Heff's Bike Shop - Kinesis A480-X

[retrovet]

Imagine my suprise when I was out walking the dog and a bloke cycles past on an MTB that looks remarkably like mine. I bought mine mail order from Heff's sometime in the mid to late nineties. It turns out he bought his from Heff's at around the same time. To cut a long story short I'm now servicing the doppelganger bike, it is not quite the same, the frame model is A480-7 wheras mine is A480-X. I seem to remember the name "Popcorn Blizzard" associated with these bikes at the time, but I may be mistaken. Anyway, the only two issues with the bike were a siezed front mech and a knackered headset. I managed to get the front mech unseized, but now I'm hunting for a replacement headset. Looking online, my how things have changed! It seems that what I thought was a 'common' headset (1 1/8" threadless EC34 and silver not black) are few and far between. Putting aside the really expensive ones, there seem to be a few at £40 ish (Cane Creek), and then shedloads of urecognisably named £9 to £15 imports on the two main internet marketplaces. Does anyone have any recommendations, I'm thinking of the Cane Creek 40 series at a stretch, or perhaps Stronglight or Ergotec?

The headset I removed is marked as FIRST, wheras the one on mine is AHEADSET (the make). Mine is still working smoothly after 000's of miles commuting. I would get one of these if I could find one. Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

 

[JimBob22]

Interesting reading your post.Have you any pics of bike??
Your right they were called popcorn blizzards..from Heffs Secret Workshop..or not so secret if you drove thro yiewsley/west Drayton high st.
I am going thro restoring a popcorn at the mo,a Kinesis superlight frame..it was a bike I loved to look at thro the shop window..BITD..
and will be hopefully doing a build thread,it’s been a challenge as it needed decals..
Anyway don’t think you can go far wrong with cane creek headsets..

 

[M_Chavez]

I had good luck with ZTTO ones. They only come in black and can be had for about £15.
If you can't get them around that price, I'd go for cane creek.
Another couple of noname imported headsets that I tried were not well made at all.

 

[retrovet]

Thank you for the replies. I have completely disassembled and rebuilt both of these bikes (bar refitting the headset), neither of them have or had any decals though. They were both custom builds, but Heffs had a free hand bar a few requests. The doppelganger is Deore 510 throughout, whereas mine is a mix. I've always preferred single chainrings, it has Sugino Impel cranks with a single non-ramped 34T chainring, an 8-speed Sachs Wavey shifter, Alivio brakes with DX levers, and an XT rear mech but it came with Alivio. It also has a USE suspension seat post, but I just transfer that to my current MTB, so it didn't come with the bike. Judy Race front forks, doppelganger has Suntour SR M7600. I'll post a picture of the pair once I've fitted a new headset. Thanks for the recommendations.

 

[JimBob22]

 

[retrovet]

As a matter of interest, what is the model number of your Heff's frame (stamped under the bottom bracket shell, runs across the shell, serial number goes round it)?

 

[JimBob22]

I’ll find out..

 

[JimBob22]

Mines says
G 35800054
Don’t know what it means but have original receipt for bike dating it to 9/4/98.
Stamped Kinesis superlight near head tube..

 

[retrovet]

Sounds like a different frame. Mine does have a small Kinesis sticker on the front face, top of the seat tube "Kinesis Heat Treated 7005", but no other markings except for the previously mentioned model number and serial number under the bottom bracket shell. I reckon you have a superior frame in the Kinesis range.

 

[JimBob22]

Who knows
Put some pics up when you can..