yeah i was initially leaning towards the king. there's a minimum retail price enforced by chris king right? it would seem it's around $130.

Well, you were comparing a $90 cartridge headset to a $125 cartridge headset, and I was just making the suggestion that a $9 loose bearing headset will work just as well as the other (vastly more expensive) options if you take care of it. You shouldn't need to repack it more than once or twice during the worst part of the winter.

for some people, the extra $115 is worth it for not having to do the maintainance. if you don't know how to repack a headset, the shop fees for having a LBS to do it for you can quickly add up to more than $115...

Do the words "10 year warranty" mean anything to you people? Not to mention "environmentally conscience." CK stopped making their branded mugs when they couldnn't verify they came from a hospitable factory environment...

this is true, but i think the same comparison can be made between any cartridge headset, i.e. properly maintained they will last a looooooong time.

this is the part i disagree with. i'm not sure if it's different weather conditions or different compounds that are used on my streets or the fact that i ride in the rain/snow a lot. but my cartridge headset requires attention about once a month (hopefully this changes with the addition of the lizard skin). and my previous cheap loose ball headset required more maintenance. around here "the worst part of the winter" can last 3 or 4 months.

yes, they absolutely mean something. i don't think there is any doubt people here are willing to pay for quality products, but some people aren't willing to pay two to three times as much just because it requires little or no maintenance vs. semi-regular maintanence.