Stronglight A9 Threaded Headset - Any Good?

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=350168438858

Not looking for a Chris King but want something that is cheap and will take a moderate beating, anyone tried one of these?

Cheers

Theres usually a chap on ebay selling Shimano 105 headsets for £7.50

Id get one of those instead. The Stronglight looks a bit rough/unrefined. No doubt itll work OK though.

1+ for 105, reliable headset if you can find it for cheep, like the budgie.

Theres usually a chap on ebay selling Shimano 105 headsets for £7.50

Id get one of those instead. The Stronglight looks a bit rough/unrefined. No doubt itll work OK though.
Yeah saw those a couple of months back... purple with loose bearings.

Got a new type 105 headset (sealed cartridge) on my beater which was £20 from CRC, but they don't seem to sell them anymore. Nowhere seems to have the new ones in stock either.

I have one, no problems so far but only about 6 weeks/300 miles on it.

been running a9 for over 6 months, it's absolutely fine.

I've got an A9 on my Moser, no problems here.
Used them on other bikes in the past, and have always quite liked them, DB will disagree.

stronglight a9, up to this year and miche primato both use needle bearings that give larger bearing suface so are smoother longer.

i read that there are two a9 versions; needle bearing and regular bearing - hog wash?
(http://ruedatropical.wordpress.com/2009/02/28/stronglight-a9-headset/)

Stronglight A9 did 2 years off road on my mtb before it died ,which is pretty good for a very light roadie headset

i read that there are two a9 versions; needle bearing and regular bearing - hog wash?
(http://ruedatropical.wordpress.com/2009/02/28/stronglight-a9-headset/)

One of my bikes has a Stronglight headset with needle bearings. I'm not sure if it's an A9 though.[/useless post]

How the hell can be any headset unreliable?

everyone seems to be selling regular bearing stronglight :S need to do more hunting !

http://www.jejamescycles.co.uk/stronglight-a9-alloy-item4087.html

The cartridge bearings are on the newer models

A9's (both ancient needle roller types) have done around 20 years without replacement in 2 steel frames of mine- not daily use but the track iron has seen 10 years of twice weekly use for example. Needle rollers were da bomb- fundamentally better for axial loads which, er, a headset sees mostly.

Even the cartridges are OK.
S.