This is the Chris King NoThreadSet in Bold Black, a 1-1/8 inch threadless headset machined around sealed cartridge bearings that King manufactures in-house. The upper bearing cap uses a compression design with increased surface area against the steerer, and constant-contact seals keep grit and water away from the races.
It steers road bikes, gravel rigs, and hardtails through seasons of rain, mud, and washboard without developing the play or notchy feel that kills lesser headsets. Install it once and it quietly outlasts frames; many NoThreadSets have been moved bike to bike for decades.
Chris King Precision Components has machined bicycle components in Portland, Oregon since 1976, making its own bearings from domestic-mill materials and anodizing parts in-house.
