It never seemed this bad in my experience. I've been out of it almost completely for a few years, so maybe it took a sudden turn for the worse. > explosion of

It never seemed this bad in my experience. I've been out of it almost completely for a few years, so maybe it took a sudden turn for the worse. > explosion of tools you need I only have tools for my bikes, and so far, they've all needed the same tools, and I like to tinker. Maybe the low end in brand name bikes doesn't change much. > the press fit bearing You must mean the headset? I've put what must be (maybe tens of) 1000s of KMs on a low end aluminum Trek frame from 2010 and it's still fine. That includes quite a few complete Ontario, Canada winters. It should be replaceable with the correct tools, although I do agree pressing it out might not be the perfect solution. Lots of automotive parts are pressed in and out, though, and somehow they do it without breaking anything and throwing it out. You have to be careful. One thing we definitely lost with the fork and handlebars was the ability to adjust it a bit. Now if you want it higher, you need spacers instead of just raising it up. Except then your fork is cut and it's too late anyway. The modern headset should probably be stronger, so it's got that going for it.