I have a 2010 Spicy frame. Just looking around for a new headset when I found headsets like this… CRC LINK. Now my spicy frame uses a zero stack internal headset with a straight steerer at the moment So from what I can gather, the top and bottom of the head-tube bulge out to a 44mm width. So with this headset… can I fit a tapered fork to my straight head-tube Spicy? My thought being that, the extra stack height from the headset bottom cup allows most of the taper to be outside of the tube.

I tried googling it and found some rambling from cane creek that came to a similar conclusion. But nothing definitive. Is this a thing that I missed? Or just me wishing?

If its Zero Stack 44mm then you can run a tapered fork however you would change the lower to a external to accommodate the added size. By the headsets in separates. Links below. Upper assemberly.
Lower assemberly.

This is a good guide to headsets;

http://cdn.hopetechnology.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/HOPE-HEADSET-FITTING-CHART.pdf

In Hope speak you’d want a “2” and the top and an “H” on the bottom. I have a tapered fork in my 44mm headtubed 2009 Zesty with that combo.

Great, thanks! Just done some reading up. Wish I had known I could do this a few months ago! Would have saved a lot of fork hassle trying to find a good straight steerer fork.