Headset Spacers Might Just Be The Missing Link

January 07, 2019 2 min read

When you're thinking of parts to customize the look and feel of your bike, it's so easy to overlook the headset spacers. Over the years, most of us have gotten used to only having a few options, none of which could match a colorful headset or hubset. But now both Chris King and White Industries make spacers, and they're both something special...and if you you're more in the mood for titanium, Ti Cycles has spacers that will get you the look you're going for.

We really like the designs of these options, because they both do more than simply add something between your stem and headset. All three manufacturers offer their spacers as a kit with multiple different sizes of spacer to allow you to dial in your stem height, and both Chris King and White Industries spacers are available in all of their respective manufacturers colors, while Ti Cycles offers multiple finishes options as well.

Chris King Headset Spacers

In the case of the Chris King Spacer Kit, you get 3mm, 6mm, 12mm, and 25mm spacers. They are also available separately as needed, and importantly, are available in 1" and 1 1/8" sizes as well. As you might expect with an item that comes out of Chris King's factory, these spacers look clean and simple, but have more going on than meets the eye from the outside. Look inside the larger spacers, and you'll see that they're relieved to save weight. Of course, like all of Chris King's products, they're designed to last a lifetime.

White Industries Headset Spacers

White Industries takes a slightly different approach with their spacer kit. It comes with 6 spacers: 10mm, 5mm, and 2.5mm straight, and 10mm and 5mm tapered. When put together, they make a beautiful taper from the stem down to the center of the spacers, and then back out again to the headset itself. As if this weren't enough, the largest spacers are relieved internally as well. We really like the slim look that the White Industries spacers give to the steerer, not to mention the range of colors that they offer.

Ti Cycles Headset Spacers

Maybe you ride a ti frame, and want to maintain the ti look through more of the bike. In that case, Ti Cycles Titanium Headset Spacers are a great option. Available as a kit with 5, 10, and 20mm sizes, or individually, these spacers are available in either straight or radiused versions in polished or bead blasted finishes to match most ti frames well.