Headsets rarely get much attention until something goes wrong—play in the bearings, indexing that won't stay put, or a steerer that refuses to spin smoothly under load. The Ritchey WCS Logic Threadless Headset addresses each of these failure points through cartridge bearing construction and precision-machined aluminum cups that press into 1-inch head tubes with consistent interference fit. This is a headset designed for frames that still use the traditional 1-inch steerer diameter, which means vintage road bikes, older touring frames, and certain steel builds that haven't moved to the now-standard 1-1/8-inch column.

The cartridge bearing design matters because it eliminates the adjustment sensitivity that plagues loose-ball headsets. Traditional cup-and-cone systems require precise preload—too tight and the bearings bind, too loose and you get knock under braking. Sealed cartridge bearings hold their adjustment because the preload is set at the factory inside the cartridge itself. You install the headset, set your stem height, tighten the top cap until play disappears, and the bearings maintain that feel until they actually wear out rather than drifting out of spec every few hundred miles.

The aluminum cups are machined to WCS tolerances, which in Ritchey's hierarchy sits just below the top-tier carbon components. Press-fit installation requires a headset press for proper seating—this isn't a job for a rubber mallet and optimism. The 26.4mm crown race fits standard 1-inch fork steerers, and the stack height works with most frames designed around this standard. If you're building up a vintage frame or maintaining a steel bike that uses the older steerer diameter, finding quality 1-inch headsets has become increasingly difficult as the industry has moved on. This one delivers modern cartridge bearing performance in a format that fits the frames many riders prefer to keep rolling.