The integrated headset allows the bearings to sit directly into the top tube of your bike. This means changing your headset is now a job a home mechanic can do (with one quick tool bodge).

To begin with make sure you have everything you need. Beyond a new headset, a set of allen keys and some grease you’ll have to bodge yourself a tool for fitting the crown race. The best solution we’ve found is to use a bit of 40mm waste pipe and a press fit coupling to bash it down.

It’s quicker to do this job with your front brake and wheel still attached, but it is more fiddly. The choice is yours. To start you need to remove the fork from your bike. Undo the stem bolts equally then the pre-load cap and slide your fork downwards.

When your fork is off you need to remove the old crown race. There are tools for this but they can be pricey, often a screwdriver or knife will be just as good, just be careful not to damage anything! Bang on the new crown race with your bodged tool.

Then it’s just a case of making sure then new headset is greased up and sitting correctly in your frame and re-assembling the bike with the fork and stem. If you need tips on how to adjust your headset check out our previous Workshop video here.