The uncommon ti Chris King headset is again in a contemporary replace for the newest up to date built-in headset bikes, in King’s first-ever Titanium DropSet. King Ti headsets solely pop up each few years, and in very restricted portions. So, whereas even their common rainbow of anodized aluminum headset cups are “constructed to final a lifetime, totally serviceable, and backed by [their] lifetime built-to-last guarantee“, these titanium variations take it to the following degree.
If you wish to actually make your bike joyful, get it a King Titanium DropSet!
Chris King Titanium DropSet ceaselessly headset for contemporary bikes
It’s most likely been greater than 15 years since we actually began to see built-in headsets take off in a giant approach, pushed first by extra carbon frames after which by tapered steerer tubes. However it’s solely been 6 years since Chris King obtained into the built-in headset sport with their unique DropSet, fixing the variable bearing preload drawback with their patented GripLock wedge system.
The important thing to GripLock is its impartial preload of the headset’s loosely dropped-in bearings individually of the way it clamps towards your steerer tube, in order that the bearings keep preloaded as you journey, making it “impervious to the ailing results of load spikes from massive hits and heavy braking”. The result’s an built-in headset that within the course of created among the longest-lasting built-in headsets which have ever been made.
“Many of the new, carbon highway and gravel bikes have inner bearing designs. When bearings aren’t pressed securely right into a cup they shift and transfer and lose preload, which makes them transfer, creak, and finally fail. The DropSet solves that drawback.”
– Jay Sycip, Chris King Design Supervisor
And now, Chris King are lastly providing these built-in DropSet headsets in uncommon and sought-after titanium!
Chris King Titanium DropSet headsets – Pricing, choices & availability
The brand new Chris King Titanium DropSet is available in 4 fashions – DropSet 2, 3, 4 & 6 to suit most fashionable highway, gravel & mountain bikes with a tapered steerer tube and built-in headset. (Not totally built-in inner cable routing, which would wish the totally different AeroSet.) Every sells for a similar $300 in matte ti with a ti heasdet cap & bolt, a 40% premium over the usual colourful alloy variations.
They don’t elaborate on what number of of every headset they may make in titanium, however my previous expertise is that they may most definitely promote out. And sure it gained’t take too lengthy till they’re gone. Then you will have to attend 5 and even 10 years till they pop up once more.
These are headsets that may outlast your bike. And these are headsets that you simply’ll possibly even take from bike to bike over time. Snap one up now so as to add some bling to your present bike, and probably even to your subsequent bikes down the highway or path.
Overview: A lifetime King Ti NoThreadSet titanium headset
The King Ti headset I’m really reviewing right here is round 20 years outdated, and has been pressed into a number of bikes over these many years. And sure, it deliberately has the symmetrical cups pressed in the other way up. Blame that on outdated bike store rat traditions.
Now it’s on an old-school Soma Double Cross S&S-coupled canti all-rounder that I’ve been driving since round 2002, and has accomplished all the things from racing cyclocross to traditional all-road driving & touring to what we now name gravel.
It’s had this headset in it because it obtained repainted in 2015. And the bike’s been ridden in about 6 or 7 European international locations since then. Right here it was on high of the Madonna del Ghisallo for its road-style biking pilgrimage. However it’s again as extra of an off-road gravel touring bike nowadays.
The headset was in two totally different mountain bikes earlier than this. First in a full-sus Kona path bike I feel, then a ti XC softail.
And it nonetheless spins as easily as when it was new, having realistically had solely 2 or possibly 3 full tear-down providers in its lifetime, to date. Bearings opened up, cleaned, regreased, and reassembled. Even the one time that it regarded like I had waited too lengthy, soak in degreaser and it was shiny like new a pair days later.
However there’s loads of lifetimes left in each these titanium cups and the precision chrome steel Chris King bearings inside.
The great thing about the 1 1/18″ threadless normal was that there have been tons of bikes coming out and in of my workshop in these previous 20 years that would match this headset. Despite the fact that tapered steerers have taken over for essentially the most half, there’ll at all times be frames to suit this headset.
Now that built-in headsets are a bit nearer to being standardized, a ti DropSet means being extra doubtless to suit your subsequent bike too! Wanting round the home, each my spouse and I’ve a gravel bike and a mountain bike that would match a Titanium DropSet. The toughest resolution can be selecting which bike deserved it first!