educate me about headsets, please. :)

[digitalintrigue]

I'm building up my old Trek 5900 frame, going to strip it to the carbon, so there is a lot of sanding in my future.

Putting together a parts list...and need to learn about headsets.

The Trek 5900 (year 2003) had a custom headset design which ran into quality issues on the bottom.

So...my LBS sent the frame back to Trek and they modified it to use a 1 1/8" straight steerer and standard headset. I have a Ritchey carbon pro fork I'll be using (carbon steerer.) The LBS emailed me just this:

"The upper is standard IS (integrated) 1 1/8”; the lower is EC (external cup) 1 1/8”

Here are some photos of the headtube, as well as measurements (digital caliper.)

The inside diameter of the bottom is 33.4mm (green line); ID of the upper is 41.0mm (blue line) and ID of center/inner area is 30.0mm (red line.)

So...what headsets will work? Any special tools required to install?

Thanks in advance!

[Rick]

For all fitment issues on headsets I highly recommend just calling the tech support at Cane Creek. They are really great. They are willing to mix and match in any combo, and have some rare things that don't get shown in the catalog.

[mythical]

This is also an excellent source: http://www.sheldonbrown.com/headsets.html

[xena]

I use a cane creek on my 5900. I took out the internal bearings, they are a pain to service. Just take them out and you can use standard bearings. I have the AER cane creek headset the one with the lowest stack height [the lightest one] so I can slam it.

Tony at my bike shop was going to fit something of his own that would be lighter and I would not have any dust cap and slam below the head tube like I do on my guru. BUT
I have decided though to retire the trek and get a new frame in the coming months.. It will look nice on the wall though

[digitalintrigue]

For all fitment issues on headsets I highly recommend just calling the tech support at Cane Creek.

This sounds like a good plan...

This is also an excellent source: http://www.sheldonbrown.com/headsets.html

Thanks...will read up on this over the weekend.