Velo Orange Grand Cru 1 1/8" threadless mirror finish headset...
When I was young and foolish I used to buy premium headsets for my bikes because I thought they had to be superior given the exorbitant cost. Then as my fleet grew I was forced to buy some lower cost headsets and was surprised to find no difference at all in using or maintaining them. Ever since I’ve been buying quality mid-grade headsets at a reasonable price and been totally satisfied.
Exploded view of the internals...
When it came to my 26″ LHT build I wanted something that would look nice with the mostly silver parts build I was using, that was high quality and was not expensive. Velo Orange has become a regular stop for me when looking for parts for a bike build and I ended up with a Grand Cru 1 1/8″ threadless headset. It’s got a lovely mirrored finish and uses high quality sealed bearings at a reasonable price of $52.
VO headset install in my 58cm 26" wheeled LHT...
I took the headset down to Cycles West [my new LBS] a few blocks from my house so they could install the headset for me. Now that I am home for a few weeks I hope to get this project rolling again and finish of the build.
Next up is the BB, crank and pedals. Then stem and bars. It’s almost a bicycle…=-)
The Lazy Rando Blog... 
The only time I’ve ever felt that the CK headset I have has earned its keep is the CETMA equipped urban bike. Other headsets work themselves loose with heavy front loads, the CK stays tight. Note that I’m talking about $30 Tange headsets coming loose after hauling a 40lb load on my fork across Seattle.
My VO Grand Cru has been rock solid on my camper bike for two years now, no adjustment.
Are the bearings stainless steel?
I’m not sure if the bearings are stainless or not. You’d have to ask VO.
I don’t put Chris King on everything, but there are definitely bad headsets, too. I’m none too impressed with the cheap original spec Cane Creek headset for my Trek 5200. For a bike that was fairly high end in its time, that $5 headset turned to rust after one ride in the rain.