UNDERSTANDING BMX HEADSETS

When it comes to BMX headsets you will generally find 2 options… Integrated and external. Primarily headsets on BMX bikes will come with an integrated headset. It’s also the type of headset all after market BMX frames use, although pretty much every BMX brand sells their own headset, they are all universal fitting.

INTEGRATED HEADSETS

Widely popular in this day and age because of the reliability of them with sealed bearings, a much cleaner look and less maintenance and installation issues.

EXTERNAL HEADSETS

Commonly found on very entry level bikes such as the Division Blitzer bikes, these have loose ball bearings and have headset cups that are inserted into the frame instead of being built into the frame.

HEADSET SPACERS

Different brand headsets can sometimes come with different types of headset dust covers to suit different stack heights and to eliminate the use of additional spacers. Such as the Cult headset which comes supplied with 2 options to cater for more riders.

Outside of that, you can add more spacers to your headset if you’re looking for some extra height in the front end without needing to change your stem or bars. Colony sells packs of a variety of spacers for this. Some others who prefer a lower (and sometimes cleaner look) front end will cut the forks to a specific length so that no extra spacers are needed for the headset to work correctly.

Check out this video for more information on how to install and BMX headset.