Chris King Buzzworks’ prototype OffSet headset

by Marc Basiliere April 21, 2014 9:00 am9

Need a bit more reach on that XXL frame?

Something doesn't look quite right
Something doesn’t look quite right

Coming out of Chris King’s Buzzworks prototype shop, this OffSet headset was developed for the rangy riders on Santa Cruz’s Syndicate race team.  Too tall for even their sponsor’s largest frames, Minaar, Peat, and Bryceland were looking for a bit more cockpit and wheelbase on their race bikes.  In response, King and company developed a model that offsets the steering axis 8mm (roughly 1/3in) from the centre of head tube.

This will get you one of these.
This will get you one of these.

Working with common 44mm straight head tubes, the OffSet headset will require a straight-steerer fork, something still common among the dual-crown crowd (and available at a discount elsewhere).  While Chris King’s blog notes that Buzzworks concepts “may never make it to production,” we could see an OffSet model filling a need among those looking for a bit more – or a bit less – reach in their frames.

Chris King Buzzworks HS Side
Buzzzzzz….

cielo.chrisking.com

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Comments (9)

  1. honourablegeorge April 21, 2014 at 10:19 am

    Would love one of these. I have a 44mm upper and 1.5 lower though. Suspect it’ll be a long wait.

  2. mattjg April 21, 2014 at 7:06 pm

    lol Santa Cruz sponsored riders don’t fit Santa Cruz bikes.

  3. shortbread_fanylion April 21, 2014 at 8:08 pm

    Bit surprised Santa Cruz don’t make custom sized frames for their sponsored riders.

  4. Northwind April 21, 2014 at 8:41 pm

    Works Components have theirs almost ready to go on sale I think. Not as aero though 😉

  5. honourablegeorge April 22, 2014 at 9:01 am

    Nice one. will be after the Works version

  6. stilltortoise April 22, 2014 at 9:44 am

    “…looking for a bit more cockpit and wheelbase on their race bikes.”
    Am I having a basic geometry fail? Surely – with everything else being even – a shallower fork angle within the same frame will shorten the cockpit.

    …or have I misunderstood what the “cockpit” is?

  7. njee20 April 22, 2014 at 10:33 am

    It’s not changing the angle, it’s changing the physical offset of the fork – hence it needs a straight steerer – it means the steerer will sit right at the front of the head tube, rather than in the middle.

  8. stilltortoise April 22, 2014 at 11:25 am

    aha cheers njee

  9. ddmonkey April 22, 2014 at 1:40 pm

    Argh I want one! Is there any way I can get one of these?

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