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Prototype Chris King Offset Headset Helps Lengthen Your TopTube

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Chris King Buzzworks Prototype Headset

Co-developed with the Santa Cruz Syndicate Downhill Racing Team, the Chris King Buzz Works headset uses a little clever but simple engineering to help lengthen the cockpit of a bike equipped with a 1.5″ head tube thanks to the 1 1/8″ steerer tubed found on Downhill forks.

All three members of the race team are roughly 6’3, so their XL V10 bikes have always seen special equipment to help them top the podium. In World Champ Greg Minaar’s case, that has meant a healthy stack of spacers under the stem to help raise the front end.Chris King Buzzworks Headset ExpandedThe new prototype Buzz Works headset takes advantage of the concept behind an angle set, but rather than alter the headtube angle, it helps extend the cockpit by 8mm. We don’t have any further details, but you can read more at the Chris King Buzz Works blog.

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Von Kruiser
Von Kruiser
9 years ago

ok that’s pretty smart… so if it lengthens could it be flipped and shorten the TT? Super cool idea.

dullknives
dullknives
9 years ago

@Von – yes. bryceland runs his the opposite way of peaty and minnaar.

Professor
Professor
9 years ago

I’m assuming it only works with straight 1 1/8 steer tubes.

stratosrally
stratosrally
9 years ago

Read the article – this is for 1.5″ steertubes…

dullknives
dullknives
9 years ago

40’s don’t have 1.5″ steerers. do some research (bikerumor and stratosrally). 1.125 steerer on 1.5 head tube.

stratosrally
stratosrally
9 years ago

Yeesh…… I’m stone cold busted.

Logic fail!

padrote
padrote
9 years ago

so how the heck are the top and bottom aligned with each other?

alxramey
alxramey
9 years ago

I may be overlooking some part of the design but wont this alter tye angle of the headtube and in result changetue agle of the fork.. or would you have a custom rake to counter it

topmounter
topmounter
9 years ago

Neat idea, but I already have a 150MM stem.

ginsu
ginsu
9 years ago

strange modification all to get just over 1/4″ of length

Oderus
Oderus
9 years ago

Personally, I’d run them to the sides and offset so that the front wheel would sit at an angle and effectively turn the bike into Zoolander.

James S
James S
9 years ago

That sure seems like overkill for 8mm. Would a longer stem really hurt the handling that much? Or perhaps it’s time for Santa Cruz to get with the program and lengthen their top tubes already.

Steve
Steve
9 years ago

Wouldn’t the top and bottom cups have to be aligned precisely when pressed in?

Ploutre
Ploutre
9 years ago

It’s not a matter of using a longer stem or not, it is mostly designed for DH bikes, and you just can’t find any Direct Mount stem longer than 60mm, so for the big lads (or small frames), you kinda need these headset.

I’m getting the one from Works Components (because I know it works for my frame and it is already available) soon 🙂

FarmerJohn
FarmerJohn
9 years ago

Its all GT Bicycles fault, the Fury DH is a game changer

dullknives
dullknives
9 years ago

@FarmerJohn – if you’re referring to a longer top tube with a zero reach or very short (less than 30mm) stem, mondaraker did it a few years ago.

David
David
9 years ago

They are sponsored by Santa Cruz, so why can’t they get a custom race frame?

K11
K11
9 years ago

@david. cause they are carbon. in my opinion it would make more sense to build a custom aluminum front triangle for each specific team member and run the carbon rear triangle. but it comes down to a business thing, that the team is riding the “premium” product, that being everything carbon.

DaleC
DaleC
9 years ago

“the team is riding the “premium” product, that being everything carbon.”

More importantly, I think, the team is riding the “actual” product that we by in the LBS.

Alex
Alex
9 years ago

I think they’ve accepted that the XL V10, big as it is, really isn’t big enough. But they probably won’t re-tool (or offer an XXL) until they redesign the bike, which seem another season or two away.

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