I’m considering buying a Kinesis KM220L frame for my wife, the Kinesis website gives this advice on the headset:

“HEADSET: The KM220L uses a ‘ZeroStack’ headset for 50mm OD Head tube. The bearing cups must be press fitted into the frame and the bearings drop into these. [Headset not supplied].”

Am I correct that so long as I buy a 50mm OD (44 ID) headset of the correct steerer diameter it doesn’t need to be a zero stack?

I wants a slackish riding position and have a 20cm steerer tube which I don’t want to cut so anything lost from the stack height will have to be compensated for with extra spacers, which I’ll have to buy.

My wife’s KM220L frame came with a headset.

I’d check to make sure it’s not supplied with whoever you’re buying it from.

My wife’s was from CRC.

Likewise our Kinesis came supplied with the correct headset. Maybe worth contacting them first to see if they will send one out to you or the shop.

Thanks – was it a zero stack headset in each case?

Do either of you know the actual headset model?

I’ve just had a look at my wifes bike and the headset is a Cane Creek and it also has Kinesis written on it as well.

I can’t find a model number though.

Here is a very poor pic of ours…

photo by Amplebrew, on Flickr

Thanks for going to the trouble of taking a photo.

At the risk of sounding like a maxlight spotter, is that a KM220L (ie the 2012 model) or a KM210L (ie the 2011 model)?

For this years model most sellers (although not CRC – they are about £60 more than Winstanleys though) are stating that they don’t come with a headset.

tallie – Member
Thanks for going to the trouble of taking a photo.
At the risk of sounding like a maxlight spotter, is that a KM220L (ie the 2012 model) or a KM210L (ie the 2011 model)?
For this years model most sellers (although not CRC – they are about £60 more than Winstanleys though) are stating that they don’t come with a headset.

My wife’s is a 210, but the headset will be the same.

I think one of the guys from Kinesis comes on here.

Think it’s DomMason on here that’s involved with Kinesis.

Apologies if I’m wrong on that Dom!!!!

Thanks for the response – I’ll probably e-mail Kinesis direct.

Does anyone have any thoughts on the original question?

So long as the OD is correct there shouldn’t be any reason why it needs to be zero stack is there?

I realise that most 50mm OD headsets are zero or near zero stack.

You can get an integrated headst with an external 1.5 44id lower cup and use a 1.18th reducer crown to fit your forks or a 1.5 crown for tapered forks, hope and superstar do em iirc, or there’s a nuke proof one that has an external lower cup for 1.18th forks as well,
I put one on my El Mariatchi 2 cos my fork adjusters hit the down tube when the bars span, works fine..
This one you have to buy a separate 1.18th reducer crown to fit 1.18forks for a fiver