Raceface, Cane Creek, and even good ol' sealed DA last just as long without any more maint. than a King. And even if they didn't, who really rides the same frame for 10 years, or rides it for 10 years without tearing into parts just because the literature says so?


Look, I like King stuff. I've probably ridden or worked on most of the products they offer. I used to know a machinist who worked in the factory when they shared a facility with a surgical tools company. Yea they make good stuff, and yes there is always a premium to be paid for nice handmade products.
That said, what annoys me is that a King headset for whatever reason has become some kind of status symbol despite being the least important rotating assembly on a bike. Why aren't people going ga-ga over the killer hubs or the big talk about the super BBs they've been developing? Headset performance can only go so far. It's still just some cups and a pair of bearings, but people have some werid perception about them and how they should be installed, hence threads like this one.