Price: $130
Weight: 60 grams (cups only); 95 grams (with races, star nut and top-cap)
Models: cobalt (cross-country/road); iodine (trail); opium (downhill race);sage (heavy duty freeride)
Web site:www.crankbrothers.com

Cutting the Fat: crankbrothers' Cobalt SL headset eliminates the redundancy of a standard headset’s cup and outer bearing race by combining the two components: the headset's cup also acts as the bearing’s outer race.

By combining these features the Cobalt loses lots of weight (but also serviceability: when the bearing is shot, so is the headset). The SL model is made from stainless steel, but the Cobalt is also available in titanium for $300 and painted steel for $90. All three versions come with a five-year warranty.