---- ===== Chris King ===== Chris King started making headsets in 1976 by dumpster diving for discarded surgical tool bearings while working in a Santa Barbara bike shop. ((1st prototypes in 1975: [[https://www.cyclist.co.uk/in-depth/339/chris-king-interview|cyclist.co.uk]])) ((Bearings came from disused die grinders [[https://cyclingtips.com/2016/04/origins-how-chris-king-headsets-almost-didnt-happen/]])) \\ In 1978, Chris started making a few road bikes and perhaps four mountain bikes in 1980 under the Cielo brand(([[https://www.mtbr.com/threads/chris-king-cielo-mountain-bike.364435/|mtbr]]Cielo is a local fire road along the Santa Ynez mountains in Santa Barbara))(([[https://www.mtbr.com/threads/chris-king-cielo-mountain-bike.364435/|mtbr]] Perhaps four mountains in total in 1979/1980))

{{chris.jpg?460|Chris King}} \\ Chris King [[https://www.velonews.com/news/qa-chris-king-is-old-enough-to-know-better-young-enough-not-to-care/|velonews]]

---- ===== 1980 Cielo ===== Perhaps the only remaining original Cielo mountain bike in existence. Chris King rebooted the Cielo brand in 2008 making steel road and mountain bikes. (([[https://www.bloomberg.com/news/photo-essays/2012-12-14/a-rare-tour-of-a-rare-business-chris-kings-made-in-usa-bicycle-factory|bloomberg]]Frame and fork cost $1700)). Cielo later ceased production in 2017 (([[https://bikeportland.org/2017/08/16/chris-king-will-no-longer-manufacture-cielo-frames-239074|bikeportland]]))

{{1980.jpg?300|1980 Cielo }} \\ 1980 Cielo [[https://www.mtbr.com/threads/chris-king-cielo-mountain-bike.364435/|mtbr]]

---- ===== Headsets and Bearings ===== By the mid 1980s King’s headsets had become so popular that he stopped making bikes to keep up with the demands of his fast-growing company. As his headset (and later hubset and bottom bracket) business grew he added staff and moved his business from Santa Barbara to Redding (CA) and then ultimately to Portland in 2003.

{{headset.jpg?300|Ca. 1976 Headset }} \\ Ca. 1976 Chris Kings Headset [[https://cyclingtips.com/2016/04/origins-how-chris-king-headsets-almost-didnt-happen/|cyclingtips]] {{hubs.jpg?300|2021 Lineup}} \\ 2021 Lineup [[https://www.instagram.com/p/CLWtMTPBzxh/?hl=en|instagram]]