Chris King, the Portland-based purveyor of bike parts so beautiful you hesitate to get them muddy, has a new product. It’s for those of us who’ve already bought every headset, bottom bracket and hub they make—and still have money burning a hole in our Rapha bib shorts. Introducing the Chris King espresso tamper: a 420g billet of “NoThreadSet™ energy” designed to elevate your caffeine game to the same level as your custom, titanium gravel bike.
When coffee is life—and life costs $150
According to lead designer and “coffee guru” Jay Sycip, pulling the perfect espresso shot is akin to painting the Mona Lisa. Sycip insists that the 15mm-shorter handle is a game changer for discerning baristas who need more control. Because when you’re shelling out $150 for a hunk of machined aluminum, “control” is the word you want to hear, not “buyer’s remorse.”
At 70mm tall with a 58mm base diameter and weighing 420g (yes, that’s over 14 ounces for those keeping score), this tamper is clearly built for performance… or maybe just as a paperweight when you realize your latte art still looks like a sad amoeba.
It’s a headset, but for your coffee
In true Chris King fashion, the tamper’s design mirrors their iconic NoThreadSet™ headset. Which makes sense—why not bring the same engineering that keeps your bike’s front end buttery smooth to smashing coffee grounds into submission? For $150, it better make your espresso taste like rainbows and unicorns.
Who’s this for?
This tamper isn’t for your average Starbucks drip enthusiast or the person who thinks instant coffee is fine as long as it’s hot. No, this is for them: the bike industry’s upper crust, the people who meticulously match their bar tape to their anodized hubs and would never ride a frame without a Chris King bottom bracket. These are the folks who believe coffee is more than a drink—it’s a lifestyle.
Final thoughts
If you’ve already got a custom-painted titanium bike with a Plasmatic Titanium Morse Cage Ti Limited Edition, plus a King headset and hubs, this tamper is probably calling your name. After all, what’s another $150 when your espresso machine already costs more than a year’s worth of race entries? For everyone else, this might just serve as a reminder that, yes, Chris King can turn aluminum into art—and that sometimes, a little bit of bike industry excess is exactly what we need to keep the espresso flowing and the pedals turning.
As for the…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at Canadian Cycling Magazine…