HS136 and HOPE CUP: F : EC49/40 much neater 😉

The HS136 collar makes your 1 1/8" fork fit a standard 1.5"/taper headset
Follow the link below for detailed info

Cheers, will investigate what to get after my ride of my King headseted bike, which has worked for the last 5 years with just an annual greasing tomorrow. 😉

i bought a bike in the summer, not from on one, and the cheapy headset in it was dry.
so i greased it and it worked fine for 6 months with no other maintenance, at which point it was unceremoniously ripped out to be replaced with a hope one.
my mate bought a bike the month before mine, (from yet another company) the cheapy headset in it was dry, so i greased it and its still working fine.
the pattern i can see here is that headsets that come in fully built up bikes tend to be grease free zones.
easily fixed though.

On One is cheap tat for a reason.

My Smoothie mixer is still as smooth as it was when it was new and that's after 2 years of riding with zero maintenance . maybe a dodgy batch of bearings have crept into yours?

I can beat you all - my Superstar Mixer-esque headset is still smooth after 2 rides!

Hope cups £25.99 in sale plus the fiver discount for over £49 spends makes a new Hope pick n mix headset cheapish

If it makes you feel any better , SRAM ceramic bb warranty refused as I'd not greased it after wet rides and it went rough.

To be fair they do say what you Ment todo in the supplied instructions
But it's not like its cheap and nasty. Maybe just nasty lol

Just replaced my smoothie bearings after 15 months of riding 3 times a week in all weathers.

Used superstar bearings, if the last the same as the originals ill be happy.

My headset on my Lava Dome is well over 15 years old and never, ever been serviced. I wouldn't even know how to take the thing off. The bike commutes in all weather, all year round.

Not sure how this information could help you other than to say they don't make them like back in my day son.

I have a Smoothie Mixer for sale. It's only had 5-6 rides, although it would now appear that it's already 50% worn..... 🙂

Wow.. Smoothies are £35 now? When I bought my c456 it was £50. I got my headset from CRC for a total £58. JeJames sell them too. Bit more expensive though.

if by any chance you're scrapping the headset can i have the crown race. Will pay / make charity donation of course.

Mine came with the bike. Lasted a few months. Stuck a hope in there now. Appears to last forever. Lesson learned.

Mine didn't last long either, swapped for an FSA orbit mx. Infinitely better

I don't understand what you guys are doing to destroy them. The Smoothie has the same kind of bearings as any other headset with sealed ACB cartridge bearings. Look pretty standard to me. Mine's lasted a year so far with zero problems.

And if you jet wash any bearing areas, then you get what you deserve. Learnt that early on with "better" branded stuff already mentioned (FSA). Jet wash, grease gone, grind grind.

Haven't had a huge range of headsets, mainly some FSA stuff, later an FSA Orbit Extreme Pro, and got a Hope on my current big bike plus the Smoothie on the 456. All, aside from the original one I destroyed, are perfectly fine. Frankly I can never tell the difference. The Smoothie is just a chunk of metal to press in the frame and some standard cartridge bearings like any other so I don't get what people have problems with.

cant understand people killing headsets either..

the tioga headset on my singlespeed cost a tenner.. has very little in the way of sealing.. and just uses bearings in a cage.. not even sealed cartridges..!!

bike cleaned with a hose after every muddy ride..

i clean and grease the bearings twice a year..

its 7 years old.. and still running sweet!