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Old 04-04-06, 10:54 AM
  #5  
HillRider
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Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Posts: 33,656

Bikes: '96 Litespeed Catalyst, '05 Litespeed Firenze, '06 Litespeed Tuscany, '20 Surly Midnight Special, All are 3x10. It is hilly around here!

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Pinching pennies isn't the problem. Integrated headsets come in a couple of incompatible formats and the type you specifically need could be available from only one or two makers. I expect you will wind up with a Cane Creek or, possibly, an FSA headset so buy the top of the line that fits.

BTW, Cris King headsets are super quality but absurdly expensive and overkill for most bikes. As you noted they don't make a compatible integrated headset. They have their own proprietary design that requires a special headtube configuration and, as far as I know, no production frame is made to accept it.

As an aside, integrated and Zero stack headsets seem to be on the way out. Litespeed has stopped using them and there are other makers who will follow. It was an OK design but offered no advantages over the older pressed-in cup design. They made for more confusion and complexity and made greater demands on frame makers with no compensating benefit.
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