The same team that brought you the Mallet and 5050 pedals have turned their attention to headsets. The Crank Brothers Opium C Directset omits the standard headset cup and replaces it with flanges incorporated directly onto the bearing itself. This lowers the stack-hieght of the Iodine C Directset to an industry best 21mm, an ideal match for todays long travel downhill bikes.
The Opiume C Directset's outer races are formed from 52100 bearing steel with a black finish. Its good looks cover some thorough engineering though. It features custom made, 34 ball, full complement (max) bearings both top and bottom. For Downhill racing, nothing else will do. Crank brothers are so confident in the strength of this design that they offer a full 5 year warranty on the bearings in all of their Directsets.