The rumors are true, Chris King is now offering a split wedge compression system they have termed the Grip Lock. While somewhat similar in function to other set ups, in typical King fashion it is impeccably engineered and completely Chris King.
Grip Lock will currently be shipping only on the inset model headsets, or it will also be available as a conversion kit for any CK headset since 1991. King says that the bikes that will benefit the most are longer travel mountain bikes with slacker head tube angles, stating that it should improve durability and reliability.
My first impression upon seeing the system was to question the timing of the release, and I asked if it had anything to do with the fact that the Cane Creek Aheadset worldwide patent expired this month. I was surprised by their response, when King told me that actually after they produced a wedge style headset around 1992 (which they found to dig into the steerer tube and axed the project) they have paid into the patent ever since and simply saw no need for the design until now. They also feel that the nature of the new design is much better than current competitors on the market, and state that you no longer have to struggle with a super tight o-ring to install it.
Get the breakdown of the design after the break!
