While brainstorming for articles regarding the new Bike Lab I had to retrain my thinking. Being one of the main contributors to Blue Collar MTB I am always trying to figure out a way to get by on the cheap, or to make that part last a little longer. I realized that Bike Lab isn’t that far off, instead it is about making what you upgrade worth every penny you spend!

This leads me to my first real review for this site. Chris King. What does that name mean to you? It might be just a name or maybe a guy you knew in high school. To me it means long lasting bike parts. The type of parts that you keep longer than any crank, wheel or frame. I have a purple colored Chris King headset that has been on 5 different bikes. Partly because I swap bikes, but also because the thing has taken a licking but keeps on ticking.

This review is mainly about their headsets. For around $130 it isn’t a cheap part to put on your bike. It sure will out last almost any other headset you put on your mountain bike. They come in various colors, widths and strength. You can even get Titanium!

I’ve only seen one Chris King headset fall apart under much abuse. The customer a sweat problem. This sweat corroded the King top cup right to a Fox steerer. The cup and bearing were severely damaged when I finally was able to pull them apart. No worries, Chris King has a 10 year warranty! I sent them back and a week later had a rebuilt headset with new top cup. Now that’s customer service!!

Pro’s : Durability, warranty, colors, various models
Con’s : Price