Headsets are one of those parts you don't think about until they go bad — and then they're all you think about. Notchy steering, a creak under braking, or play that shows up when you rock the bike with the front brake locked all point back to a worn upper bearing. The Comp Upper Bearing from Ritchey is the replacement that drops into any frame built around the IS-42/28.6 integrated standard, which covers a wide swath of road, gravel, and cross bikes running a 1-1/8" steerer.

The naming convention does the work of telling you whether it fits. IS-42 refers to the 42mm bore in the head tube where the bearing seats, and 28.6 is the steerer diameter — standard 1-1/8". If your frame spec sheet calls out IS42/28.6 for the upper, this is the part. The bearing uses a 45° by 45° contact angle on both the inner and outer races, which is the angular geometry most integrated road headsets are built around.

This is the Comp-level bearing, which sits below Ritchey's WCS tier in their range. You're getting a sealed cartridge with Ritchey's high-webbing grease packed inside and a 41.8mm outer diameter on the bearing itself, with a 46mm top cover OD. If your bike is a daily trainer, a backup machine, or a build where you'd rather spend the headset money elsewhere on the bike, the Comp does the job without the WCS price. For wet-weather bikes that live outside or get hosed down every weekend, the stainless WCS version is worth the upgrade — same dimensions, different material story.... Read More